After cruising all across the beautiful Vancouver Island it was time to take the ferry back to the mainland of Canada. While cruising all the way up north to Jasper we came across the Garibaldi Provincial Park where we thought to climb our way to Lake Garibaldi.
Approaching the Rocky Mountains
After we arrived late afternoon to the trail head parking lot we decided we’d go to see the lake the next day. An older man came back to his car in the late afternoon right next to ours and told us about a beautiful extension of the Garibaldi Lake hike to the Panorama Ridge.
He announced that his hike took 12 hours that day. He started at 08:30 AM and was back at the same time in the evening. We discussed this topic while having a nice stew for dinner and decided we could make it too.
Early birds turned late movers
My initial euphoria to leave the car in the earliest morning hours at around 04:00 AM was stopped suddenly after the alarm went off. The cozy environment of the car and the warmth of sleeping bodies in the tiny space over the mattress felt to comforting to put on hiking boots and venture into the night. So after taking another extended nap we had a serious breakfast and started our adventure at 09:30 AM.
The first 6 kilometers of the day were just stupidly gaining elevation by taking the many serpentines up to the marker of kilometer six of the trail. After that the dense forest got brighter and we encountered the lava dam. A steep wall of a former landslide that gave the parking lot of Rubble creek it’s name. We brought water and snacks that were consumed for a first little break before we approached the sights of lesser Garibaldi lake.
It’s all about rock flour and elevation
The water washed sediments from the stones and emerges into the lakes and rivers of the area. This so called rock flour gives the water a perfect turquoise color that is unmatched. I haven’t seen something as beautiful and pristine as the waters of British Columbia. The Helm Glacier at the end of Garibaldi Lake was not to shabby neither.
The hike continued from the camp sites at the lakes side towards Panorama Ridge. The way was less frequented and the amount of surrounding hikers rapidly declined. We got aware that bears might show up earlier. There wer warning signs at the parking lots and roadsides to warn visitors about this possibility of wildlife encounter. But we never took it too serious. From what we had researched it sufficed to make noise to make sure the unwanted visitors would clear path up front. When we met a group of asian tourists completely equipped with bells and whistles we recognized that simply chatting along would probably not help much. However we were that far into it that it wasn’t the time for concerns anymore.
Icefields before the summit
After another 3.5 hour hike we were about to summit Panorama Ridge. This place had it all in our dreams. A nice view and a good place to rest. Time was approaching 04:45 PM already and we still were on our way up as we encountered the first snow patches. On the north side of the mountain the snow withstood the summerly temperatures. To be honest the morale went through a little downturn at that time. The hike got more and more difficult and the snow slipped under our feet. The steep passage in front of the summit was only overcome by motivating each other calmly. A good expedition is teamwork. And so we finally reached the summit together with a furious high five and a broad smile inspired by the view in front of us.
Unreal beauty
The glitz of the lake beyond our feet. The pristine waters and surreal colors made up for all the strains we endured during the way up. A good spot to celebrate life and stamina in particular with some nice pictures of the lucky few who took the challenge and came all the way up to the sandy spot that gave the million dollar view over Lake Garibaldi.
The pictures can hardly describe the fresh air, the warmth of the sand and the feeling of the calming breath after the exhausting climb. A super wide angle would not have done this place justice. But the best was yet to come.
For the descend we were handed some ripped plastic bags by other wanderers that were already on their way down. These served a simple but fun purpose: Sliding down the snow patches in a fast and furious ride made the first part of the descend to an almost childish highlight.
Sta-Mi-Na
The 31 Kilometer climb and the 2.800 meters of elevation left their marks on concentration and physical condition when they eclipsed after our return. We started to descend around 5:15 PM and arrived at the van at around 9:30 PM.
Our legs trembling from the constant pressure of walking downhill. Our heads distracted by the many sights and impressions we got during the day. Only a hearty stew and a long night of sleep could compensate for the investment that the day had taken. The last kilometer was spend singing out loud to prevent the wildest of all bears. The comforts of the voice singing songs on our way home and the feeling of accomplishment are enough to be remembered for a whole lifetime.
