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        <title><![CDATA[Whistler/Blackcomb]]></title>
        <description>RSS of Whistler/Blackcomb</description>
        <pubDate>Sat, 16 May 2026 04:19:15 -0700</pubDate>
        <link>https://www.backcountryskiingcanada.com</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mt. Mathieson named in memory of former ski guide]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The provincial government announced the naming of Mt. Mathieson in memory of former ski guide Brent Mathieson.
&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;
A year before he died in a highway accident in 2002, heli-ski guide Brent Mathieson became the first person to ski the 2,000-metre run from the top of a then-unnamed mountain to the creek below &amp;mdash; a path that became known as &quot;Brent&amp;#39;s Run.&quot;
Fourteen years later and Mathieson has more than just a ski run named after him.
On April 24, the provincial Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources announced the mountain would now officially be known as Mount Mathieson.
&quot;It really feels like Brent is still with us, in some ways,&quot; said Karen Richardson, Mathieson&amp;#39;s girlfriend of six years, of the announcement.
Mount Mathieson &amp;mdash; located about 90 kilometres northwest of Whistler and reaching a height of 2,323 metres &amp;mdash; is a fitting tribute for a man who dedicated his life to mountain safety, Richardson said.
&quot;He was pretty active in the mountain community,&quot; she said.
&quot;He was a certified guide and he did lots of work in the industry. He did lots of heli-skiing and lots of work with the Canadian Avalanche Association.&quot;
Mathieson was born and raised in Burnaby.
According to a Ministry of Forests press release, Mathieson spearheaded the creation of the North Shore Avalanche Advisory &amp;mdash; a safety bulletin that summarized winter mountain conditions. The publication would later be incorporated into Avalanche Canada&amp;#39;s public bulletin on avalanche safety.
&quot;Avalanche Canada is very pleased to see Brent Mathieson honoured in this way,&quot; said Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada, in the release.
&quot;He was truly dedicated to public avalanche safety and his work has left a lasting legacy.&quot;
Minister of forests Steve Thomson said naming the mountain after Mathieson was a testament to his many contributions to backcountry avalanche education.
&quot;It is a fitting tribute to someone who was an accomplished outdoorsman, expert guide and respected community leader,&quot; Thomson said in the release.
According to Sharon Dean, manager of communications for the Ministry of Forests, the B.C. Geographical Naming Policy governs how geographical features are named in the province.
Personal names are only given to geographical features posthumously a minimum of two years after the person&amp;#39;s death, Dean said in an email.
&quot;The ministry (also) consults with the community, public and First Nations on commemorative naming proposals,&quot; she said.
In Mathieson&amp;#39;s case, the naming process took about two-and-a-half years, Richardson said.
&quot;There&amp;#39;s been lots of talk about what to do as a legacy for Brent,&quot; she said, adding that some of the suggestions included a scholarship fund at a school he worked at in Vancouver, or a mountain hut somewhere in the backcountry.
&quot;But I think the naming of the mountain, it was just perfect, because it&amp;#39;s just such a solid piece of land... I think it just has so many good aspects about it,&quot; Richardson said.
&quot;It feels like it&amp;#39;s a real grounding piece, and it&amp;#39;s in the area where he lived and worked so I just think it represents lots about him.&quot;
(Story and photo from piquenewsmagazine.com)]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-25 11:21:25</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/mt-mathieson-named-in-memory-of-former-ski-guide</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/mt-mathieson-named-in-memory-of-former-ski-guide</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Whistler To Prevent Glacier Melt by making snow]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[This coming winter season, Whistler Blackcomb will conduct a new snowmaking pilot project aimed at preserving the Horstman Glacier on Blackcomb Mountain. The pilot project will involve the testing of four low-energy consumption snowmaking guns in the Horstman Hut area to determine if a full-scale snowmaking system is an option to prevent further recession of the Horstman Glacier.
&amp;nbsp;
&amp;ldquo;The goal of this project is to preserve the high quality product we currently offer in both the winter and summer months,&amp;rdquo; says Dave Brownlie, President and CEO at Whistler Blackcomb. &amp;ldquo;A snowmaking system on the Horstman Glacier could assist with preserving our summer glacier experience for guests to enjoy in the future, as well as improve the early season access to glacier skiing and snowboarding during the winter.&amp;rdquo;
&amp;nbsp;
During the summer months, the Horstman Glacier is one of two glaciers in North America to offer skiing and snowboarding and serves as a training area for ski and snowboard national teams from all over the world.
&amp;nbsp;
&amp;ldquo;Snowmaking on the Horstman Glacier has been a discussion at Whistler Blackcomb for several decades,&amp;rdquo; says Arthur De Jong, Mountain Planning and Environmental Resource Manager at Whistler Blackcomb. &amp;ldquo;If the pilot project is conclusive, this unique project will become a significant addition to Whistler Blackcomb&amp;rsquo;s list of adaptations to ensure long term resilience against climate change. We will use the data we obtain from this one-year pilot project to determine if an expanded snowmaking system could assist with preserving the Horstman Glacier.&amp;rdquo;
&amp;nbsp;
Installation of the new system will begin in late July following the summer skiing and snowboarding season on the Horstman Glacier, with snowmaking anticipated to begin in early October. The system will use low-energy snowmaking guns and water from the snowmaking reservoir above the Rendezvous Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain.
&amp;nbsp;
Whistler Blackcomb has one of the most extensive snowmaking systems in North America with 270 snow guns in its snowmaking fleet and three snowmaking reservoirs with a total holding capacity of 55 million gallons. This project will be Whistler Blackcomb&amp;rsquo;s only snowmaking system in the alpine (above 1,920m).]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-21 10:17:45</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-to-prevent-glacier-melt-by-making-snow</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-to-prevent-glacier-melt-by-making-snow</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sea To Sky Gondola]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The Sea To Sky Gondola in Squamish is fast approaching its first year anniversary on May 16th and so far response from hikers, trail runners, skiers, and tubers has been very positive. The ride to the Summit Lodge located at 885 metres takes only approximately 10 minutes and once there every amenity you could ask for is at hand. If you&amp;rsquo;re already prepared for a hike you&amp;rsquo;ll find a well maintained extensive network of trails.&amp;nbsp;

