Garibaldi Lake: first-backpacking-trip-worthy

I am still in the process of collecting and organizing materials to start posting about the West Coast Trail (maps, photos, etc.). In the mean time, I think there is plenty to write about in the Squamish/Whistler area. 

Product of many trail-and-error. Aug 2012.

Garibaldi Provincial Park is a located several hours north of Vancouver and is accessible through two points along Hwy 99: Diamond Head access and the Garibaldi Lake access. Diamond Head is the southern access point that is usually used to reach Elfin Lake. Garibaldi Lake access point is used for hikers heading to the Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge, and of course the Garibaldi Lake itself. With sufficient backpacking expertise and preparation, I believe that there are ways to reach all the main sights through either one of the access points.

The very first backpacking trip that I organized myself was to Garibaldi Lake during the summer of 2012. The members included Helena Y., Jin H., Jiwon H., David K., Andrew K., and myself. We left in the middle of August and base-camped at the Garibaldi Lake for 2 nights and hiked around Panorama Ridge and the Black Tusk. We had several hours of rain during the middle of our 2nd day's hike and temperature dropped more than I expected during the night. All the information pertaining to the park's rules and regulations can be found here. Be sure to check the "most recent trail report" before you head into the park. It outlines estimated distances/time, elevation gain, trail conditions, and other safety information. 

All the rules and regulations should be followed. I'll try not to rant on about how important it is for visitors to respect the space that they are privileged to be apart of, but I do want to mention one points. The rules are set for the environmental preservation as well as for the visitors themselves. 

The back-country hiking permit is at best enforced through an honour system; the fees can be paid online or at the parking lot at the trail head but nobody checked our "receipt" anywhere. The current fees are listed on their website. please don't cheap out and sell your soul to save yourself $10-$20.

Our backpacking gear was abysmal at best. We took a 7(?) person tent that had steel frame-rods; I am fairly certain that it is designed for car camping. My pack had only the rods and some granola bars and it weighed around 25lb. We also packed 1 full size korean-style burner and 1 "light-weight" burner of similar style that was not light weight at all. Along with the stoves, we also took a pack of 4 butane canisters and a set of compact camping pots. Individual sleeping bags varied from thick and heavy synthetic barrel bags to thin bag liners probably designed primarily for hostels. None of had sleeping mats. Most of our members had nice rain jackets but several of us did not pack clothes for the cold night. We packed instant noodles, oat meal, tons of trail mix, tons of granola bars, and a few different types of snacks.

Morning of our third day: heading back down. Aug 2012.

Once you reach the Garibaldi Lake there are several clearings to setup your tent, an outhouse, and a shelter. The shelter is not for hikers to sleep in. It is there primarily for people to cook and hang their food (as to not attract wildlife near your tent). We spent a lot of time warming up in the shelter after our hikes. A rodent-proof food hanger is provided in the shelter for hikers to hang their food. I don't think it really works because I found several rodent droppings on my bag that I hung up; you should still use them. Also, when we were hanging in the shelter late at night, we can hear mice scuttling around in and below the shelter scavenging for food. I presume that their presence is not very sanitary but nobody got sick from it. David even ate nuts he dropped on the floor and he's still alive and healthy.

I've come across several memes on my Facebook feed that say that just 24 hours of camping resets your body back to the natural circadian rhythm. Sounds like a pseudo-scientific-hippy-crap at first but it really does work! With very limited artificial light and many hours of hiking by day, my body was ready to sleep by 10 and up by 6-7. I can never wake up that early without 20 alarms and extreme agony at home. When I'm camping, I usually wake up before most people and manage to start up the stove for coffee and tea.

This trip is not difficult at all; it's easy and short enough for mistakes and crappy gear. The hike from the parking lot to the lake is only around 3-4 hours. I've heard of people making a full round trip from the parking lot, to Black Tusk, and back to their car in around 9 hours. The trail is quite steep (elevation gain 770m just to the lake) so the return trip takes a lot shorter than the trip up. Our visit to both the Panorama Ridge and the Black Tusk was not successful because of fog and rain but even then, it was quite amazing.

Spring already hit in the west coast and summer is just around the corner for all of us. I suggest you plan your summer now before it flies by. Set goals, log your progress, and enjoy it to its potential. Cheers.


* Photo courtesy: Andrew JW Kim
* For more photos search Flickr for Garibaldi Lake.
* For those members mentioned in the post, if you have any comments or suggestions about the post, you know how to reach me. For the rest of you, if you have any questions or comments, please comment below.