January 5th, 2023: Pack smart by putting heavier items close to your back and higher up your pack.  Be organized and think of keeping important things easily accessible.  Having an accessible sweater makes you more likely to not put off your comfort by difficulty in finding it. Familiarize yourself with your gear before you go.  Setting up your tent in the living room will ensure you have all the parts and know where to put them.

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerAlexander Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyAncient Cedars  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerBlack Tusk  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerBlackcomb Mountain  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerBrandywine Falls  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrandywine Meadows  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrew Lake  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerCallaghan Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerCheakamus Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyCheakamus River  Whistler Hiking Trail HardCirque Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyFlank Trail  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Park  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerHelm Creek  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyJane Lakes  Joffre Lakes Hike in Whistler in SeptemberJoffre Lakes  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyKeyhole Hot Springs  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyLogger’s Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyMadeley Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyMeager Hot Springs Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerNairn Falls  Whistler Hiking Trail HardNewt Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerPanorama Ridge  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyParkhurst Ghost Town  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyRainbow Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRainbow Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyRing Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRusset Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasySea to Sky Trail  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSkookumchuck Hot Springs  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSloquet Hot Springs  Sproatt East  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerSproatt West  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerTaylor Meadows  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyTrain Wreck  Hiking Trail Hard - Whistler TrailsWedgemount Lake  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerWhistler Mountain

  Winter Hiking WhistlerJanuary  Winter Hiking WhistlerFebruary  Spring Hiking WhistlerMarch  Spring Hiking WhistlerApril  Spring Hiking WhistlerMay  Summer Hiking WhistlerJune  Summer Hiking WhistlerJuly  Summer Hiking WhistlerAugust  Fall Hiking WhistlerSeptember  Fall Hiking WhistlerOctober  Fall Hiking WhistlerNovember  Winter Hiking WhistlerDecember

Testing your stove at home will remind you that you almost forgot matches or misplaced a vital part.   Also, you are less likely to forget a sleeping pad if you set up everything before packing.  Protect your gear from moisture by using a pack cover or bag liner.  Sleeping in a damp sleeping bag on a cold night is an experience you will regret.  Pack covers keep out the rain as well as keep your pack clean when taking it off in wet weather.  A pack liner is simply a plastic bag inside your backpack with the contents inside.  Another method is to put your gear in separate plastic bags which keeps everything dry and organized.  You can even buy “pack cubes” from hiking stores for this purpose.  Use all the adjustable straps on your pack frequently. Loosen them all when you take off your pack and make sure they are loose when you put on your pack.  Cinch up your waist straps first quite tight, and make sure they are over your hips and not on top of them.  You should have your shoulder straps loose and barely touching your shoulders.  Next tighten the two small shoulder straps below your armpits distributing the weight evenly between your waist and shoulders..  Finally tighten the two top straps above your shoulders.  This brings your pack tight with your back and you don’t get any energy sapping rocking from your pack.  Make any minor adjustments for comfort and even in the best quality packs you will have to frequently adjust all the straps to maintain comfort.

Bring extra layers of clothing and frequently layer on and off. If you can quickly remove or add a layer of clothing, you will ensure you stay comfortable and dry.  Sweat soaking your clothes can become dangerous if the temperature drops.  Get yourself a quality waterproof/breathable jacket.  You will pay a lot for a good jacket, but it may become a cherished item for years to come.  For those of us who have hiked or jogged in both waterproof/breathable and just waterproof jackets, the difference is astounding. A non breathable jacket will have you clammy with sweat almost immediately despite your efforts to open the pit vents(zippers under armpits).  An expensive, waterproof/breathable jacket will astound you with its ability to keep you dry and comfortable in everything but heavy and prolonged rain.  Being pounded with continuous rain will obviously render the breathability of the jacket useless, however pit vents will partially help vent moisture out. 

Wear good hiking boots/shoes. It is hard to distinguish between hiking shoes and hiking boots.  Some find the distinction between how high on the ankle they go.  So boots that cover your ankles are hiking boots and shoes that don’t are hiking shoes.  Whether you call them hiking boots or shoes, make sure that if you need them to be waterproof, get waterproof.  Modern advancements like Gore-Tex have enabled shoes to reach extraordinary levels of comfort, durability, lightness and waterproofness.  You can get away with hiking in normal walking shoes, however you will lack a hard sole, protection from wet weather and ankle support.  With normal, non hiking shoes you will feel every rock underfoot.  The much more rigid soles of hiking shoes provide a barrier against rough terrain.

