Hiking around Squamish

Squamish used to always be just a place we would drive past on the way to Whistler, maybe stopping for a fast food burger before continuing into the mountains along highway 99. This small town of around 20,000 people is only a 45-minute drive from Vancouver, and it is the perfect gateway into the mountains for some of the most popular hikes in the region.

Our good friends Fraser and Michelle just moved to Squamish, and this weekend we are planning a hike to one of the most popular outdoor attractions in BC – Garibaldi Lake. My goal this summer is to explore as much of Vancouver as possible, and this includes several hikes into the mountains. The weather in the lower mainland is slowly improving, so hopefully, we will be able to share many of these great outdoor activities.

Squamish has evolved into a beautiful town, growing in size over the last 10-15 years as more people try to escape from the expensive housing market in Vancouver. It’s hard to blame them. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and the beautiful Howe Sound, this is a place that should be more than just a stopover if you’re planning to visit Vancouver.

I spent my first weekend back in Canada up here, taking two easy hikes along the Stawamis and Squamish Rivers. This was just a warm up – a chance to pull the old hiking boots out of storage and take them for a spin. There are several hikes that we have been planning for Squamish – including the Garibaldi Hike mentioned previously, a return to the Stawamis Chief to hike peaks two and three as well as a trip to the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola, a new attraction that makes viewing this spectacular part of the world more accessible to everyone.

I’ve also included a few pictures from a hike I did in 2016 to the top of the Stawamis Chief’s first peak, which gives you an unparalleled view of the Howe Sound and surrounding mountains. There will be many other great photos from beautiful British Columbia coming soon and we are excited to share with the world this beautiful place. Stay tuned for pictures from Garibaldi Lake coming next week!

The Stawamis Chief – First Peak:

Howe Sound. 2016.

Highway 99. 2016.

The view of Squamish from Above. 2016.

At the top of the Chief’s first peak. 2016.

Reflection of the Sky at the top of the Stawamis Chief. 2016.

The top of Peak One. 2016.

Overlooking Howe Sound from the top of the Chief. 2016.

Stawamas River Trail:

The Stawamus River. 2018.

A pile of Rocks. 2018.

The Stawamus River. 2018.

Beautiful Squamish. 2018.

The Stawamis Chief as viewed from the start of the trailhead. 2018.

The Stawamus River. 2018.

BC forest. 2018.

Squamish River Trail:

Train Tracks, Shannon Falls and the Chief. 2018.

Shannon Falls. 2018.

Windsurfing is a popular outdoor activity, fed by strong winds on Howe Sound. 2018.

This Beautiful Day. 2016.

It’s difficult to take a picture in Squamish without the Chief in the background. 2018.

The Chief looking down at us. 2018.

Squamish River. 2018.