Callaghan Lake by Canoe

With my girlfriend recovering from a broken foot, we couldn't go for any extravagant hikes, so we decided to travel by paddle instead. We cruised up the Callaghan Valley to Callaghan Lake for an overnight camping mission.  Arriving at the lake, we found that the campsites were right on the side of the dirt road, with minimal tree coverage - not quite as serene a setting as we were hoping for. We soon learned, however, that there was a camping spot across the lake that was quite nice. So, we packed all our gear and loaded it into the canoe, and a rubber dingy which we tied to the canoe, and set off for our new destination. Callaghan Lake is pretty large, and makes for quite an enjoyable paddle. We eventually made it to our new home for the evening; an extremely small patch of beach at the trailhead to Cirque Lake (a hike which I will soon return for).  After setting up camp, we went for another paddle on the lake, and then took a mellow stroll on the hiking trail, checking out the beautiful streams that flow from Cirque Lake into the Callaghan.  We were about 4 nights post-full moon, so after dinner and a short nap we headed out onto the lake again for a moonlit paddle. Waking up well-rested and feeling like we escaped the "bubble" (if only temporarily), we headed back across the lake and back to real life.

Wedgemount Lake - September 2010

An oldie but a goodie, I had to look back to some earlier photos for this story. I hiked Wedge the first summer I moved to Whistler, and although I haven't been back since, I plan to get there again soon. Wedgemount is a gruelling hike. It has the intensity of the Grouse Grind without the brevity. Over 12km, you climb 1220 metres (do the math, it's a steep grade!), climbing through thick forest, sub-alpine meadows, and finally to reach Wedgemount Lake, nestled amongst Mt Moe, Mt Weart, Rethel Mtn, Parkhurst Mtn, Wedge Mtn, and Lesser Wedge. The lake is fed by the Wedgemount Glacier, and as such is freezing cold. Once the lake has been reached, hikers can camp either on provided campsites or stay in the cabin which is also right on the lake. From there, there are multiple mountain peaks to summit (mentioned above), as well as the beautiful glacier to explore. You will find markings showing the glacier's recession over the years.

As mentioned above, the hike is a very steep one. If the climb isn't for the weak of heart, then the descent isn't for the weak-kneed. Take your time going down to avoid over-stressing your knees!

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Lightning Lakes Chain Trail - July 2011

For a brief summer venture out of the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, we took off to Christina Lake for a friend's wedding. On the drive back, we stopped in Manning Park for an overnight excursion on the Lightning Lakes Chain trail. The trail is a nice, relatively flat 10km stroll that crosses 4 lakes along its path, each one bearing a more dramatic name. First is Thunder Lake, followed by Strike Lake (which holds the campsite we stayed at), then Flash Lake, and finally Lightning Lake. Some really nice meadows were found after Strike Lake, which bore many beautiful flowers. Lightning Lake proved to be very beautiful, and not very successful for fishing, but our dog Tiva honed her lake jumping skills. Back to Strike Lake campsite for some nice camping in a misty rain, and then to an early rise the next morning to drive back up to Whistler, the jaunt proved to be a very worthwhile interruption to our road trip. [gallery link="file"]

Ring Lake - October 2012

Ring Lake was on my radar the whole summer. I had read about it and really wanted to experience one of the less-traveled overnight hikes in the corridor. Nestled in the Callaghan Valley, Conflict Lake and Ring Lake lie in a completely different environment than many of the surrounding trails.Starting from Callaghan Lake, we started our excursion around 1pm. A brisk 5km in, we came across the Callaghan Lodge, which perked my interest as a possible winter splitboarding destination. Shortly after, we rolled into a beautiful meadow with winding creeks, which soon led to a very steep ascent. Once we broke through the treeline, we were greeted with a Lord of the Rings -esque scene, passing a short rocky field before finding Ring Lake, nestled between Ring Mountain and Callaghan Mountain.  Finding ourselves in complete solitude, we settled in for a beautiful evening.[gallery link="file"]

Joffre Lakes - September 2012

Joffre Lakes is a classic, I tend to go there every year. This was my third venture up (a couple of keepers from previous trips are shown in this gallery as well), and this time, we brought our friends Ryan and Becky for their first overnight hike. Starting from the Duffy, the hike begins at a decent elevation, and along the way you pass 3 different glacial lakes, each one seemingly more blue than the previous. The second lake has some great fishing as well, and everyone was able to snag a pretty rainbow. Taking our good friends out into the backcountry for their first time, we didn't want to disappoint, so dinner consisted of orzo cooked with fresh basil and parmesan along with hot italian sausages and red wine, followed by chocolate for dessert. At night, Ryan and I did some light painting photography, and I snapped a star trail (can be seen on my gallery page). The next day we walked up to a nice rock for breakfast before making the mellow stroll down, finishing with a delicious burger and beer at the Pony in Pemberton before getting back to Whistler. [gallery link="file"]

Black Tusk - August 2012

The Black Tusk in Garibaldi Park is an iconic trail for any avid hiker in BC, as it can be seen from many places along the sea-to-sky corridor. It offers many options, from a simple day-hike to multi-day adventures with many campsites in the surrounding area. We decided to enjoy the scenery, and started off in Cheakamus on a 3-day excursion.  Our first night we camped at the Helm Creek campground, where we met some other hikers for a good game of frisbee. The next day saw beautiful meadows as well the great views from the top of Panorama Ridge. After the Ridge, we started climbing towards the Tusk, and although we had originally hoped to camp right on top of it, our doubts overcame and we settled for camping at the base. This led to a beautiful sunrise and an early climb of the Tusk at 6am. Our third day was a leisurely one, strolling a mere 5km from the Tusk to Garibaldi Lake, where we enjoyed a much-deserved swim and a starry night. Overall, an epic 4-day hike.

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