(click images for larger view)

&amp;nbsp;
From the Summit Lodge, Ledge Mountain (1964m) and Sky Pilot (2031m) are more ambitious objectives while Skyline Ridge and Goat Ridge are closer and more tame for the average hiker. I only had time to hike out to the Chief Viewing Platform via Panorama Trail which is a very easy 1.6km walk. While the views from the Summit Lodge are pretty spectacular the Chief Viewing Platform offers a different vantage of the nearby Stawamus Chief. You&amp;rsquo;ll also want to walk the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge located right off the Summit Lodge deck for better views of the surrounding peaks.


&amp;nbsp;
Of interest to backcountry skiers is the new tree line and alpine terrain that the Sea To Sky Gondola opens up. There are over 3000+ acres to explore including four alpine bowls. You&amp;rsquo;ll want to talk with Sea To Sky Guides to get some expert advice and guidance for your adventure or book their one day package that includes a full day of ski touring with possible descents of up to 5,000ft.


&amp;nbsp;
An annual pass to ride the Sea To Sky Gondola is $179 for adults and for the summer pass (May 1 - Nov) it&amp;rsquo;s $109 which are both great deals when you consider a single ride is $33.95. If you choose to hike up the Summit Lodge it&amp;rsquo;s a grind style climb which takes about 2.5 hours on a trail called &amp;lsquo;Sea To Summit&amp;rdquo;. You can then treat yourself to a ride down for only $10. The Sea To Sky Gondola is about an hours drive from Vancouver and the first ride up is at 10:00am in the summer with the last ride down at 7:00pm and on weekends at 9:00pm.


&amp;nbsp;

&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-05-08 09:49:06</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/sea-to-sky-gondola</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/sea-to-sky-gondola</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Joffre Lakes]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is located in the Pemberton Valley about 65km or an hour and a half drive from Whistler. It&amp;rsquo;s a popular backcountry ski destination in winter and hiking/camping location in spring, summer and fall. There are three lakes in total with the first lake being a few hundred metres from the parking lot and what this lake lacks in appeal the backdrop of Joffre Glacier more than makes up for. The second lake is only a few kilometres further up the trail with the views grow exponentially. The third and final lake in the chain offers the most spectacular up-close-and-personal view of the glacier&amp;rsquo;s serracs crumbling into the lake. There is a campground on the south side of the lake with approximately 24 camp sites but due to its proximity to Slalok Peak, Joffre and Matier are all but obstructed from view.



&amp;nbsp;
While Joffre Lakes is an easy and well earned off season destination its very popular in winter with backcountry skiers. Most people ski the lower slopes of Slalok Peak given their close proximity to the third lake but many people prefer the Tzil Glacier for its longer sustained lines. Having finally seen the terrain at Joffre Lakes I&amp;rsquo;ll surely be back in future winters to sample some of the goods.
For an ariel overview of the Park have a watch of the following video:&amp;nbsp;





&amp;nbsp;
To see the GPS coordinates of out hike and an overview of stats have a look at Backcountry Skiing Canada&amp;rsquo;s Garmin Connect Page here.

