Wrecked at Elfin Lakes

I usually like to tell a story when I write up my trip reports, because I live to entertain. Then at the end I'll give a "things to know" list for day hikes or a daily itinerary for backpacks. Amusement first, then information. 

Our second snow camp! Click here for Crater Lake

But after this quick one nighter, I'm just too beat to do anything but give the basic deets. Doing over 14 miles with two and half thousand feet of gain (or 22 kilometers and 752 meters - it was in Canada after all) will wear me out...but now I know that doing it in snow will absolutely destroy me. 

You know how when you go to get a burger and beer after your trip and have to get up to go to the bathroom and suddenly you feel like your legs won't work? But then you suck it up and at least fake like you are not dying so as not to draw attention to yourself, right? Well, I couldn't even do that. I hobbled thru the restaurant like I had broken both my ankles. Also, I literally had to use my arm to pull my leg up into the car. Bathtub Lakes was my #1 ranked hike as most painful...but this one beat it. 

Though folks do it all the time. Lots of folks. The Diamond Head area in Garibaldi Provincial Park is POPULAR - but for good reason. It's a skier's paradise (if you don't mind leg power over lifts) and only a 20 minute drive from Squamish. I actually didn't know much about the skiing when I purchased our permit to camp at Elfin Lakes, though I knew the hut there was totally booked with what I assumed were mostly skiers. 

We did go in to warm up, but it was extremely packed

Though I certainly didn't expect to have skiers and snow boarders galore passing us from almost the moment we started up the trail. It looked so fun and created some jealousy - plus it made the idea of hauling ass up the mountain just to walk back down instead of gliding a really stupid one.  

So anyway, enough non-story telling. Here's what you need to know if you feel like destroying yourself too:

1) Permits are obtained here. Scoring camping is easy in winter, but you'll have to fight for it in the summer. I'm not sure if the hut is always difficult to get, but it certainly is on a President's Day weekend.

2) Bring chains, and put them on in the chain up area even if there is no snow there. We really thought we could make it in our car, but just about 300 feet from the parking lot we got stuck. Putting on chains on an icy hill is a bad idea -- I would have been in a really bad situation if my husband wasn't there to help. 

3) Once you get to the first warming hut at about 3 miles in you need to follow the orange snow stakes because Alltrails is not going to help you. We were doing that, but then they just stopped. We got lured into following the skiers short cut, which is a really bad idea in snowshoes. You want to go around to your right instead of straight across (I think we missed a sharp turn) - if it's not obviously stomped down, you are probably off trail. Oh, and FYI the warming hut has a large pot and gas you can use to melt snow for water. We did this on the way down because we were totally out. 

4) If it feels like this is way longer than you expected because Alltrails has it as a 12.9 out and back, just know that Alltrails cannot be trusted. Plus you should always tell yourself (and your husband) 13 miles instead of 12 because you know 12 sounds better and you couldn't help focusing on the lower number. (Marketers always play to this weakness by advertising prices as $12.99 instead of $13 and I'm a sucker for it!!) So prepare yourself for a total of near 15 miles because I really think it's closer to that. 

Sammi is over it! ;)

5) Besides the hut you can stay in - which has heat and beds and everything - there is another shelter for the campers to use for cooking. It is actually fully enclosed, so it's a great place to hang out to get out of the snow and change your wet clothes. It is not heated though, and camping inside is prohibited. There is a nice bathroom (by backpacking standards) right next to it. 

Good thing the bears are sleeping! ;)