Helm creek to Garibaldi lake: Crisp air and warm memories

Trip dates: Sept 28th-30th, 2024

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Our trip to Garibaldi park began somewhat impulsively, with the campsite booked many months in advance without much thought. We had set our sights on a three-day adventure from Cheakamus to Helm campsite on day (8 km with an 800m elevation gain); Helm to Garibaldi Lake on day 2 (9 km with 200m of elevation); and down the Gaibaldi switch-backs on day 3 (a mostly downhill 9 km trek). At first glance, the plan seemed ambitious for our not-quite-five-year-old, but we figured we'd have a better sense of what was realistic after our summer hiking experiences.
Summer hiking had gone well for the most part, with a few hiccups along the way. One of our more memorable trips was to Tricouni Meadows, where our average pace slowed to a crawl—just 1 km/h both up and down. This definitely left me feeling a bit apprehensive. As a result, I found myself a bit frazzled going into this trip, doubting if we could pull off the kilometers, and feeling the pressure to start early to make sure we had enough time. Of course, my early start enthusiasm wasn’t exactly shared by everyone else. Despite my best efforts to rally the troops, the mood was less than receptive, and I only manage to push the suggested start time about 30 min earlier. 

In the end, we met at Rubble Creek around 8:30 AM to drop off a car for the return shuttle before heading to the trailhead at Cheakamus. By late morning, we were on our way. Our 11-year-old headed off with one of the other families, while Christian and I stayed back with our 4- and 7-year-old. It was one of those rare, perfect hiking days—the kind you imagine before having kids, but don’t often experience. We spent the time exploring the many mushrooms along the trail, playing games, chasing each other, and, best of all, no complaining.
The highlight of the day came when N, pretending to be an octopus, suddenly threw her arms in the air and started waving them wildly while making a loud "bowlololololo" sound just as a couple of oncoming hikers were about to pass. We all had a good laugh.

As the other families had predicted, the hike didn’t take us too long, and we arrived at the campsite mid-afternoon. I suppose a well-maintained trail does wonders. The rest of the afternoon was spent building nests, searching for lichen, running around, sipping hot chocolate, and preparing dinner. Christian and Mike even ran off to try and summit Helm (apparently the end is quite tricky, and only Christian did the last few moves). As the sun began to set, it became clear that the evening was going to be chilly—definitely a cold night ahead.

Catching up to Nick and N

It was indeed a cold night, and we woke up to snow on the ground. The kids were pretty excited, while I felt more apprehensive. Despite bringing gloves and warm jackets, I wasn’t fully prepared for winter conditions. W quickly became upset about the cold, so we settled in for some extra morning snuggles while I prepared breakfast and had a great chat with Lena. By the time we finally got moving, it was late morning. Though the sun provided some warmth, the wind still had a sharp chill as the trail led us into the open volcanic plains toward the pass. Nova had gone ahead with Nick, and once I caught up to them, we mostly hiked in silence—heads down, one foot in front of the other. As we neared the pass, Christian radioed that W was in need of a break, so we ducked into a clump of trees to shelter from the wind for a quick lunch so they could catch up.
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After lunch, Nick and I split off from the group to head up to Panorama Ridge while Christian (who had Helm the day before) took the kids. There were certainly a lot of people on the trail, and it was a little slippery from the previous night’s snow. But the views from the top are truly unbeatable. On the way back down to the lake, we didn’t catch up with the kids, so they must’ve kept a good pace ahead of us. We had some great conversations as we descended, chatting about everything big and small—it was really enjoyable. When we arrived at the lake, everyone was gathered at a beautiful lookout. The kids played by the water; the adults desperately hoped no one would get their feet wet, while trying to stay warm from the cold wind. As soon as the sun dipped behind the mountains, we headed back to the tents to warm up. We were sure glad we packed the warm sleeping bags.

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We woke up to a gorgeous morning. Lena had set up breakfast on a small peninsula, where we could soak in the warmth of the morning sun while admiring the mist slowly lifting off the lake. It was the kind of scene that belongs on Instagram, and several hikers stopped to snap photos of us as they passed by. As soon as I was ready, W, N, and I started heading down the trail, while Christian and Nick opted to hike back to Cheakamus to retrieve our car instead of joining the car shuttle. The little ones kept a surprisingly good pace to Taylor Meadows, delighting in stomping on the ice crystals rising out of the dirt along the way. A large patch of puffball mushrooms provided another highlight, with the kids joyfully puffing them into the crisp morning air.
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At Taylor Meadows, a group of hikers warned us about a bear sighting ahead on the trail. We decided to wait for the rest of the group before continuing, and after a brief pause, we all pressed on together.
The switchbacks down from Taylor Meadows started out well enough, with a game of hide-and-seek keeping spirits high, but eventually, the long descent took its toll on W. By the last stretch she was worn out. Luckily, Christian (having retrieved the car) hiked up to rejoin us just in time and gave her a lift for the final kilometre or so, sparing her tired legs.
Despite the challenges, it was a fitting end to a memorable adventure. As we reached Rubble Creek and loaded up the car, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

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