&amp;nbsp;
Specs:
Total elevation gan: 400m / 1300&amp;rsquo;
Distance: 5.5km (one way)
Time: 1.5 - 2hrs (one way)
Camping cost: $5.00
Campfires: Prohibited
Dogs: Allowed
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-05-04 00:00:03</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/joffre-lakes</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/joffre-lakes</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[What&#039;s going on in the Whistler Backcountry?]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[After a day of good spring skiing inbounds at Whistler it was time to stretch the legs and get in some vert in the backcountry. With another fresh skif of snow and sub zero temps maintaining in the alpine things looked promising. The plan was to upload the Whistler Village Gondola at 10:00 then swing over to the Peak Express which tops out at 2,184 metres. From there we decided to head on over past Harmony and Symphony Bowls and then exit the resort to Flute Bowl. The travel was easy thanks to a solid but not hard surface with fresh snow on top. Once on top of the Flute Ridge we skied down to the valley and ascended Cowboy Ridge. Here we were greeted with full-on views of Fissile (which I am told is still a long ways aways and looks much closer than it actually is). After a lap down Cowboy Ridge my tour guide Vince informed me that it was prudent that we make our way back to the Whistler Village Gondola prior to the mandatory 4:00 download time.&amp;nbsp;


Vince, incidentally is the writer of Backcountry Skiing Canada&amp;rsquo;s &amp;lsquo;Whistler &amp;amp; Area Ski Touring Guide&amp;rsquo;. He&amp;rsquo;s also a long time Whistler local and a pretty great photographer as well.


&amp;nbsp;
With inspiring views of Blackcomb&amp;#39;s 7th Heaven, Black Tusk and surrounding mountains the ski tour was well worth the effort, not to mention the crust-free spring turns. While the lower elevations did have some challenging isothermic snow the upper reaches of the ridges felt like mid winter skiing with a soft 5cm atop a soft layer than made for fast travel and fun turns.&amp;nbsp;
So if your legs are still craving some backcountry turns you have until May 18th to get out enjoy the backcountry before Whistler Mountain closes their winter operations. The forecast is calling for nothing but sunny skies the next few days which will make things even more enjoyable out there.

&amp;nbsp;
To view our route have a look at our Backcountry Skiing Canada Garmin Connect page here.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-05-03 13:48:12</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whats-going-on-in-the-whistler-backcountry</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whats-going-on-in-the-whistler-backcountry</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Winters not over yet, Whistler is skiing for two more weeks]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[With most Canadian ski resorts already closed and my appetite for sliding on snow not yet satiated my brain could only come up with only one solution, Road Trip. With Whistler being only an eight hour drive from the Kootenays and alpine temps hovering below zero all the pieces were in place for a much deserved extension of winter. The plan was for a mix of resort and ski touring days and the hopes that some fresh would fall to make things that much more enjoyable. Day one brought Whistler&amp;rsquo;s 173cm base up by an additional two thanks to the 1600 metre freezing levels. With only the upper mountain still open until operations cease on May 18th there were 4 lifts to choose from (not counting the Whistler Village Gondola). The Big Red Express, Emerald Express, T Bars and Peak Express lifts which provided approximately 900 vertical metres of great spring skiing. Coverage was in stark contrast to the lower mountain with very few exposed obstacles to be found on any of the open terrain. Day two was a ski touring day but that&amp;rsquo;s a story for tomorrow.
&amp;nbsp;
If you&amp;rsquo;re not ready to give up skiing just yet, Whistler&amp;rsquo;s got plenty of spring skiing to choose from and if you are, well, the bike park just happens to open today as well.
&amp;nbsp;
It sure felt like winter as you stepped off the Whistler Village Gondola.


&amp;nbsp;
The Lower elevation of the Big Red Express made for some great photos.

&amp;nbsp;
Snow continued to fall most of the day.

&amp;nbsp;
Not deep powder but enough to make some decent turns and leave others envious.

&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-05-02 00:33:58</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/winters-not-over-yet-whistler-is-skiing-for-two-more-weeks</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/winters-not-over-yet-whistler-is-skiing-for-two-more-weeks</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Make the Most of Non-Winter, on the Trails]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hey, this might not be the best snow year, but this strange weather has opened up a whole new set of adventure options, months ahead of schedule.
It&amp;#39;s February, and all the snow in the valley here in Whistler has been gone for over a week. After a horrible day of skiing ice last week, I decided to go see how the local trails were looking instead.
With highs of 9C day after day, sun, and clear trails, it&amp;#39;s go time for hiking and biking. I headed up to Joffre Lakes, lower Tenquille, Garibaldi Lake, and the Sea to Sky trail this past week, and found fantastic hiking conditions (although pretty icy higher up).&amp;nbsp;
Garibaldi Lake from Rubble Creek is fully melted out to the 6th km (approx what you&amp;#39;d find in a typical May/June), with hardpacked ice and snow the rest of the way. The lake is beginning to melt at the shoreline, and the forest floor is showing through in places already.

Tenquille is always one of the first trails you can hike in the spring, and same goes for this year. There are dozens of trees down, so it will need to be cleared before you can push up on the bike.&amp;nbsp;
Joffre is hardpacked snow + ice all the way up, with parts of the upper trail melted down to dirt.

