Trip Summary

This is my final 1-night backpacking trip of the fall! We started at Diamond Head Trailhead and hiked up to Elfin Lakes Campground, with a quick summit to the Gargoyles. We ran into a lot of snow on this trip, which was both challenging and fun! 

Trip Breakdown

Saturday

Start from Diamond Head Trailhead parking lot around 10:20am

Stop for lunch at 12pm (7.2km and 595m elevation gain)

Arrive at Elfin Lakes Campground at 1pm (10.6km)

Set-up tent and build snowman

Leave for Gargoyles Peak at 2pm

Arrive at peak at 3:30pm (it’s steep!) (13.7km and 843m elevation gain)

Descend back to campground

Quick swim in (one of the) Elfin Lakes at 6pm

Make dinner in the shelter and watch the stars

Sunday

Watch the sunrise and make breakfast at 7:30am

Tear down and hit the trail by 9:30am

Back at car around 12:30-1pm, lunch in parking lot

Trip Details

We had a relatively early start from Diamond Head Trailhead in Garibaldi Provincial Park (I say early because we had to drive from Vancouver, pick up gear, and, of course, get Tim’s along the way). It was colder than it had been earlier in October, yet we were still shocked to see small patches of snow on the trees within 30 minutes of starting our hike. Little did we know we were about to hike through flurries. More on that later. There were so many perfectly ripe and cold blueberries that we were stopping every 5 minutes to grab handfuls of them. We stopped for a satisfying lunch of peanut butter and m&m wraps but the cold wind kept our break short. For the most part, the trail to Elfin Lakes is wide, packed down, and not too steep. There are no trail markers; they would be incredibly redundant when the trail is so clear. It felt more like a casual walk than a hike, but it was rewarding nonetheless.

As we gradually climbed into the mountains, the snow on the trees and the ground also gradually increased. The low, dense, clouds prevented us from seeing far into the distance, but we didn’t mind: it felt like we had entered a winter wonderland. Before we knew it, we had arrived at Elfin Lakes Campground, and while some low clouds still hung around, the view was amazing! Most of the tent pads were covered in snow, so we found one in a secluded area and started clearing it off. Naturally, this lead to making a tent-pad snowman, who lived for about 30 minutes before falling off the edge of the platform. 

With our tent all set up and staked down, we set off to the nearest peak: the Gargoyles. The sun was shining beautifully on Diamond Head (2056m) and Opal Cone (1736m) which was tempting, but at this time of year, we knew we had limited daylight. The Gargoyles were closer, although not that much less elevation. What we did not expect was snow flurries as we were scrambling up the side of the mountain. The 2nd half of the trail to the peak is quite steep and made up of loose rocks. Because of the weather, we never saw the top until we arrived. Fortunately, within 10 minutes of being up there, the snow clouds cleared and the sun shone on us. It was truly a magical view, and well worth the hike up (and the mashed potatoes we had as a snack!). 

Back down at the campground, we hoped to catch a colourful sunset but the clouds kept it to an uneventful monochromatic yellow in the distance. At this point, we decided to jump into the lake before it got dark (why not?). Within minutes of us exiting the lake, it started snowing again, this time leaving a few centimetres of snow on the ground and on the tent. We took advantage of the dry cook shelter to shake the snow off our gear and make dinner (mmm, ramen). Despite lingering clouds, we got a good glimpse of the stars as we made our way into our tent for the night.

The next morning’s sunrise was fantastic: the clouds were gone, our tent was facing east, and we had a great view of distant mountains. Packing up a snow-covered tent was not pleasant, nor was leaving the beauty of a campsite, but it was time to head home. With the clouds gone, we could take in all the amazing views that we had missed on our way up the day before! The openness of the Elfin Lakes trail allowed us to admire distant mountains and survey rows of snow-covered evergreen trees. I love this trail and how accessible it is to everyone. No technical sections, no brutal switchbacks, and no ropes and ladders. Just good trail walking and rewarding views.

Key Points

• If it’s raining in Vancouver, there’s a good chance it’s snowing on this trail!
• Life is too short not to stop and eat the blueberries. 
• The Gargoyles are close by and beautiful, but getting there involves scrambling and steep sections towards the end.