I had the luxury of shooting a thoroughly photogenic and awesome fire troupe last night. Totally fun and inspiring, it gave more ideas for the next shoot! Download this PDF slideshow to your computer for fast and smooth access (i.e. do not view as-is, but save it first to your computer). I promise it is safe. 
June 2008
Monthly Archive
June 14, 2008
June 2, 2008
There is no doubt. With its proximity to the Lower Mainland, hordes of hikers and backpackers hoof it up to Garibaldi in the summer. The trail is so well trod that it’s popularly called the Hikers’ Highway. Weekends are full and tent pads are hard to come by. As backcountry as it is, with no amenities other than a few shelters for cooking and rustic outhouses, on summer weekends, impossibly turquoise Garibaldi Lake becomes an extension of Kitsilano and the West End. Urban backcountry is what it is.
To avoid the crowds is not hard to do, however. You simply avoid summer. In May and June, the snow starts at about kilometre 5 of the trail. That means hoofing up relentless switchbacks for 4 kilometres on dry trail (with fallen trees from the winter), then trudging through snow the rest of the way till the lake at kilometre 9. Elevation gain 810 metres.
Bring lots of high-calorie snacks and a few extra warm pieces of clothing. Booties are great for when you get to camp. Other than that, the rest is the same as the summer. My pack weighed about the same so it’s not anymore strenuous. When the sun is shining on the great white snow and you have the mountains and lake all to yourself, it’s worth every ounce. Every ounce of peanut butter bar, that is!
Brilliant afternoon arrival at the lake. Setting up camp and digging steps.
A relaxing way to unwind from the hustle and bustle of real life.
Looking over frozen ice, where streams of blue water is just starting to show.
Alpenglow in late evening. The million dollar view that costs five bucks per night, sweet.
It did rained at night, but the morning was misty and surreal. Big beautiful trees were wrapped in fog and the hike down was lovely. I’ll have to admit tho, that my thoughts were very much on the Chipotle Kettle chips in the car! What a great weekend.
And by 9 pm Sunday night, coming out from the gorgeous Sex And The City movie, it was hard to believe that we had just spent the previous night snow camping so high high high.
