Garibaldi Lake

For our second hike of the weekend, Devan and I decided on tackling the Garibaldi Lake trail. The trek to the glacial lake was probably the most challenging hike I’ve done to date, with an elevation gain of over 800 meters and an 18 km round trip. Although there are campsites at the lake, Devan and I decided it would be doable as a day trip.

I found the worst of the hike to be the first 6 kms of switchbacks through the woods. This is where you gain most of the elevation, so the pace is slow and the trail isn’t very scenic. Fortunately, I found some gray jays to boost my morale, and they had no qualms about flying into my hand to eat an apple.

After pushing through the switchbacks we were rewarded with an amazing lookout where we ate lunch. From this point on the hike got more engaging, with small inclines and declines, streams, and bridges.

The lake was so beautiful it instantly justified the earlier gruel of the switchbacks. It was an extremely photogenic place; the glacial water was as blue as the sky and was very reflective. However, I had seen a lot of photos of Garibaldi Lake on the internet, and I came to romanticize it as a remote and quiet place (like in this gorgeous photo). I’m here to burst that precious bubble. The most surprising thing was just how many people were there, all waiting for a chance to get a perfect photo by the lake.

We continued walking further along the lake and found there were much less people. The views by the lake were spectacular, and we stayed for an hour to rest, eat and drink. The way back was very easy with our light hiking gear since it was mostly downhill. I’d love to hike this trail again, maybe next time camping by the lake and continuing on to other trails the next day. Even as a day trip, this hike is well worth the experience.