While my ski pass is here collecting dust, at least there&amp;#39;s a lot of other fun stuff to do out there like... campfire at the beach (below). I&amp;#39;ll be heading out to some of the other Whistler trails this week, so watch for an updated conditions report here soon, or see more on Instagram http://instagram.com/emilyanthem

]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-02-24 08:29:44</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/make-the-most-of-non-winter-on-the-trails</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/make-the-most-of-non-winter-on-the-trails</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Backcountry skitoures around whistler]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hi,
i will stay for a few days in whistler. Are there some good skitouring trips around whistler who are accessible without a skiticket?]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-02-03 17:44:18</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/backcountry-skitoures-around-whistler</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/backcountry-skitoures-around-whistler</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Whistler Snow Conditions Jan 27 (er, I mean Bike Conditions)]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hey everybody. It&amp;#39;s been an unusually warm week here in Whistler much like the rest of BC. With 9C in the alpine and sun yesterday, this topped off a number of days in a row with freezing levels way above normal. A week ago, we received a bit of fresh snow (below), then the weather shifted and everyone hung up their skis and got out their bikes instead.

The base at Whistler Blackcomb took a major beating this week, dropping about 20cm, and it feels like spring down here in the valley.
In Squamish however, the biking was epic. Trails are in great condition, it&amp;#39;s nice and warm, so we may as well take advantage of some unexpected January riding while it&amp;#39;s here! The trails are super tacky, not slippery.. if you were planning a ski touring holiday to Whistler this week, you might want to re think it, or bring your bike instead.&amp;nbsp;
Warm temps are expected to stick with us for the next 5 days, with no precip forecasted. Where are you, winter?

]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-01-27 11:31:46</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-jan-27-er-i-mean-bike-conditions</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-jan-27-er-i-mean-bike-conditions</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Whistler Snow Conditions Jan 6, 2015]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&amp;#39;s been a mixed weather week here in Whistler. We had almost balmy conditions skiing New Years Day with sun and warm temps with a temperature inversion, then got hit with a huge snow storm the past few days, only to end in rain right to the alpine.&amp;nbsp;

So far this season the high alpine snow has been great, with less then amazing coverage lower down. You could hear the cries of joy from all over Whistler when the storm rolled in, finally bringing some much needed pow. We got 44cm in 48 hours, then sadly the rain started to fall, and warm temps with freezing levels as high as 3200m are expected for the next 4 days. The avalance danger is now rated high in all three zones, similar to other parts of the province.&amp;nbsp;
This morning Whistler Blackcomb reported 55cm of new snow and 20mm of rain in the past few days. From their avalanche safety page we have this report: &quot;The new storm slab is upside down and will become even more so with the forecast continued rising freezing levels. A surface slab in motion has the potential to dig down deeper into older weak layers resulting in large and destructive avalanche activity. Cornices have grown so stay well back.&quot;
Keep an eye on backcountry conditions in Whistler through the Coast Mtn Backountry Videos (the lastest one is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGaS3BmYho), Whistler Blackcomb&amp;#39;s backcountry report on their website, and Avalanche Canada.&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-01-06 13:04:21</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-jan-6-2015</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-jan-6-2015</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Whistler Snow Conditions - Dec 23]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[A little bit of winter is finally rolling in just before Christmas here in Whistler. Conditions up high are good, and we skied some beautiful knee deep powder yesterday in the sunshine.&amp;nbsp;
With 76cm of new snow this week, conditions are improving over last week. It&amp;#39;s still pretty bare in the forest and from mid mountain down you&amp;#39;ll find a rough ski out to the village, due to the lack of snow and warm temps/rain we saw early season. A storm is forecasted to bring a bit more snow today, then sun for Christmas day.&amp;nbsp;

As you can see below, there&amp;#39;s not much coverage in the trees.

From mid mountain up, the snow was amazing yesterday with soft packed powder and the views were pretty awesome too.&amp;nbsp;
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-12-23 11:27:57</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-dec-23</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/whistler-snow-conditions-dec-23</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Exploring the Cheakamus Community Forest]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[November on the coast... a dark stretch of non-stop rain that sits between us and ski season. This isn&amp;#39;t the best month to be out exploring the mountains, but with the right gear, it just might surprise you.
I headed to the south end of Whistler with my dog and head to toe HellyTech, Helly&amp;#39;s version of Gore-Tex, waterproof boots, mittens and camera. I needed to clear my head of a long morning on the computer, and was happily surprised to find some incredible lighting and that beautiful mist that seems to hang all over the forest this time of year.&amp;nbsp;

We were at my favorite dog walking area, the Cheakamus Community Forest. There are endless trails and paths here, and on rainy days they are virtually deserted. This is from just above Loggers Lake. I didn&amp;#39;t want to go back to my computer so I was dawdling, playing around with the self timer.

