I've done several hikes around Vancouver, but one was my all time favorite. In 2015 I hiked up to Wedgemount Lake, I loved it so much I made promised myself I would go back again and spend more time up there.
The first time I hiked to Wedgemount Lake, I had no clue what was waiting for me. It was quite a drive from Vancouver, about 135 km and my friends and I underestimated the time it would take us to get there. We drove to Whistler and 14 km later, we drove up the gravel road to the parking lot. We started a little late so we knew we were not going to have a lot of time at the time. The hike is about 14 km round trip with an elevation gain of 1160 m. It is difficult but somehow it didn’t seem that difficult to me.
The lake was absolutely gorgeous, such a unique shade of blue, surrounded by snowy mountains. Unfortunately we didn't have much time and we had to leave.
Now, about 2 years later, I finally found the time to go back! This time I brought my partner, an experienced mountaineer and outdoors enthusiast, Ira Sutherland. We packed a lightweight tent, 2 sleeping bags and a little stove. Because we knew the hike was steep, we tried to have backpacks as light as possible: we only brought 1.5 L of water each, something to purify water, enough food for one dinner/ one breakfast and an extra layer for the cold.
We start hiking around 5 p.m. We met a French woman who was hitchhiking and she is now hiking with us. It is a hot day and the ground is so dry that we walk on dust half. The first part of the hike is through this very dense forest, most of the trees are dying since they can't get enough sun. This portion of the forest was logged about 45 years ago and the competition between trees is now intense. So many trees are trying to find a spot in the canopy. It is a sad looking looking forest, a little gloomy. Fortunately, a little further, we enter a beautiful old growth forest with lots of douglas-fir and red cedar, healthier looking for sure, letting us appreciate a beautiful view of the surrounding peaks.
It is a busy day for hiking, we encounter many people going down or going up, we only have a few hours before the sunset and really want to set up camp before it gets too dark so we avoid taking too many breaks.
The last portion has very few trees, many rocks and broken branches. I'm curious and ask Ira why and he explains to me that this is clearly an avalanche trail. "When the avalanche comes in, it destroys most of the trees, some are still standing but as you can see, it is now a wide open area where new trees will grow".
We start hiking through rocks and it is getting really steep, the view behind us is absolutely breath-taking, we can see snowy mountains, we hear a raging waterfall on our right, we know after this hard section, we will arrive at the lake.
As the sun sets behind the mountains, I reach the lake. It is exactly as I remembered it. Actually, it is even more beautiful than in my memories. The turquoise waters, the sharp rocky peaks and the glaciers around us, this is how I envision heaven.
It is busy tonight, many people have put their tents but this place is so vast it is easy to find a remote spot to be alone. After setting up camp, we bring our food and our stove to a viewpoint and cook our dinner here, facing this magnificent landscape, feeling alone in the world, with nothing but stars above our heads.
In this moment, nothing else matters, I'm at peace, I can breathe and feel the cold air of the night surround me.
After a great dinner, Ira puts the food in the little hut located next to the lake, we go crawl into our sleeping bags. We are happy with our camping spot, thinking we are all alone. Turns out we had a little visitor. Small, furry and looking for food.
Ratatouille, a little mountain mouse, is certain we must have hidden some extra snacks in our tent. And while we are sleeping, he decides to go on a crazy expedition inside our tent to find something for his dinner. He doesn't mind us, he walks on Ira's face and along my sleeping bag. I wake up and, realizing he is actually inside the tent I say "Ira, the mouse is inside the tent!!". We then try to get him out but he disappear as soon as he appeared. We spend 10 minutes trying to find him without giving up "he must have found his way out I guess...". Mountain mice are smart!
I wake up around 8:30 am feeling like a sausage on the grill, it is so hot in the tent, the sun is shining directly on us. Time to wake up and explore! My goal was to hike to the Wedgemount glacier. After a delicious breakfast on the lake shore, we hike towards the glacier.
In 2015, I was able to walk on the glacier and I took a picture, standing proudly on the edge of it. Two years later, I cannot stand on the same corner, because the glacier has receded a good 50 meters!! It is now a little lake with a few ice blocks floating.
I'm shocked, I can't believe my eyes. I wanted to re-take the same picture but I can no longer do that, I would have to swim and climb on the right side of the glacier, I used to be able to just walk there...
Bear in mind that 2017 has been a extremely cold and snowy year here in British Columbia, I would never have expected it would have receded that much in only 2 years.
Global warming is real and it is happening right now, and it is happening faster than we predicted it would. The french hiker, Maud, shares her thoughts, it is the same in Europe in the Alps, you can see the changes from years to years on the different glaciers.
There will be a time where all of these fabulous glaciers will be gone. I can't imagine a word without them.
Ira is brave enough to go for a polar bear swim in the glacier lake. We take a few pictures and it is time to hike down. The hike should take us about 3 hours, going down is hard on the knees so we want to take our time.
I glance at the Wedgemount lake one more time before hiking down. It is a pure beauty, this place has captured my heart two years ago and I haven't been able to let it go.
These mountains are sacred, these glaciers are precious, these forests are vital. As I'm writing, the wild fires in British Columbia are still raging, people are being evacuated, record high temperatures are being register across the province and slowly, piece by piece, our glaciers are melting.
It is about time we realize how much we need nature , let's stop taking the natural resources for granted, let's protect what we have now before it is too late.
I hope one day, I will be able to bring my children to Wedgemount Lake to show them the glacier and the intense beauty of this place, will they be able to stand of it, smiling proudly to the camera? I truly hope so because this place is heaven and it is worth fighting for.
Comments