Hiking BC - It's BC and the hiking is easy - well not always easy but it sure is fun. We will be listing a number of hikes that DeepCoveBC.com has undertaken. Each hike has a short description and a rating. All times are a rough estimate of hiking time for the average (in shape) hiker. There are many good books on hiking BC. These reviews are only meant to whet your appetite, not as complete guides to these exciting wilderness locations. Brandywine Falls - Two of the hikes below are in the Whistler area. On the trip along Highway 99 you can take a short side trip to Brandywine Falls. Where did the falls get it's name - two people had a bet on how high it is and the wages were brandy and wine. Bring your favourite beverage (BC water is a good one) and take your own chances on guessing the height!

Cheakamus Lake, Whistler - A two hour hike to great camping at the end of Cheakamus Lake. It is hard to believe you are only two hours from Vancouver and 10 minutes from Whistler. You will begin this hike with many others who are day tripping in to picnic, fish and test the waters. The hike continues along the lake and soon you will see less & less people and more & more wild flowers including lots of the traditional medicine plant Devil's Club. The trail leads you to campsites that are located close together but large and level. Close to these sites is a gravel beach by Singer's Creek where the view is incredible. Mountains to the left, mountains to the right and a beautiful turquoise lake in the middle. Watch out for mosquitoes (not too bad) and little black flies at night (worse). We were there for the first weekend in July and were the only ones. This hike also makes a great day hike when you are up in the Whistler area. The first part of the trail is accessible to bikes but everyone seems to share the trail quite well.

Weather for Whistler area

Cheakamus Lake - yes, we'll be heading back.

Joffre Lakes are beautiful mountain lakes situated so high up in the mountains that the camping area for this park is just below a glacier. When we went in early July we were treated to a chunk of the glacier breaking off, rolling down the edge of the rock and shattering into the stream of water rolling down the side of the mountain. While the setting is gorgeous, the mosquitoes are many and part of the hike is over boulders which can be slippery in wet weather conditions. The beauty outweighs those minor inconveniences and we would like to return to Joffre Lakes on a sunny day. That would be heaven.
BC Parks website: Joffre Lakes *Second photo courtesy of the BC Parks website. Getting to the Joffre Lakes: Take Highway 99 past Whistler, then east of Pemberton, to the Duffey Lake Road. Watch for the Joffre Lakes signs after climbing up and up the Duffy Lake Road. Joffre Lakes - We want to go back on a sunny day.

Gambier Island Lake - A three hour hike through forest to Gambier Lake which is nestled between two mountains. The hike is not strenuous but has some long grinds and some areas that are rocky underfoot. The lake is small, beautiful and was still cold in June. Campsites are limited with two good ones by the lake and others in the forest. The best campsite is located at the end of the lake - it has a large area for tent and gear, a beach with walk in entry to the lake and a great view. The second best campsite is located just to the left after you cross the logs that make the bridge over the lake's outflow stream. (There are actually two sites there.) If these two are taken, there are sites in the forest that are quite nice and cool. Lake access is limited due to the wetlands around the lake, fish are plentiful, and the setting is beautiful.

Getting to Gambier Island - Take the Langdale Ferry from Horseshoe Bay, then transfer to the small Gambier Island water taxi ferry for the trip to New Brighton. Walk from the dock on Gambier Island to the store and check out the map there. Head up the road and follow the signs from there. Check the ferry schedule for your return trip because there may be quite a time between ferries, you can use this time to have a great meal at the store or just hang out on the lawn with a cold brew.

Weather for Gambier Island area (Gibsons)

BC Ferry Info: Horseshoe Bay to Langdale & Langdale to Gambier Island (New Brighton)

Gambier Lake is a hike we'd do again.