Just when I thought we would definitely not see another person, a man with his dog and camera/tripod walked out of the fog. The forest treated us with an awesome West Coast bag of tricks.. mist winding through the trees, and little breaks in the weather revealing the mountains speckled in yellow aspen + birch in the distance.&amp;nbsp;
While we wait for winter, this is a pretty great place to explore November.&amp;nbsp;
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-11-04 11:38:57</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/exploring-the-cheakamus-community-forest</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/exploring-the-cheakamus-community-forest</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[3 Great Hikes for the Shoulder Season]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&amp;#39;s snowing on the coast! We&amp;#39;ve had weeks of rain in the valley, and the mountain tops are bright white. Touring season is coming, but in the meantime, here are 3 great spots to enjoy shoulder season around Whistler.
1. Joffre Lakes - This is the perfect place to go in all 12 months of the year. Unlike most of the other alpine trails, this one has very little avalanche exposure on the way up, is an even grade, and gets you up high and into the alpine quickly. We had a great hike here on the weekend, and came down with headlamps. This is one of the only times of the year you&amp;#39;ll get some alone time with Joffre Lakes, so go enjoy it!



2. Garibaldi Lake - This is another place that stays accessable long after hikes like Wedge get too treacherous. The trail has a perfect grade, making it easy to hike in the mud or snow. It&amp;#39;s also nice and quiet right now, especially on a foggy day like this:

3. Cheakamus Lake - This is one of my favorite fall hikes. The fog hangs in the old growth forest, giving you the ultimate west coast hiking experience. Top it off with a gorgeous turquoise lake, breaks of sun, and an easy trail, this one is awesome for a hike or a bike ride.&amp;nbsp;

It&amp;#39;s the time of year when you need head to toe GoreTex, waterproof hiking boots and a thermos of tea in your pack. I&amp;#39;ve worn my down jacket every weekend in the alpine for the past month as well. Stay warm and happy trails!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-10-28 10:59:53</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/3-great-hikes-for-the-shoulder-season</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/3-great-hikes-for-the-shoulder-season</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hiking Panorama Ridge]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Panorama Ridge is hands down one of the coolest hikes in Southwestern BC. It&amp;#39;s been a favorite of mine for a long time, and it still takes my breath away every time I go there.&amp;nbsp;
You can reach Panorama from either the Rubble Creek parking area south of Whistler, or from the Cheakamus Lake trailhead and Helm Lake access trail. Sitting directly opposite the Black Tusk, this hike gives you stunning views of Garibaldi Lake, Mt Garibaldi, the Tusk and some strangely geometric mountains like Table Mtn and Deception Peak.&amp;nbsp;




Standing on the summit (above), the mountain drops off straight down into the unreal turquoise of Garibaldi Lake. If you continue on further there is some fantastic ridge walking and a thousand great places to stop and take in the view.&amp;nbsp;

If this isn&amp;#39;t mountain heaven, I don&amp;#39;t know what is. Looks like we might be in for a long fall so you&amp;#39;ve still got time to go check this one out before the snow flies!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-30 10:10:43</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/hiking-panorama-ridge</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/hiking-panorama-ridge</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Paddling Duffy Lake]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Yesterday I got to do something that&amp;#39;s been on my bucket list for a long time - paddle Duffy Lake. After driving past it on road trips, ski trips, backpacking trips and hiking trips, I had become obsessed with the idea of exploring it by water.&amp;nbsp;
Duffy Lake is the huge turquoise basin of water high up on the Duffy Lake Road, one of the most scenic drives in BC. The Joffre group sits at the south end of the lake, towering above it with steep cliffs and hanging glaciers. The aspens were just starting to turn yellow yesterday, and mixed with the bright water and sunny/stormy skies, it was quite the place to behold.&amp;nbsp;
Since it was a Monday morning, we had the place to ourselves.&amp;nbsp;

It was 6C when we started off, but warmed up to a beautiful afternoon, and we could ditch the toques. The edge of Duffy Lake opposite the road is stunning. You paddle under ultra steep avalanche paths, past fields of wildflowers and huge aspens, growing with their feet right in the lake.&amp;nbsp;
Straight ahead is the incredible Mt Joffre. My friend looked like a mountain princess with the flower in her hair.

