Heather at Russet Lake:
“Laurie, Ming, and Kim joined me on a great overnight trip to Russet Lake on Sept 13 & 14th. The weather was glorious allowing for great views of the mountains behind Blackcomb, Whistler and the Garibaldi Lake area. The hardest part of the hike is getting through the armour-clad mountain biking mobs in Whistler village and finding the start of the trail. It took about 5 hours up, the first three on a gently rising forested path, the last part opening out into Singing Pass and over the crest to the lake. The trail had a few washouts in places, but nothing too hard to get past. The hut at Russet Lake has been `renovated’ so the door closes and there was no sign of mice! A spectacular moon rise over the mountain was a highlight. Day 2 had us hiking up & down the musical bumps to Whistler peak where we took a free ride down the chair to the restaurant, had some drinks and then took the gondola (free again) down to Whistler village. Although it saves the knees from having to do all the downhill, it’s a bit disconcerting to arrive at the top and suddenly be amidst crowds wearing flip-flops, mini-skirts, etc. – like a glorified Grouse Grind. We had some debate over who would prefer to hike back down the original trail instead. A recommend hike for an `easier’ overnighter with beautiful views.”