Overnight

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"]