New hikers often come prepared with outer layers and neglect the inner layers. Having an extra pair or two of hiking socks can be a wonderful luxury partway through the hike.  When hiking with novice hikers, this is the most frequently borrowed item.  I pack two extra pairs of socks for this all to frequent occurrence. A spare shirt and a thin base layer shirt are a luxury on the trail and take up an insignificant amount of space.  You will invariably sweat on the trail and when you camp and a dry new shirt and base layer are a lifesaver when the sun goes down.  I have always brought a thin base layer shirt and pants.  You could cram both into a coffee mug and they weigh almost nothing.   

One important, yet often overlooked item to bring on any hiking/camping trip is a toque. The added protection from the cold you get from a toque are way out of proportion to its small size.  Sleeping with a toque on is very comfortable as well and not just on cold nights. Know before you go if you will need to purify drinking water.  Many high alpine hikes have plentiful, fresh water that you can drink right away.  Other, lower elevation trails may lead to sickness if the water is not treated or filtered.  Always have water purification tablets in your first aid kit and you won’t get caught out unprepared. 

More Whistler Updates!

October 22nd, 2022: The Cal-Cheak campground just south of Whistler sits in a tranquil, huge tree forest, nestled between Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus ...
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February 10th, 2023: There are plenty of dog friendly snowshoe trails in Whistler.  They range from easy and quick to get to, to a bit of a drive and a bit ...
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Oct 10th, 2022: Jane Lakes consist of three lakes that are well hidden in the vast wilderness adjacent to Whistler’s Interpretive ForestWest Jane Lake, ...
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January 18th, 2023: Alexander Falls, high up in the Callaghan Valley in Whistler has some interesting historical murals and a mysterious plaque. The ...
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Amazing Hiking Trails in Whistler

Whistler & Garibaldi Park Hiking Glossary A to Z

Along the shore of Green Lake, you will find a monstrous old Caterpillar tractor that dates from the 1930’s.  Abandoned here in the 1950’s, it looks as if the ...
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The pale green shub-like growths hanging from trees in the forests around Whistler is called usnea.  These bushy, coral-like fruticose lichens anchor to bark ...
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The Peak 2 Peak Gondola connects Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain at a dizzying height of 436 metres(1427 feet).  It runs all winter and in the ...
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Back in 2011 Kups, a Whistler local and now professional muralist painted a hauntingly surreal, blue face on the side of this house.  This beautiful ...
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The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt is a line of mostly dormant stratovolcanoes and subglacial volcanoes largely centred around Whistler and extending through much ...
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Erratic or glacier erratic is a piece of rock that has been carried by glacial ice, often hundreds of kilometres.  Characteristic of their massive size and ...
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Whistler Bungee Bridge, also known as the Cheakamus Bungee Bridge is a very convenient and beautiful attraction on the way to or from Whistler from ...
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Mills Winram was a very active mountaineer from Vancouver with some very notable ascents in the 1920's and 1930's.  He, along with Fred Parkes and Stan ...
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Whistler & Garibaldi Park Best Hiking by Month!

March is usually a snowy month in Whistler, though in 2024 not a whole lot of snow has fallen. Snowshoes are already not necessary for lots of trails in and ...
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April in Whistler is a wonderful time of year.  The winter deep freeze ends and T-shirt weather erupts.  The village comes alive with overflowing patios and ...
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May is an extraordinarily beautiful time of year in Whistler.  The days are longer and warmer and a great lull in between seasons happens.  Whistler is fairly ...
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June is a pretty amazing month to hike in Whistler and Garibaldi Park.  The average low and high temperatures in Whistler range from 9c to 21c(48f/70f).  ...
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Free Camping Gear Delivery to Garibaldi Park

Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Hiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous ...
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Squamish Hiking Trails

Squamish is located in the midst of a staggering array of amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls alongside Squamish and up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the wonderfully remote Callaghan Valley ...
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Vancouver Hiking Trails

Vancouver is surrounded by seemingly endless hiking trails and mountains to explore.  Massive parks line up one after another.  Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Park and the enormous Garibaldi Park all contribute to Vancouver ...
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Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
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Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn in ...
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The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
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