Blog #3: Between a rock and a hard place
7 juillet 2016 19:46 Laisser vos pensées
“The core of man’s spirit comes from new experiences”.
–Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
Two weekends ago my roommate and I visited our friend Ashley in Smithers. As we drove out from Prince George late Friday evening, I was mesmerized by the landscape around me. The lush countryside freckled with swamps was bathed in orange and pink hues. The size of the towns along the way were surprisingly small, yet there was something appealing about the quaint little homesteads set against the mountains.
Bulkley River near Moricetown, BC
We got to Smithers long after sunset, which was disappointing since I had heard so much about its beauty. But I was rewarded bright and early the following morning as we made the 1.5 minute drive across town to the farmers market. Surrounded by Hudson Bay Mountain to the southwest and Babine Mountains Provincial Park to the northeast, Smithers is nestled between mountains, forest, glaciers and the Bulkley River. The town is small yet welcoming, with boundless opportunities for adventure. So that is exactly what we did: we decided to hike the Blue Lake Trail.
Trail route for Blue Lakes near New Hazelton, BC
With fresh fruit and baked bread from the farmers market in tow we drove north on Highway 16. The trail to Blue Lakes is on the west side of the highway, just before New Hazelton but can be easily missed. Thankfully Peter, a friend of Ashley, had a four-wheel drive so we were able to drive up the narrow deactivated forestry road and shave two hours (with a 300m elevation gain) off our hike. It was evident this trail did not see much traffic from the start: driving up the dirt road was something out of an amusement park ride. Under the old growth Hemlock and Balsam tree forest, the ascend up the dirt road was uneven and ridden with ruts. Despite traveling at a snail pace, we were thrown about like rag dolls inside the vehicle.
Lower forest, Blue Lakes Trailwe reached the subalpine pine forest and a small camping area which marked the trailhead. The first 4km was a steady climb crossing a series of avalanche tracks amidst thick forest. Although I struggled with the ascend, the company and the unkempt beauty of the surrounding forest made the hike up enjoyable.
Area just past the first Blue Lake
Just past the second avalanche area, we were able to see the first blue lake. However due to dense, steep bush we were unable to get down to it. To the left of the lake is a picnic area overlooking a large waterfall.
View of the First Blue Lake from the trail
Further along the trail, closer to the second lake is the waterfall campsite. The campsite is situated between the Bulkley Plutonic Suite, below a glacier and overlooks the second blue lake. We stopped here for lunch before heading up a steep boulder-field towards the glacier.
View from above the Second Blue Lake
This was probably the scariest part of the hike for me. I almost returned to the lake at this point but my roommate Forest refused to let me turn back. There were five of us making our way up so it was important we didn’t send any rocks cascading down. The end goal was a giant protruding rock about 200m up, overlooking the lake and valley. Slowly we inched our way up. Well more appropriately, I inched my way up and the other periodically waited for me. With more help that I would like to admit, I finally made my way to the top.
Hiking up the protruding rock face above the Second Blue Lake
Maybe it was being surround by a glacier with the lake below, the valley just beyond and the highway in the distance but I forgot all about the pain of the ascend. That is until I realized we had to get back down somehow.
Finally making it to the top of the protruding rock
The way we took up seemed too steep and unstable to head back down so we decided to hug the small glacier on our right. This seemed like a good idea, up until the rock edge merged into the glacier. We were literally between a rock and a hard place. Peter and Ashley’s brother Aaron, who both do a lot of hiking, decided our best bet getting back down was bum sliding the glacier. I don’t think I have EVER been as scared as I was at that moment. So praying I would make it down the mountain intact I followed everyone else.
Bum sliding down the glacier
Luckily it wasn’t as scary as I had expected. We were able to dig our heels in to slow ourselves down and the scattering of boulders helped us stop along the way. With frozen hands and bums we made our way down to the second lake. The day had warmed up quite a bit, so to celebrate the fact we were still breathing we decided to jump into the lake.
Hiking back down Blue Lakes Trail
The trail had turned a little muddy so there were a few slips but all in all the hike back down was relatively laid-back. This gave me an opportunity to reflect on the day so far. Thanks to my friends, I was able to push myself both physically and mentally. As a result- and I don’t think I was alone in thinking this either- we all finished that hike pretty proud of ourselves and with an elevated sense of adventure.
