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| Skyline of Downtown Vancouver |
Nestled among snow-capped mountains, rain forests and the Pacific coast, the city of Vancouver prides itself as one of the most liveable places on Earth. In this blog post, I share my experience of this great city and nearby attractions in the Canadian Province of British Columbia.
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| Vancouver |
For most visitors to Vancouver, the point of arrival will be the award-winning Vancouver International Airport (YVR). Take some time to look around and admire the artworks, many of them made by Native American artists. The airport is located on a small island South of Downtown Vancouver and has good connections with the city including a train station. From the airport station, you can hop on the metro train which is called the “Sky train” presumably because the trainline makes its way through the city on elevated tracks. It was interesting to note that the train system is fully automated and driverless. In fact, Vancouver’s SkyTrain network held the record for being the world’s longest driverless metro system until it was surpassed by Singapore’s.
Downtown Vancouver is a relatively small core situated on a peninsula. The limits of the City of Vancouver is much larger and includes many other neighbourhoods but this must not be confused with Vancouver Island which is a huge island 100km West of Downtown Vancouver that includes the city of Victoria, capital of British Columbia.
From the airport, I rented a car for the trip because the plan was to begin my adventure from the famous resort town of Whistler, 125 km North of Vancouver. Whistler was not really the point of interest for me but just a stopover for the night because my flight arrived late in the evening. The roads were good but given the mountainous nature of the region, there were many sharp bends and steep slopes. For a first time driver on these roads and being after dark, it was a bit challenging but I made it in one piece!
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| Whistler Town Centre |
I arrived in Whistler around midnight and was immediately impressed by the cosy but charming town centre. I understand the town benefited immensely from being one of the host sites of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The town is also very popular with gap year students hence there were many young people in the town centre hanging around the bars and clubs. Whistler has much to offer all year round from mountain biking and hiking in the summer to skiing in the winter. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try out any of these. Definitely something for next time!
I continued on Northwards the following morning towards Pemberton. The drive during the day was more pleasant with views of pine trees on both sides of the road. Wondering where I am headed? Read on!
Joffrey Lakes Provincial Park:
I had seen breathtaking pictures of these gorgeous lakes and knew there was no way I could visit Vancouver without seeing this place. I arrived mid-morning for what would be the adventure of a lifetime!
Fortunately, there were few other tourists, being late September (the park is usually overcrowded in the summer). The weatherman had forecast some rain and I overheard a group of hikers discussing recent reports of a bear sighting nearby! Needless to say I was very unprepared for extreme weather or an encounter with a ferocious animal!
The three glacial lakes at Joffrey Provincial parks (Lower, Middle and Upper) are at different elevations with the Lower lake being the easiest to reach (within minutes from the starting point).
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| Lower Joffrey Lake |
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| Part of the hiking trail |
The next part of the hike to the middle lake is definitely the most difficult and takes approximately 2-3 hours. The trail is well marked and has different stages with varying levels of difficulty. As for the weather, it was quite cloudy initially but there was no rain.
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| How about a selfie on the way up? |
I met a group of pensioners on the way and had some pleasant small talk. Funnily, one of them commented on my lack of hiking gear. I wasn’t sure if it was that obvious that I was a novice! Anyway, I continued on ahead of them. It was quite remarkable that everyone I met on the way was nice enough to say "hello".
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| Arriving to a misty view of Middle Joffrey Lake |
The view on the way up was great but nothing compared to the view at the Middle lake! One word; breathtaking! I took a few moments to take in the view of the lake as the mist disappeared. The sunshine reflecting off the lake accentuated the exquisite blue colour and made ideal conditions for landscape photography. This was easily one of the most memorable moments of my travel adventures all year!
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Joffrey Waterfall
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After recovering from the mesmerising view of the Middle lake and taking tonnes of photographs, I continued on to the Upper lake. The trail was not as daunting as the previous and there were more beautiful sites on the way, including a cascading waterfall.
The hike took less than an hour and while the view was also beautiful, this was nothing compared with the Middle Lake.
By this time, the weather had taken a turn for the worse and it seemed the weather forecasters were right-it started to drizzle! With no rain proof jacket or place to hide, I continued on the trip back down. While this was obviously easier than the hike up, it was more treacherous because of the muddy slopes.
I made it back down without any major issues apart from my battered knees but I have no regrets and I know I will definitely be back to do this again!
Useful tips for visiting Joffrey Lakes Provincial Park:
- Arrive early particularly if visiting during peak season. Parking spaces are limited and parking along the road is strictly prohibited.
- No specialist hiking equipment is required but come prepared and carry a waterproof jacket, raincoat or anything else to keep dry!
- Consider taking an insect repellent along. I hear they can be a nuisance in the summer.
Watch out for the concluding part of my British Columbian adventure on my next blog post!
I had seen breathtaking pictures of these gorgeous lakes and knew there was no way I could visit Vancouver without seeing this place. I arrived mid-morning for what would be the adventure of a lifetime! 
Fortunately, there were few other tourists, being late September (the park is usually overcrowded in the summer). The weatherman had forecast some rain and I overheard a group of hikers discussing recent reports of a bear sighting nearby! Needless to say I was very unprepared for extreme weather or an encounter with a ferocious animal! 
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