Carole Tidball enjoys a magical week in British Columbia
“Hey mum, there’s a bear pooping outside my front door”! This message, complete with door cam image of said bear, popped up on my phone just as I was boarding the plane to visit my son in his new home in Squamish, British Columbia. He continued, “We’ve also got beavers damming our river making it great for swimming”. It was going to be quite an adventure!
If you love hiking in vast rainforests, scrambling up mountainsides to see awesome views, wild swimming in refreshing glacial lakes, and spotting amazing wildlife, Canada’s British Columbia is a perfect destination. My youngest son and his partner had recently moved to Squamish, north of Vancouver, and I was so excited to be visiting him. My other two sons were also flying in from their respective homes in California and Portugal offering a rare chance for a family get-together. As they are all extreme sportsmen and mountaineers, I’d been putting in some practice in the Peak District in the hope of keeping up!
Squamish
Halfway between the lively city of Vancouver and the popular ski resort of Whistler, Squamish is a superb destination for outdoor enthusiasts with its world-class hiking and mountain biking trails, rock-climbing, and rivers and lakes for kayaking. Crystal clear waters cascade down the mountainsides bringing snowmelt from the summits and creating some stunning waterfalls. These tumble into the Howe Sound where the tranquil waters are home to whales, seals and otters. The town is dominated by the Stawamus Chief, a huge granite monolith with challenging hiking trails and climbing routes. The area is also a wildlife paradise. Beavers and otters visit the river near my son’s house and a black bear family regularly patrol the woods adjacent to their home. Hummingbirds gather around the feeders on their balcony, jewel-coloured feathers glistening in the sun. Timber wolf, cougar, coyote and bobcat roam the forests while bald eagle soar high above. We’ve also spotted cheeky chipmunks and extremely woolly marmots.
Hiking and lakeside weddings
As an introduction to the numerous hiking trails, my sons were confident I’d cope with a ‘moderately challenging’ trail around and above Brohm Lake near Cheakamus. I was a little surprised to encounter several solo hikers, especially as there were newly-erected warning signs of cougar and bear sightings in the area, so I was glad to be travelling with in the company of my sons. The Park Rangers recommend following well-used trails, travelling in groups, making lots of noise, keeping bear spray at the ready and knowing how and when to use it! Fumbling to release the safety clip and accidentally spraying yourself or companions is not advisable!
We spotted fresh bear poo and could smell cougar but mercifully no actual encounters. At the end of our hike we jumped in the lake for a refreshing swim. Much to our embarrassment, as we clambered out, slipping and sliding on mossy rocks we found a lakeside wedding taking place close by – full three-piece suits and frothy dresses. We did our best to stay out of sight of the photographer, crouching down behind bushes to get dried off and changed.
Stawamus Chief ‘First Peak (Hard)’ was my most challenging hike of the week. A popular, well-marked trail with numerous steep wooden staircases and the use of ladders and chain ropes near the summit. After a few knee-wobbling moments I was rewarded by the amazing views and a wonderful sense of achievement.
Water fun
Deciding we all fancied a chill day, (after two of the boys had completed an early-morning 20km mum-free run up a mountainside), we loaded up the paddle boards and set off to a less well-known and hopefully wedding-free lake. It was accessible only by a rough forest road and was worth being bounced about like proverbial peas in a pod followed by a trek through bear country with a bearproof picnic box, chairs and various inflatables, as the scenery was simply stunning. It was a gloriously hot day, fish were jumping and the lake was shimmering with glittering dragonfly. Warmed by the morning sun, the shallow lake was perfect for swimming and paddle-boarding.
Waterfalls and strawberry picking
Thanks to the snow melt, the area has some impressive waterfalls. The most splendid of these, Shannon Falls, was right on our doorstep in Squamish. A trip to the more distant Brandy Wine falls led us to travel onwards through Whistler to Pemberton for a spot of strawberry picking beneath the towering peak of Mount Currie, still coated with snow whilst we roasted in the warm sun. An ancient tractor gave a photo opportunity to recreate a scene from ten years ago when we had all visited a similar farm and brewery in California. My how time flies! On the way back we called in at a local brewery where a food truck was serving up poutine.
Whale watching tour
We travelled into Granville Island, Vancouver to take a whale watching tour. We were thrilled to spot a small pod of orca and the skipper followed them at a respectful distance as they moved in unison breaching and diving. Seal watching followed as we stopped beside a small island to observe a colony at rest and play. As we prepared to return to the harbour content that whales had indeed been watched, news broke of a spout sighted nearby, indicating the presence of a humpback whale. The local captains are really generous at sharing sightings with their colleagues so that all visitors have the chance to see these amazing creatures. The ship turned, headed off across the bay and within minutes we were all scouring the waters for the next spout. We were overjoyed when an elderly humpback whale known as Wolfeel breached nearby before diving down with a farewell wave of her fluke.
Sea to Sky Gondola
On my last evening in Squamish we took the ten-minute Sea to Sky Gondola, soaring above the Howe Sound to Mount Habrich where a suspension bridge to rival that of the better know Capilano bridge awaited. The Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge is 2,900 feet above sea level and offers amazing views, all for free. There is a restaurant and shop at the summit and a live gig was being played by Ayden Calafiore, a finalist from The Voice Australia. What a stunning backdrop for this young and talented singer! A fantastic and memorable conclusion to my time in BC with my boys.
Grizzlies and otters
After dropping me off at the airport, the boys stayed on for a long weekend so they could take the ferry across to Vancouver Island to do some more adventurous activities like climbing Mount Washington. They also, much to my envy, took a grizzly bear watching excursion to Knight Inlet and saw families of grizzlies, bald eagles galore and rafts of the cutest sea otters!
Next steps
If you’re not lucky enough to have family living in British Columbia, we recommend planning and booking your Canadian adventure with our Silver Travel Advisors. We can recommend an array of options across this vast country including multiple provinces, modes of transport and experiences. Call us on 0800 412 5678 to start planning.
