Our Travels: A Hike in the Sky

Crystal-clear lakes and stunning mountain vistas abound in B.C.’S Mount Revelstoke National Park

The natural beauty of Mount Revelstoke National Park, B.C., provided an unforgettable day of hiking for these honeymooners from back east.

My wife Deanna and I decided to travel to the mountains out west for our honeymoon. After hiking around Jasper and Banff, Alta., we drove west to Mount Revelstoke National Park in British Columbia.

On the north side of the Columbia River, we hiked the Meadows in the Sky trail, where rock and forest literally meet snow and ice under a blanket of blue sky.

Although there is a trail up the mountain from the valley floor, the Meadows in the Sky Parkway allowed us to drive 1,600 vertical metres up the mountain. The 26kilometre paved road traces through 16 switchbacks up the side of Mount Revelstoke and brings about 35,000 people a year to within minutes of the summit.

Leading away from the small parking lot, the hard-packed walking path through the subalpine meadow stretches through multiple shades of green punctuated with yellow, red, purple and

white wildflowers. Despite not seeing much wildlife, we were cognizant that we were in bear country and so kept a watchful eye and hummed a catchy tune while crossing the meadows.

Ahead of us, the path disappeared into the dark green of a spruce and pine forest. When hiking through the forest, we were often shrouded in shadow along the narrow mountain footpath; however, upon exiting the trees to cross an exposed avalanche slope, the sun shone down on our position hundreds of metres above the valley floor. It was awe-inspiring!

Given that you are hiking on the edge of a mountain, the wellmaintained trail allows for sure footing, which makes the trail accessible to people with a range of experience and abilities. Along the path, we encountered everyone from a family with young children to a seasoned group of backcountry campers, as well as some recent retirees enjoying the mountain experience.

Below the peak of Mount Williamson is where you reach the first reward for making the six-kilometre trek. When you emerge from the forest, you look out at a spectacular view over the clear waters of a glacially carved lake. Named for A.E. Miller, a local school inspector who wrote about the area at the turn of the 20th century, the calm waters of Miller Lake are generally ice free from mid-july to midOctober. There we met two young women from Europe who were

hiking across the region and their collective gasp upon dunking in the lake told us all we needed to know about the temperature of the water, even on a hot summer day.

The trail continued another kilometre or so beyond Miller Lake to the shores of another formerly glacierfilled hollow. Named after Eva Hobbs, an early member of the local mountaineering club, the serene waters of Eva Lake greet visitors at an altitude just below 2,000 metres.

Here were four other people sitting around the lake and enjoying the sound of the wind and the reflection of the sky and pines on the mirrored surface of the water. We sat silently for a while, listening and watching. It was so peaceful and relaxing, we didn’t want to break the spell the mountain had cast on us. We knew, however, that we had to go, so we reluctantly began the trek off the mountain as the afternoon light was beginning to fade.

The hike back from the lakes went surprisingly quickly. By the time we descended to the parking lot, the sun was low in the sky and just peeking out from behind the mountains. As we descended to the town site, the chill of the evening air in the valley flowed over us through the open car windows. After a long day on the trail, we were famished and ended the day with a hearty meal at the Big Eddy Pub! Having to leave our furry fourlegged hiking partner at home, it was our good fortune to find a pub named after him. The pub is actually named after the “big eddy” in the adjacent river, but it seemed a very fitting way to end a spectacular day in the mountains. n