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 Elfin Lakes, BC

Elfin Lakes, BC

August 1, 2026 - August 2, 2026

An overnighter in British Columbia's Garibaldi Park, nestled in the alpine.

This trip was organized by Cam and Chloe, and Jeremy and Lily were kind enough to invite me along as I was in town after the Whistler AAS conference. The original goal was to make this a 3 day trip: hike up to Elfin Lakes on day 1 (10km), do the Opal Cone round-trip hike on day 2 (15km), and hike back from Elfin on day 3. Some stormy weather compressed the trip into 2 days, with day 2 incorporating the Opal Cone hike and the hike back down from Elfin (with packs).

Also included at the end are photos from various bike rides I did in Whistler and North Vancouver.

All photos were taken with my RX100II and post-processed in darktable.

Day 1: Hike to Elfin Lakes

Hiking up into the alpine with spotted cloud cover over the mountains
Hiking up into the alpine with spotted cloud cover over the mountains
Heading up
Heading up
Jeremy and Cam ascend into the clouds
Jeremy and Cam ascend into the clouds
The cloud cover slowly lifted as the day continued
The cloud cover slowly lifted as the day continued
Arrival at Elfin Lakes
Arrival at Elfin Lakes
Tent setup with some pretty nice views
Tent setup with some pretty nice views
Views improved closer to sunset
Views improved closer to sunset
Views improved closer to sunset
Views improved closer to sunset
Finally, greeted with views of Mamquam
Finally, greeted with views of Mamquam
Alpine flowers
Alpine flowers
Taking advantage of golden hour for fun lighting
Taking advantage of golden hour for fun lighting
Hoping Tantalus has a cloud grazing the peak, and is not erupting
Hoping Tantalus has a cloud grazing the peak, and is not erupting

Day 2: Opal Cone and the Return

Woke up to completely clear skies, 360-degree views of the mountains surrounding us, a beautiful sunrise, and a big day of hiking ahead of us. The Opal Cone hike leads to the Opal Cone: a cinder cone near the base of Garibaldo.

A very scenic pre-sunrise view out the tent
A very scenic pre-sunrise view out the tent
Dew in the alpine
Dew in the alpine
The Sun begins to hit Garibaldi
The Sun begins to hit Garibaldi
Elfin lakes with less fog this time
Elfin lakes with less fog this time
The aptly-names Gargoyles
The aptly-names Gargoyles
Hello friendly marmot!
Hello friendly marmot!
More alpine flora
More alpine flora
Climbing up to Garibaldi through a glacier valley
Climbing up to Garibaldi through a glacier valley
A surprising amount of greenery at the lower altitudes
A surprising amount of greenery at the lower altitudes
Wildflowers at altitude
Wildflowers at altitude
The Opal Cone (and Garibaldi)
The Opal Cone (and Garibaldi)
The gang at the end of the trail
The gang at the end of the trail
The gang at the end of the trail
The gang at the end of the trail
Cam is not as tall as Garibaldi: photographic evidence
Cam is not as tall as Garibaldi: photographic evidence
White, red, green, and grey
White, red, green, and grey
Making our way back down to the sub-alpine
Making our way back down to the sub-alpine
Through glacier-eroded valleys
Through glacier-eroded valleys
A snack break with views of Garibaldi
A snack break with views of Garibaldi
Views from back at Elfin before making our way back down
Views from back at Elfin before making our way back down

Whistler Gravelling

I brought my bike to Whistler, and took advantage of being there to ride during conference breaks.

Riding the dreamy Sea-to-Sky trail to Lost Lake
Riding the dreamy Sea-to-Sky trail to Lost Lake
Riding the dreamy Sea-to-Sky trail to Lost Lake
Riding the dreamy Sea-to-Sky trail to Lost Lake
Made a friend. Big dog!
Made a friend. Big dog!
Some nice lighting and textures in Whistler Village
Some nice lighting and textures in Whistler Village
The Sea-to-Sky trail heading south to Brandywine Falls
The Sea-to-Sky trail heading south to Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls
Brandywine Falls
Taking in the views, directly behind Brandywine Falls
Taking in the views, directly behind Brandywine Falls
Views from the top of Cypress
Views from the top of Cypress
Views from the top of Cypress
Views from the top of Cypress
Horsehoe Bay in the fog
Horseshoe Bay in the fog
Riding up to Seymour dam
Riding up to Seymour dam