Wedgemount Glacier descends the steep valley down from Wedge Mountain and flanked by Parkhurst Mountain and Mount Weart. A couple decades ago the glacier reached Wedgemount Lake with an abrupt wall of ice. Now the terminus is a few hundred metres from the shore and has a huge, gaping glacier window at its end.
Like a giant mouth, this huge ice cave with fridge sized chunks of glacier tumbling into the brilliant turquoise pool that spills into Wedgemount Lake. Wedgemount Glacier, along with the extraordinary turquoise coloured Wedgemount Lake is the big attraction to this beautifully wild and hostile alpine paradise. The seven kilometre Wedgemount Lake hiking trail is quite steep and with a heavy pack is very challenging. The trail arrives at Wedgemount Lake at the opposite end from Wedgemount Glacier, and at once everything comes into view. The sight of Wedgemount Lake surrounded by Cook Mountain, Weart Mountain, Wedge Mountain, Parkhurst Mountain and Rethel Mountain is breathtaking. To make the image even more incredible is the looming, stark white, hulking glacier that fills the valley at the end of the lake up to the summit Wedge Mountain. Wedge Mountain is the highest mountain in the Garibaldi Ranges and its broad, south facing, wedge shape has its north face encased in the monstrously thick Wedgemount Glacier. The brilliant turquoise coloured Wedgemount Lake contrasts with the almost black colour of Rethel Mountain and the blindingly white Wedge Glacier. Unlike most other hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park, at Wedgemount Lake you have this amazing glacier to hike to in just a few short minutes. You can hike from your tent to Wedge Glacier in just 10-20 minutes. The glacier window is a pretty impressive sight up close and you grasp the enormous size of Wedge Glacier when you are dwarfed by this comparatively small feature of the overall huge mass of ice.
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