Garibaldi Provincial Park protects almost 2,000 square kilometres of rugged alpine wilderness just north of Squamish and provides world-class hiking, mountaineering and skiing objectives for locals and tourists alike. The majority of the park is virtually impenetrable, but a few well-developed access points between Squamish and Whistler allow outdoor enthusiasts to explore some of the region's gorgeous, alpine terrain. The iconic volcanic peak, Black Tusk, is one of the area's major draws, and shortly before the fall rains settled onto the B.C. coast, we made an exploratory trek up Empetrum Peak to see the Tusk from a new perspective.

Garibaldi Park

With the opening of the new Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, alpine adventures have suddenly become far more accessible. However, with improved access comes increased traffic and Sky Pilot, the prominent alpine peak just south of town, has likely seen more ascents this year than in the last 10 combined. Looking to escape the crowds and the summer heat in the valley, we decided to check out Mountain Lake, a beautiful yet tough-to-access zone on the south side of Sky Pilot, far from the burger-eating crowds at the top of the gondola.

With the Squamish summer slipping away and our fall climbing trips just around the corner, we were anxious to squeeze in a couple more hikes before the snow started to fall in the alpine. One area we hadn't explored was Callaghan Lake Provincial Park, an alpine playground about 45 minutes north of Squamish. This park and its surrounding peaks is a winter hot spot for Nordic and backcountry skiers, but it also features amazing terrain for summer explorations. Although established hiking trails are rare, Cirque Lake and Ring Lake both have good approaches and make excellent day trips from Squamish or Whistler. Visiting these two basins was a great way to end our summer and our Mammut backpacks (Creon Element and Contact) really proved themselves after dozens of trips into the alpine.

Heron Light in front of Elfin Lakes, Garibaldi Park, Squamish.

With the hot summer weather in Squamish making difficult climbing, well, difficult, we continued to focus on getting into the alpine to explore new areas and research my latest guidebook.Our gear is getting a serious workout this summer and I got to test my new Heron Light overnight pack. I've got the 60 +15 litre size and found it pretty much perfect for multi-day trips in good weather (small tent, small sleeping bag, minimal clothing). If you were doing long trips in the off-season, you might want the 70-litre size for more clothing or the addition of climbing gear, et cetera.