A few minutes away from Vancouver is the paradise for outdoor sports enthusiasts: mountain biking, climbing, bouldering, trail running. For us, it will be hiking! That's perfect because we need to strech our legs!
Monday, August 22, 2022
We wanted heat, we got it! The area of Vancouver is under a heat wave. The temperature goes up to more than 30° during the day. We are very happy about it 😁 We wake up early, because a beautiful and popular hike awaits us: Joffre Lakes. It's actually so popular that we are asked for a day pass on the parking lot. A day pass? We don't have that. In order to limit the amount of people on the trail, we have to book online a day pass. Too bad. Fortunately, they are plenty of hikes in the area!
We drive to Whistler, Vancouver's ski resort, one of the largest in Canada. From there, we go for a short hike along the river. It's very pleasant, but also very hot! Fortunately, we can cool down in the lake.
We then go to Whistler. It's a highly touristic place. In summer, the ski resort becomes a paradise for mountain bikers: freeride, downhill, trail. From the beginner's slope to the pro slope, the blue, the red and the black slopes, there is fun for everyone! We walk in the streets of the village by a beautiful 32°. Everything is beautiful, clean, welcoming: Whistler has hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 2010!
It was not easy to find a place to camp near Whistler, where even the smallest campsite costs $50. We manage to find a quiet place at the end of a dirt road and spend a quiet evening, only disturbed by a walker who came to warn us that a bear is prowling around. For the first time, we listen to music while washing the dishes! 😅
Thursday, August 23
Back to Joffre Lakes. This time, we have our day pass and we are able to hit the hike!
🥾 Joffre Lakes – 9.7km, 400m D+
The first lake appears just 5 minutes away from the parking lot. It has a beautiful turquoise color that reminds us of the lakes in the Rockies.
From the first lake, the ascent is steep to the second one! We can finally see its beautiful blue through the trees.
The third lake is located directly under the glacier.
As we drive through the busy downtown of Whistler, we are stuck in traffic on the highway. On the right, a Tim Hortons, on the left, rich houses. Suddenly, between two cars: a brown bear cross the road! 😲 He runs between the cars before disappearing into the sidewalk bushes in front of the Tim. Where does this one come from!? We hope he will be fine!
We go to Squamish. Its huge monolith is a vast playground for all climbers. The town's campground is full, and all the vans and other vehicles camp around it. There are a lot of people! In each car, a bed. In each van, climbing equipments. In each tent, climbers. We arrive early enough to find a spot on the parking lot, where we meet Fransisca, Antoine and Lucas, with whom we spend a great evening!
Wednesday, August 24
Another beautiful and very hot day ahead. Everything gets very busy early in the morning, while it's still cool enough to climb, run, bike or hike. For us no climbing, but a long hike!
🥾 The Chief Trail – 6.9km, 700m D+
Let's go for the ascent of the three peaks! Fortunately, the ascent is in the woods, and it's relatively cool. We climb to the first summit via wooden stairs, then stone stairs. It's a tough climb! Soon, the stairs and steps are not enough anymore: we have to climb the rock with ladders and chains.
We finally reach the first summit after a hard climb.
The second summit doesn't seem so far... as the crow flies! However, to reach it, we have to go back down in the woods before going back up by a path which looks more like climbing than hiking. It's demanding, but we love it.
We finally reach the third and last summit, which overlooks the first two.
After a well-deserved break... it's time to go back down! A long and tedious descent through an old forest, whose gigantic trees sometimes grow on the side of the cliff. We trudge with difficulty for more than an hour before finally reaching the stairs and going down, down to the parking lot. What a beautiful hike! Very hard, but very nice.
After a well-deserved ice cream, we need a fresh shower. We find a free one in Horseshoe Bay in a gym, but the water temperature is not adjustable: for once we wanted a cool shower, we get a hot one! Then it's time to finally go to Vancouver!
1 commentaire
Très beau ces lacs mais rudes pour les atteindre.
Après une rando pareille c’est un bon massage thaïlandais qu’il faudrait !!!
Bisous et profitez bien.
Mamie.