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.
Singing Pass and Russet Lake:
I decided to hide this cache on a small ridge overlooking Russet Lake and the head of Fitzsimmons valley. The hike up to Russet Lake is easily one of the longest hikes in the park. If you decide to go via Singing pass, the hike is whopping fourteen kilometers one way. This didn't used to be the case; the original trail head lay a mere ten kilometers from the lake, but the dirt road the went to the trail head fell into disrepair and you now have to walk an extra four kilometers from Whistler Village. Unfortunately, finding the road that goes up to Russet isn't as easy or as obvious as most of the other hikes in Garibaldi. You will have to find a place to park near the village; there are a few large parking lots that will suite your needs. Once you have done that, you will start your hike by climbing a steep dirt road that lines the dirt bike park on the side of the mountain. There will be a sign half way up indicating you are going the correct way. This road is steep, but short. After about five minutes, you will reach the head of the old service road leading to the trail head. You will know you are in the right place when you see a sign telling you that Russet Lake is fourteen kilometers away.
Now the hike really begins. You will start immediately going up hill; beware of mountain bikers that cross the trail. The road will continue upwards for about thirty minutes, and then it will flatten out. You will pass underneath a few zip lines; you may hear the riders screaming! As you continue along you will see why the road was closed down; you will have to pass over small streams that have dug trenches into the road. About three km in, you will reach your first and most dangerous obstacle. The trail will drop away about five meters below you, and you will have to make your way down a very steep path made out of loose dirt. I recommend doing this while on your butt. About three hundred meters past this, you will have to make your way up again, roughly six or seven meters. You will need to use extreme caution, the terrain here is loose rock and dirt; it can give way at any time. There is a rope to help you climb up, make sure to use it if you have a night pack! After this climb, you will do another km of road, crossing a few more streams.
Eventually, you will end up at the old parking lot. There isn't much left here except an outhouse, and a trail marker. From here, you have ten km left to go; be warned, the rest of the way is uphill! Once you leave the old parking lot, the grade will increase by a lot. You will have some steep climbing to do for about three or four hundred meters. Once you are at the top, the trail will level off a bit, but will still continue on a slight uphill slant. You will pass right underneath the Peak to Peak Gondola; this is a good place to take pictures. About ten minutes past this, you will pass a pile of ruble that used to be and entrance to a silver mine; you can even see the remnants of the old rail that came out. You will eventually reach Harmony creek. The trail is washed out here, so take care when crossing the debris. A little ways past this, you will encounter another trail sign indicating that you have reached the Garibaldi Park boundary. You only have nine km to go from here. The next six km will have you go through thick woods on the side a steep slope; the trail taking you up hill the whole time. You will pass over to more creeks, where you can refill your water.
After a while you will notice that the trail is shifting south away from Fitzsimmons Valley. You are now in Singing Pass. Make sure to get pictures of the gorgeous meadows which will be covered with flora if you come at the right time of year. After about twenty minutes of this you will reach a fork in the trail: one way continues up to Russet Lake, the other takes you along the musical bumps to the top of Whistler. Make sure to take the correct trail! You have only three km until you reach the lake, but this is the most difficult part of the hike. The trail will gradually take you up the ridge to the East; this part is very steep! Close to the top, you will get a fantastic view of the mountains to the south. After about thirty to forty five minutes of climbing, you will reach the lip of a large bowl. You will be able to see Russet Lake and the camp ground in at the bottom. For the last five hundred meters, you will make your way down into the bowl and towards the shelter. There are roughly ten spots with wind dams for your tent, as well as the shelter which can hold around six to eight people at a time. Your drinking water will come from the lake, but make sure to boil it! You will have a fantastic view of the Spearhead mountain range, Overlord glacier, Fissile peak, and the lake itself from the camp ground. A very beautiful area!
Note: As of 2016, all campsites in Garibaldi park require a reservation. Check out the bc parks site for more details.
To get to the cache from the campground, follow a small trail heading East towards Fissile peak. The trail will take you right by it, so there is no need to bush whack. The cache is a small diving container hidden underneath a large rock. Please make sure to re hide it well; if the cache is not hidden properly, it is visible from trail. Do a walk by after you re hide it to make sure it can't be spotted. The cache has no pen, so please bring your own! Even way out here, make sure to be stealthy! The GZ is an awesome place to take pictures, I highly recommend bringing some kind of camera with you. Feel free to share pictures of your adventures! Happy hunting! :)
DON'T FORGET TO WRITE DOWN THE HINT!!!!!!
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Diamond Head
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Garibaldi Lake
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Wedgemount Lake
The Great Garibaldi Tour: Final