Lauren and I have tried, unsuccessfully, 2 times to get to Rainbow lake up at Whistler.
On the first attempt, we started much too late in the day and too late in the season. A key suspension bridge, Gin & Tonic bridge, was out and although we tried to find a river crossing, we ran out of time and had to head back.
The second attempt was a snowshoe hike with Lauren's sister and brother in law that same winter. The snow was waist deep and after 2 hours plus of uphill slogging, we were still quite a ways away and the crew were getting tired and hungry, so we headed back to the warmth of a hot tub.
By all accounts the views are spectacular up there and with two previous failures, it had become a must do. It is not an overly hard hike/run, although it does have some steady ascents and some root sections, it is more of what I like to call a "stop and smell the flowers" run. A run where you just enjoy being out there. Having a destination in mind makes it all the better.
(*I will admit that Lauren and I can be a tad competitive, so although we like to stop and appreciate the views along the way, we definitely spend more time appreciating while moving at a steady pace).
With Lauren's season over, the weather cooperating and no other notable excuses, we were both quite determined to finally get to the lake.
We got an early start to the day and other than almost running into a very large foraging bears, who guffawed quite loudly at us before taking off into the woods and a bit of frost on some of the trestles, the run went smoothly.
We were both a bit overdressed at the start, despite the frost on the ground, 1100m of ascent keeps the old ticker beating and warms the engine nicely.
The lake was beautiful and Lauren and I kept going for about 20-30 minutes beyond the lake. We were looking for the trail to Madely Lake, but turned up on a boulder field scramble instead. We actually ended up with a spectacular view of Garibaldi Park, so it was a worthwhile wrong turn. Maybe next time we will run with a map!
Total time (from car to car): 3:35
Elevation high point: 1663m
Total elevation: 1083m
4 comments:
Did you find your camera from last year's attempt? It looks like it was a fabulous day.
Hey mom, this isn't where we lost the camera. That was over in North Van.
Yes, it was a fantastic day. The weather has turned now though, so we got out in time.
Hey Adam, Damn! Your backyard is almost as pretty as my backyard! Unfortunately, mine is now covered in snow. Season's over in Banff!
Hey Leslie,
Unfortunately, it is not quite my backyard. It is a bit of a drive, but worth it none the less.
Hope you aren't getting too much snow and can still enjoy the trails before having to break out the sticks.
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