Well, it has been a long time since I have written a post. Life gets in the way with working 9 hour days, friends, events and trying to maintain some semblance of sanity at home with two cats.
I have organized a few hikes recently with the VanHikers a great meetup group in the Vancouver area. On Sunday, I sat back and let another organizer do all of the work. We traveled to Joffre Lakes Provincial Park near Pemberton which is a stunning area with three Glacier Lakes. We were a group of twelve eager hikers and the trail was quite busy as it usually is.
It is a not a long hike but you will get a good workout between 1st and 2nd Lake. It is over 400 metres elevation gain. The hike is normally 3 – 4 hours return depending on how long you spend at each lake. The lakes are on three different levels with the third lake being at the top at the base of the majestic Glacier. Even though the drive is three hours from Vancouver one way, it is well worth it not to mention the driver through Pemberton is great with Mount Currie overlooking the town.
Usually when I have been to Joffre Lakes we would stop just as we arrived at the third lake to admire the view but this time we hiked all of the way over to the other side at the base of the Glacier and continued on up a small ridge line. Many of my group continued further on to where there was a view of all three Lakes while some chose not to continue. I chose to hike part way up the small rock ridge and set my tripod up to take some photos. The view was absolutely amazing looking down onto the third lake and the mountains were slightly covered in cloud as the sun peaked out in places creating an amazing reflection on the lake.
Joffre Lakes is also great to do as a snowshoe but it will take longer and be careful to watch the avalanche conditions. There are some serious slide areas between 1st and 2nd Lakes.
It was an absolutely amazing day and a hike I highly recommend to anyone looking for a great escape.
Hiking British Columbia 