Joffre Lakes
Hiking propels you from sightseeing to experience; from spectator to participant; from taking a snapshot with your eyes, to putting yourself in the picture. At Joffre Lakes, the picture comprises three teal lakes in a glacier-gouged basin beneath peaks that inspire ambitious climbers.
As described in Done in a Day Whistler, The Ten Premier Hikes, the scenery at Joffre Lakes is instantly lavish, because the trailhead is relatively high, at Cayoosh Pass, less than an hour's drive north of the village.
The lower Joffre Lake, which you'll reach within ten minutes, is a sight that elsewhere in the Coast Mountains would require and deserve a long hike. The elevation gain even to the second and third Joffre Lakes is insignificant.
After negotiating a couple boulder fields, you'll reach the middle lake at 4 km (2.5 mi). The upper lake is at 5.5 km (3.4 mi). Towering above all three Joffre Lakes are 2721-m (8927-ft) Joffre Peak and 2783-m (9131-ft) Mt. Matier.
The beauty and accessibility of Joffre Lakes Provincial Park are widely known, so tranquility is rare here. Do not come on holidays. Avoid weekends. An early-morning start midweek will allow you to better appreciate the lakes because they're unlikely to be thronged when you arrive.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/photos-whistler.php to see photos of the premier hiking destinations near Whistler, BC.
Go to http://www.hikingcamping.com/hike-whistler.php to read about Done in a Day Whistler, The Ten Premier Hikes. That's the book you'll want if you're a hiker and you're visiting Whistler.