There&amp;#39;s usually a strong wind howling down Duffy Lake, and yesterday was no exception. Thankfully we were paddling into it on the way out, and could surf the waves all the way back, barely needing to paddle at all.&amp;nbsp;
It feels so amazing when you get to go do something you&amp;#39;ve had your eye on for a long time. The experience was even better than I had imagined.&amp;nbsp;
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-23 10:15:01</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/paddling-duffy-lake</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hiking the Ancient Cedars Trail]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[At the base of Cougar Mountain in Whistler there is a little pocket of giant trees called The Ancient Cedars. After living here for 10+ years, I went there for the first time last fall. It&amp;#39;s not a very well known spot, and the few times I&amp;#39;ve hiked there this year, there hasn&amp;#39;t been another person on the trail. If you&amp;#39;re in the area and are looking for a short scenic hike (5km round trip) that&amp;#39;s quiet, peaceful + beautiful, this would be a good place to go.&amp;nbsp;
I was surprised to see trees this big in the valley. If you can time your hike with the sun setting, it&amp;#39;s pretty magical. Drive north from Whistler to the Cougar Mountain turn off (just past Emerald Estates), and follow the dirt road to a well marked parking area, and head up the trail to spend some time with the Ancients.&amp;nbsp;



There&amp;#39;s a beautiful view point along the way.. perfect for a lunch or dinner, and the trail is dog friendly to boot. Interpretive signs will give you some more info on the forest when you reach the Ancient Cedar site. Enjoy!
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-17 10:37:30</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/hiking-the-ancient-cedars-trail</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Hiking the Musical Bumps]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[&quot;Life Is Not Measured By the Number of Breaths We Take, But By the Moments That Take Our Breath Away.&quot; This quote is usually attributed to &amp;#39;unknown&amp;#39; (or a big mix of other folks) but whoever said it, said it right.

Weekends (and some of the weekdays) are filled with moments that take my breath away. I think this was the case for my friend (above) looking out over Cheakamus Lake from the backside of the Flute Summit.&amp;nbsp;
Musical Bumps is a series of rolling hills that start off the peak of Whistler Mountain and end at Fissile. It&amp;#39;s a place that sees tons of skiers + snowboarders in winter, but it&amp;#39;s awesomeness transfers over to summer as well. Starting from the Roundhouse on Whistler, it&amp;#39;s a 25km round trip out to Russet Lake and back. You can also use the Singing Pass trail to reach Russet Lake, but you miss most of the Musical Bumps this way. BC resisdents can pick up a full season of summer gondola rides for $59 so if you like to skip the long ascents from the valley and go straight for the alpine, this would be a good pass to have.&amp;nbsp;
The fall colors were out in full force, and it was near 30C in the alpine.. another amazing day.

After seeing so many tuquoise lakes this summer, Russet Lake seemed extra bright blue. There is a little cabin at the far end of the lake or you can bring the tent and find a spot beside the lake. There&amp;#39;s lots to explore in this area, including climbing Fissile and Whirlwind peaks, or just wandering around in the endless meadows.&amp;nbsp;

The days are getting shorter quickly now, plus we took a few other detours equalling an extra 3kms so we arrived back at the gondola just before sunset. It was the last day of Mountain Top BBQ so the gondy was running until 830. I&amp;#39;m not sure why, but it didn&amp;#39;t seem like anyone else used this as a good reason to hike late.. we didn&amp;#39;t see another person for the last 2 hours of our hike back, and had the entire mountain to ourselves. It was incredible.&amp;nbsp;

]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-09 10:40:11</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/hiking-the-musical-bumps</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Icebergs in the Backyard]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The trail to Wedgemount Lake starts just a few minutes from my house, and I look out at Wedge from our deck drinking my coffee in the morning. Being so close, I feel like&amp;#39;s in kind of in the backyard.&amp;nbsp;
I&amp;#39;ve been training my knees for a huge trip in the fall, so this steep rocky trail is just what the doctor ordered. Last week I wrote about the parks being overcrowded, and Wedge is no exception, although the more challenging terrain does limit who comes up here. On this adventure I was treated to a nice bit of alone time with the beautiful glacier all to myself.&amp;nbsp;
It was a stormy day and the sun was lighting up little sections of the ice one by one, with the peak in a deep purple cloud. I think it&amp;#39;s one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. Showing photos after the fact doesn&amp;#39;t really do it justice, but here they are anyhow.&amp;nbsp;

The scale for the photo above is: the vertical part of the ice you see on the toe of the glacier (the slice-like part) is several times my height. The icebergs are maybe 6 feet across.

I also saw some strange + beautiful Thistles that looked like mutations, unless it&amp;#39;s some strain that I don&amp;#39;t know of or haven&amp;#39;t seen (let me know in the comment area what it is!). There were only 5 of them, and were over waist high, with giant hot pink flowers and dozens of bumble bees on each one. Monkey flowers are in the background.

