Welcome to Garibaldi Provincial Park. One of the most beautiful parks on this side of the country, Garibaldi is an area roughly 1,950 square kilometers containing ragged snow capped peaks, crystal clear alpine lakes, large alpine meadows with flowers of all colours, and vast, vast forests. There are many unique and interesting geological features in the park caused by recent volcanic activity, such as the Barrier, the Black Tusk, the Table, and much more (view the earth caches at these locations for more information). Along with the stunning scenery, the western side of the park is packed full of trails that you can hike. They vary in difficulty from a leisurely day hike, to a demanding mountain climb in the snow. There are also a good number of campsites and shelters throughout the park that you can stay at, though there is a camping fee you have to pay.
I have created this series to take you along some of my very favorite hikes in the park. I have placed four traditional caches at four different locations throughout Garibaldi, as well a final mystery cache. You will have to hike to each of the four traditionals and grab the clues for the final. THIS SERIES IS NOT MEANT TO BE DONE OVER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME!!! If you are dedicating yourself to doing this, you may be able to do it in one season, though for some people, I expect it could take over a year to complete. Each of the hikes this series will take you on has its own challenges and benefits, and some of the caches are not meant for novice hikers. Please make sure you are prepared for your trip, expect rough trail conditions, bad weather, and snow (even in the summer months). You can easily find a list of equipment you may need online. Make sure to view the trail report before attempting any of these hikes! It can be viewed on the BC parks website.
Elfin Lakes & Opal Cone:
I have placed this cache near the peak of Opal Cone, past the Elfin Lakes campground. To Grab this cache, you will have to start at the Elfin Lakes trail head. It is an eleven km hike up to the lakes where you can spend the night. For the first five km, you will be hiking gradually up hill through dense forest. This area has a few viewpoints, but in general is the most boring part of the hike. At the 5 km mark, you will arrive at the Red Heather shelter. You are not allowed to spend the night here, but it is a good spot to take a break. There is also an outhouse nearby. From here on out, if the weather permits, you will have a fantastic view of Mt. Garibaldi and the Gargoyles. Make sure to take pictures! Past Red Heather, the trail will diverge between a biking path and a hiking trail. This part of the trail is pretty rough, so be careful when navigating the roots and rocks. After the two trails join up again, you will spend the last four km walking along the edge of the ridge through alpine meadows. This last part is the most beautiful part of the hike, and doesn't provide too much challenge. Ahead of you, you will see your destination.
When you arrive at Elfin lakes, you have a couple choices on how to spend the night (if that is your plan). You can sleep in the large shelter on a bunk bed. This shelter has heat and lights, along with gas stoves to cook your food. This a good place to stay if the weather is bad. Be warned, it costs an extra five dollars a night over a camp site. Your other option is to set up your tent on one of the camping platforms. From these platforms, you will have am excellent view of Opal Cone, Pyramid Mountain, Mamquam Mountain, and much more. There is also a day use shelter that you can use if the weather starts to act up. You can't spend the night in this other shelter though. The two lakes are used for different things. The smaller lake is used for drinking water; though clean, you should always boil your water before drinking it. The larger lake is for swimming. Because it is so small, the temperature varies with the weather. If it is sunny, the water should be warm.
Past the Elfin camp ground the trail continues to three different hikes: The Gargoyles, Opal Cone, and Mamquam Lake. Because I hid the cache on Opal Cone, I will talk about that hike. It is a thirteen km hike return over a lot rougher terrain than the hike you did to the lakes. Your hike will star off easily enough, taking you along the base of the Gargoyles towards Ring Creek Valley. After a couple of km, the trail will start to make its way down to the bottom of the valley towards Ring Creek. You will have to cross the creek on a narrow bridge. Make sure to do this carefully; if you fall in to the creek, you might not be able to get back out due to the strong current. After you cross, you will start to make your way up the valley. To your right, you will see the ridge you have to climb up to. The trail isn't super steep, but it is long and unrelenting. Once you get to the top of the other side of the valley, you will be at the base of Opal Cone. From here you will have an awesome view to the mountains to the south. You will eventually reach a sign post at a fork. Head north up to the cone, don't continue going straight, you will end up at Mamquam Lake. From here you have twenty minute uphill climb to the peak of Opal Cone. The trail goes along steep cliffs, be very careful! When you arrive at the top, you should get a three hundred sixty degree view. It was foggy when I hid this cache, so please provide pictures of your adventure! Make sure to give yourself enough time to get back to the camp site!
Note: As of 2016, all campsites in Garibaldi park require a reservation. Check out the bc parks site for more details.
The cache itself is a small diving container hidden on the side of a very large boulder. You will know exactly what boulder I am talking about when you see it. This can be a popular hike, so even way out here, make sure to use stealth. I was unable to leave a writing utensil in the cache, so please bring your own pen! If you forget to grab the hint, I will send it to you as long as you provide picture proof that you were there. This cache is NOT available in the winter. Happy hunting! :)
DON'T FORGET TO WRITE DOWN THE HINT!!!!!!
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Garibaldi Lake
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Singing Pass/Russet Lake
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Wedgemount Lake
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Final