Hiking Black Tusk 2008: To the Lake

David had wanted to take me on a hike to Black Tusk in Garibaldi Provincial Park in BC, Canada for a couple of years. It is accessed from the Sea to Sky highway close to Whistler.

We did it as a day hike, arriving at the trailhead about 8:30 AM.

The trail is wide and very well maintained.

We stopped by Garibaldi Lake. It is fairly big (3.5mi, 5km long) and is fed by several glaciers.

At this outflow point, it makes a pretty good river.

The color of the water was a beautiful milky aqua blue from suspended glacial flour (rock dust).

The lake was like glass because the water was very calm and transparent.

We climbed above the lake. Notice the flat-topped Table Mountain partially obscured behind the trees on the right?

It actually has a tea-cup handle hole through it, so that you can see the glacier of the mountain behind it!

Our climb went through alpine meadows.

The wild flowers were waning, but there were a few good ones yet.

And glacier-fed streams crossed our path.