All in all, another day in mountain paradise.&amp;nbsp;]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-02 10:58:49</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/icebergs-in-the-backyard</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Overcrowding at Garibaldi Provincial Park]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[The last weekend before Labor Day just came and went, with perfect weather and ideal hiking conditions (10C at night / 24C during the day). A friend and I headed up to Garibaldi Park for her birthday weekend, assuming it would be a bit busy, but that we could do long days / early mornings and avoid the crowds. (Wrong)
Friday evening we hiked up Rubble Creek to find the Garibaldi Lake campground already 100% full, which meant turning around and heading to Taylor Meadows with headlamps to another nearly full camping area. This wasn&amp;#39;t a huge surprise, as there are only 90 sites to share between the hundreds of people who visit this park each day, but slightly disappointing nonetheless.
The thing that actually did surprise me were the sheer number of people on the trails. There were at least a hundred other people on the summit or ridge and en route up (see below) on Saturday. We still had a great day, as it&amp;#39;s impossible to let anything spoil this incredible scenery, but it was a different experience, that&amp;#39;s for sure.&amp;nbsp;

Living in Whistler, I&amp;#39;m no stranger to weekend crowds. I would usually head far into the backcountry on a sunny weekend like this, but it worked better to meet my friend here and blah blah.. so there we were.
The next day we got up at 6AM to have some alone time with the Black Tusk before it got swarmed, and had another great day.

When we got to the parking lot, the cars were stretched down past 3 full lots almost all the way to HWY 99, and someone was in the parking area interviewing people on overcrowding in the park for her thesis. Limiting backcountry access, building more trails, expanding services.. these are a few things that Parks could consider doing to deal with the crowds. Since I live close by, my tactic will be to just go there on quiet weekday mornings this fall, but for most people that isn&amp;#39;t an option.&amp;nbsp;
What do you think? Where is the line between when overcrowding creates a bad experience for visitors, and encouraging park patronage + stewardship by inviting the whole world in? I&amp;#39;m not sure on this one myself. We need people to connect with nature if this world has a hope in hell of us standing up for our wild places. Then again, if those people create a bad experience for everybody by throwing their trash on the trails, being disrespectful at the camping areas, etc.. is it really for the best? Throw your two cents into the comments below.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-08-26 11:08:46</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/overcrowding-at-garibaldi-provincial-park</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Wedgemount Lake]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It was a scorching hot weekend in Whistler, so I headed to Semaphore Lakes for the 2nd weekend in a row on Saturday, then over to Wedge on Sunday. It was a little cooler in the alpine, but I still saw a few stars on the descents both days from the sun.
This Trail Tuesday&amp;#39;s post: Wedgemount Lake, in Garibaldi Provincial Park.&amp;nbsp;
After a steep hike up, this is the view that greets you just as you crest over the top of the trail:

This lake is so green it&amp;#39;s hard to believe it&amp;#39;s real even when you&amp;#39;re right beside it. Filled with glacier flour, it&amp;#39;s bright and opaque at the same time. No matter how many times I come here, it still takes my breath away.
After putting a last minute call in to my friend Claire, she drove up from Van to meet me for our 4th annual visit to the Wedge ice cave. I&amp;#39;d take this over the beach any day!

At the far end of the lake, there&amp;#39;s a cool area at the toe of the glacier, which in past years has been an ice cave. This year however, it was more of an ice wall, with crevasse slices ready to fall into the water. I was a little bit excited to be back here.


The scale above is about three time my height from the water to the top of the ice. This is one hot summer on the coast so I am curious to see how this looks in August and September. Water was pouring off the glacier in a waterfall at the far right, and running in streams from this area.. beautiful and sad at the same time.&amp;nbsp;
If your knees can handle the steep trail, this trail is a must if you&amp;#39;re in Whistler. The mountains are huge, there&amp;#39;s lots to explore, the camping is epic, and your eyes will be as big as saucers with the incredible landscape.&amp;nbsp;
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-07-15 10:24:39</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/wedgemount-lake</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[It&#039;s Still Winter at Semaphore Lakes]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&amp;#39;s Trail Tuesday and this week I have some photos from a short trip to Semaphore Lakes. If you don&amp;#39;t mind rattling your truck up to the top of the Hurley FSR, this is a great summer destination.&amp;nbsp;

There are some epic mud puddles this time of year, and the first snow patch is just a few minutes up the trail. Boots and gators are a must.&amp;nbsp;
The American long weekend was freezing cold here in Whistler, and we arrived at Semaphore Lakes in a brisk wind, rain, fog, and low cloud cover. No matter what the weather, I doubt if this place could ever look bad.. it was still beautiful as ever, with a number of the lakes still frozen, and the waterfall tumbling down from the Train Glacier.
Today we&amp;#39;re back to super hot summer weather, so the snow shouldn&amp;#39;t hang on too much longer up there.. can&amp;#39;t wait to go back and climb Face Mountain this summer, after looking over at it so many trips up Locomotive Mountain. More on this in 2 weeks when we&amp;#39;ll be back!

