Exploring Pemberton | Joffre Lakes

Just under a year ago, my wife and I decided we wanted to hike some local(ish) mountains that we had explored during the summer months. As some have commented in my post about Lake Louise and the Ice Line trail - you get a much different scene when you switch up the seasons in your exploring.

So in January, 2017 we booked some snow shoe rentals at our local MEC (much cheaper than I expected). Gathered the gear we needed and we ventured off towards Pemberton, British Columbia. This is just outside of Whistler, about 2-3 hours from Vancouver, BC. Joffre Lakes Provincial Park was the hike we were heading up today and we left quite early in the am to ensure we had enough daylight to make the one day trip worth it.

This hike was tackled with my wife, sister in-law, and brother in-law. The plan was to check out all three lakes with a quick chance for photos and then have our late lunch at the top lake which is near the glacier.

This hike in the summer isn’t too difficult, assuming you have proper hiking shoes, water, and supplements, you’d do just fine. There is some steep inclines that’ll wear you out a bit but the views really make up for it. The winter is much similar but I’d recommend having snow shoes. I did see several people on this hike with winter hiking boots, but there are some very slippery spots and some deep patches of snow. The snow shoes should have a claw/spike portion under your toes that will help for the steeper climbs and naturally, having a large foot print with a larger weight dispersal, you limit your chances of sinking into deep powder.

The Joffre Lakes hike takes about 5 minutes to the first lake, 25-30 to the second lake, and the third lake is about an hour from the second. Overall, you’re climbing for just under 2 hours - not bad at all.

The first lake is very beautiful, but I think the gems start showing themselves along the second lake and on top at the third lake. If you have some crumbs in hand, make sure to pay attention to the little birds flying around as they’ll fly right to your hand to eat from you.

The third lake is fed by a glacier. I’ve swam in this water in summer, its freaking cold. I think my wife and I would like to try camping on the frozen third lake some day. We were speaking about doing it this year but we have some busy months approaching us.

The third lake is the best spot to set up a little camp for a rest and cook some food and just take in the dead quiet of the mountains and frozen surroundings. Check out these glorious views:

Thank you for reading everyone! I hope you had a wonderful holiday this weekend. I appreciate any comments and upvotes.

B