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It was a selected morning in early September, warm with cloudless skies, when the four of us met at the parking lot to begin our hike to Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk.
We had previously stopped in Squamish for sustenance and by 8:30 were trail-ready, backpacks and gear in place. The hike begins with a series of long inclined switchbacks on a broad packed trail, sheltered by towering conifers. Gaining elevation we had our first vistas of the rugged majesty of the coastal mountains, crossing creeks rumbling over their rocky paths. By shortly after noon we emerged on the bank of pristine Garibaldi Lake, a glacier-fed turquoise gem nestled between mountains plunging to its’ shores.
We made camp in well-maintained and private sites and foraged for lunch. I don’t know that anything is as satisfying after exertion as the bagel. Unite it with cheese, fruit, chocolate and nuts and a feast unfolds.
With our packs empty but for water, cameras, trail mix and a sweatshirt we headed up the trail to the Tusk. Climbing higher, the terrain changes with grassed hillsides and small vales affording spectacular views of the distant glaciers and azure lakes below. Looking upward the monolith Tusk commands the treeless horizon and its’ approach is a floor of loose rock. The hike around the base, with resistant force of the cold wind makes for some exhilarating moments!
As the light of the day began to fade, we reluctantly began the descent to our camp on Lake Garibaldi arriving as dusk fell upon us. We prepared our evening meal in the cook house at lake-edge and had just taken our places on the bench over plates of steaming pasta. As we looked in unison to the east there was a luminous glow from the mountainous cleft across the lake and a full autumn moon rose into night sky, just under the north star, painting a path across the still water.
Looking for words to describe hiking in Garibaldi, I’ll choose but one…unforgettable. Thanks Guys!
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