BACKCOUNTRY BEAUTY
ALPINE CLUB OF CANADA’S HUTS OFFER BASES FOR ADVENTURES
The beauty of living in B.C. is that a wilderness adventure is never too far away. Sometimes, though, the summer crowds on popular trails make it worth putting in a little more effort to find a truly remote oasis in the backcountry.
Tucked away at an altitude of 3,800 feet in the Tantalus mountain range near Squamish lies the pristine, turquoise waters of Lake Lovely Water. The name is apt, with clear glacial waters that sparkle green or blue depending on how much light breaks through the fog that slowly drifts in and out of the mountain range. This sub-alpine lake is nestled within an oldgrowth forest and is a great spot for hiking, fishing, canoeing and exploring — but you have to get there first.
Lake Lovely Water is not easily accessible, and there aren’t many — if any — tours that will lead you here. Located in a remote section of Tantalus Provincial Park, the lake lies at the top of a steep, rugged trail that can only be accessed by crossing the fast-flowing Squamish River. It’s possible to paddle across in a canoe, or you can arrange a jet boat from Squamish. But if you’re after a truly spectacular entrance, you can’t beat being airlifted directly to the lake via helicopter or float plane. If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you’re in the opening sequence of a James Bond film, this is your chance.
Since we’re there to celebrate our friend’s 30th birthday, our group of 12 decides to take the chopper to kick off a spectacular weekend getaway at the tail end of summer. We’ve booked into the Tantalus Hut, a two-storey wooden structure that lies on the shore of Lake Lovely Water.
Owned and operated by the Alpine Club of Canada’s Vancouver section, the Tantalus Hut is one of 32 ACC wilderness huts across Canada offering outdoor enthusiasts access to the backcountry. The hut, if it can really be called that, is much better equipped than the name suggests, with a full kitchen, sleeping mats, board games and even canoes that can be used to access the lake. You do need to pack a sleeping bag, food and — if you’re a light sleeper — ear plugs. This is a shared space, after all.
We’re there to unplug (literally — there is no electricity), enjoy the lake, find a day hike and maybe catch a fish or two, but the cabin also attracts much more hardcore outdoor adventurers. That evening, after we’ve watched the sun disappear behind the rocky outcrop from the hut’s dock, the real mountaineers arrive. They’ve crossed the river by boat and completed the last part of their five-hour ascent in the dark. Among them, a seven-month pregnant woman who is armed with an ice axe and intends to summit a mountain the next day. Between sips of bagged wine and bites of birthday cupcakes, we stutter that we too intend to get outside over the weekend. I think of my book in my pack — I’m hoping to sneak in some reading on the dock.
The next morning, the sun is out. We paddle the canoes out, throw out a reel and lazily admire one of the prettiest alpine lakes in the region. By midday, more hikers have arrived and are setting up camp on the nearby tent pads. We paddle over to the far side of the lake to hike the rocky scree up to Niobe Meadows. In the alpine, it’s already fall. We’re glad to have packed layers, and admire the autumnal colours of grass among the granite boulders. Before hiking down, we find a melting “snow cave” that appears to be the icy remnants of last winter, slowly dissipating beneath the shadows of the Greek giants surrounding us (the peaks of Mount Pelops, Mount Niobe, Omega Mountain and Alpha Mountain.)
We’ve organized a boat to pick us up at the bottom of the trail and want to hike out by noon the next day to make our appointment. Just before heading off, though, we discover that some weekend campers have left their trash behind in the outhouse. Resigned to our fate, we pack out their trash with our own.
The hike down through the forest is even steeper and more rugged than we’d imagined. I’m surprised to find myself aching by the end. It’s worth it for a magical weekend away.
With only 16-person capacity in the hut, camping on nearby tent pads has become more popular. Campers are encouraged to arrive by Friday night on summer weekends to snag a spot.
It’s not just Tantalus Provincial Park receiving more visitors. Blame the rise of Instagram, but backcountry adventures across the country are becoming mainstream. Last year, the Alpine Club of Canada reported 55,000 reserved nights over 32 huts nationwide.
ACC marketing and communications manager Keith Haberl says some of the club’s most popular huts, such as Kokanee Glacier Cabin in the Selkirk Mountains of the West Kootenays, are booked solid in July and August, although there are some openings in June and September.
Summer is peak time for hut adventures, and some alpine huts close over winter. However, Kokanee Glacier Cabin, along with the nearby Fairy Meadow Hut, are exceptions. These huts are so popular with backcountry skiers that the club has established a reservation lottery system during winter months.
To meet demand, this year the ACC launched a guided hut discovery program. The idea is to help people who are unfamiliar with an area experience hut life and take a guided alpine trip that they otherwise may not be able to enjoy.
One such adventure leaves from the A.O. Wheeler Hut at Rogers Pass near Revelstoke. This is a beautiful log cabin that is technically “front country,” since it can be accessed by road in the summer. It’s perfect for a first-time or family adventure. The cabin is considered the birthplace of mountaineering in North America and offers endless hiking and climbing opportunities through Glacier National Park.
Even in winter, when the road to the hut is closed, the less-than-two-kilometre, mostly flat trek from the parking lot is a stroll in the park compared to our Lake Lovely Water adventure. When I visited for three days over Christmas, my party included our own seven-month pregnant friend, and several cabin mates brought their children.
A.O. Wheeler is possibly the most luxurious “rustic” cabin I’ve ever stayed in, with two full kitchen and eating areas downstairs, and the usual communal sleeping setup upstairs. The kitchens even come complete with ovens, which we used to prepare our Christmas feast. The ACC Rogers Pass guided trip includes a night in this roomy facility before a supervised hike up the Asulkan Valley to the spectacular alpine Asulkan Hut.
A decent level of fitness is required for guided trips and Haberl recommends calling ahead to discuss your party’s requirements. For experienced hikers looking for a DIY getaway, Haberl still recommends calling the ACC to learn about the approach, or see if there are cancellations if a hut appears booked out online.
“If something is full, they will try to find an adventure that suits you,” he says.