]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-07-08 10:27:00</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/its-still-winter-at-semaphore-lakes</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Kicking off Summer on Mt Currie]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[To celebrate the summer solstice, we decided to pack up our gear and go up to Mt Currie for the night. We&amp;#39;d hiked up the new Mt Currie trail a few times this spring, turning around at the snow line, but this visit we went all the way up to the end of the trail where there&amp;#39;s a great view of the Pemberton valley.
Looking skyward behind us at one of the sub peaks that face Pemberton, we decided that the good camping was an hour&amp;#39;s bushwack up still, and off we went. If you are looking at Mt Currie from Pemberton, you&amp;#39;ll see the Y Chute off to the right, then a roundish shoulder further right. This is approximately where we ended up, with perfect views all the way from Black Tusk + Tantalus, to all the mountains around Pemberton and the Hurley Rd and Joffre to the north.

The longest day of the year comes with the shortest night of the year. After taking in an epic sunset on the shoulder of Mt Currie, we settled into our down mats and down bags for a little less than 6 hours of darkness. An incredible sunrise showed up the next morning, and I did not want to go home.
Our truck was the only one at the trail head. I guess everyone else was in the zoo of activity for the Whistler Tough Mudder. On the short 10 minute drive on hwy 99 before turning onto the logging road we passed 56 road bikers. It was kind of a treat to kick off the first day of summer in total peace + quiet.

]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-06-24 11:02:45</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/kicking-off-summer-on-mt-currie</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Easiest Summit Bid in Whistler]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Usually tagging off a peak comes with a long approach and lots of elevation, but not here. Just ride the gondola to the alpine, walk a few kms to the summit, and presto! You&amp;#39;re on the top of a mountain!
Sometimes I feel like it&amp;#39;s cheating to go hiking this way, but there&amp;#39;s no way to get around how incredibly beautiful it is up here. For me, part of the mountain high comes from a whole lot of effort to get there - it feels like a true journey, but coming to Whistler is something different.. more like taking a walk in a gorgeous setting. Either way, we got some great photos and had a fun morning.&amp;nbsp;

Above, the view out towards Flute.. looks like a nice time to tour out to Garibaldi Park or snowshoe the Musical Bumps.. next visit.

Every year WB cuts open the road for truck and tourist access. These icy walls are pretty rad, I must say.

Aside from a heli drop, this is the quickest way to get yourself a mountain high and some incredible views. We had a great day.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-06-10 10:13:31</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/easiest-summit-bid-in-whistler</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Garibaldi Lake - Trail Conditions]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&amp;#39;s Trail Tuesday! This post: Spring adventuring at Garibaldi Lake.

This is an incredible place to visit any month of the year. Due to the low snowpack and warm May weather, the Garibaldi Lake trail from Rubble Creek is already fully melted out up the km6 mark, with patchy snow for the next km or so, then hard packed snow for the remaining trip to the lake. It&amp;#39;s about a month ahead of last year.
The lake is still frozen, with gorgeous pools of turquoise water opening up at the shoreline. With about 4-6ft of snow around the campground, you&amp;#39;ll want to bring a shovel to dig out a tent platform.
You won&amp;#39;t need snowshoes to get to the lake, but boots + gators should be on your feet for sure. I saw all kinds of people sporting their beach wear and fishing rods heading up the trail, who were going to be in for a surprise.

I decided to rock the solo adventure.. it was really peaceful + beautiful, as it always is here. I suspect it&amp;#39;ll just be a few more weeks until all of the snow is gone from the trail. I think we&amp;#39;re in for a super long alpine hiking season this year. I can&amp;#39;t wait.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-06-03 09:36:24</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/garibaldi-lake-trail-conditions</link>
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            <title><![CDATA[Cheakamus Lake - the Perfect Rainy Day Hike]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[It&amp;#39;s tempting to stay home by the fire when the weather gets ugly, but if you have good gear, weather isn&amp;#39;t a very good excuse to skip an adventure. Cheakamus Lake is a beautiful spot tucked in behind Whistler mountain and the Musical Bumps, at the bottom of the valley. It&amp;#39;s the giant turquoise lake you can see from the Musical Bumps hiking trail looking south.
The old growth forest here is so huge that even in a heavy rain, you&amp;#39;ll barely notice the weather. When it&amp;#39;s one of those ultra-wet-not-letting-up West Coast days, I usually head over here for some exercise and a dose of mountain beauty.

You can bike or hike the trail, and the round trip is about 14km, over relatively flat terrain. The Park folks haven&amp;#39;t been in to saw the big trees down on the trail, but most of the path is clear anyhow.
Cheakamus Lake is also one of the best early season hikes for any weather condition, and if you do happen to hit it on a rainy day, you&amp;#39;ll be treated to a true West Coast experience - a huge majestic forest, usually with a bit of fog, a beautiful lake, and if the clouds open up, big snowy peaks in the background. No matter what the weather, it never disappoints. Plus, most people will have stayed home and you&amp;#39;ll have the place to yourself :)


]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-05-27 10:27:44</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/whistlerblackcomb/topic/cheakamus-lake-the-perfect-rainy-day-hike</link>
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