Cheakamus Lake

Francis and Barry left, with two other hikers,  on Cheakamus Lake

The end of the trail on the beach by Singing Creek, Cheakamus Lake

Barry and Francis on the trail

Crosscut logend beside the trail

Mt Sir Richard, at 2681 metres (8796 feet), appears though shaggy branches

The headwaters of the Cheakamus River begin on the slopes of Mount Sir Richard

At the foot of lake is the outflow of the Cheakamus River

IT WAS THANKSGIVING MORNING when we left for Cheakamus Lake. Under sunny skies, Francis, Barry and myself headed up Highway 99, nearly to Whistler, before leaving the road at Function Junction. What followed was 7 kilometres of dirt road. The pot hole hell ended in a parking lot and on the border of Garibaldi Provincial Park.

The path to the lake was fairly level. From the trailhead, we walked through second growth trees before entering a very old, mid-elevation forest. Massive trunks, widely spaced, rose out of the mossy forest floor. Soon turquoise patches of water appeared through stands of heavy timber. From the foot of the lake, we followed the shore till we found a pretty beach and there we stopped for lunch. At this point we were at 832 metres (2,730 feet). After a long rest in the warm sunshine, we continued on through the afternoon to the end of the trail, at Singing Creek. Finally, we retraced our steps to the car, having covered 14 kilometres.

Cheakamus Lake near Whistler, BC, Garibaldi Provincial Park | Vancouver Trails