Wedgemount

Let me start by saying that this hike was a lot harder than I was expecting it to be. This is NOT a beginner hike. It is one of the most difficult trails around, (with an elevation gain of 1160 meters in only 7km, for a 14km round trip,) and requires crawling over roots and boulders at very steep inclines.

If you don't have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, don't try to make it to the parking lot. There is one steep section on the dirt road covered in deep potholes which will destroy a small car. It should be fairly obvious when you reach this section, as there will likely be a line of cars parked on the sides of the road.

About 30 minutes in to the hike, you come across a beautiful set of bridges across Wedge Creek. We stopped here for lunch, and it's probably a good thing we did, because from this point on the mosquitoes and black flies became almost unbearable. (Bug spray was no help at all!)

If you are low on water, be sure to fill up here. The creek does run parallel to the trail for basically the entire hike, but you won't see it again or have any access to water until you reach the lake.

The trail's steep incline is unrelenting. After a couple hours, we asked passing hikers how much further it was to the top and were told we weren't even a third of the way there. Ugh.

Just when it seems like there can't possibly be any more mountain left to climb, you will reach a large landslide which marks approximately the half-way point. I wish I could say the trail flattens out here as you approach the lake, but unfortunately the worst is yet to come!





Not far from this point, Wedge falls comes in to view. It's too bad the trail does not offer a better viewpoint or get any closer to it, as the 300m waterfall is quite spectacular. You also get a heartwrenching smack of reality as you realize that the lake you are trying to reach is both higher and farther away than the falls you are craning you neck to look up at.

Follow the trail through some more incredibly steep inclines, and eventually you will reach daylight again. Here, the trees become smaller and the terrain has a more "alpine" look. You also get a good view of the torturous last leg of your climb; scrambling over rocks up an old avalanche chute.

If you need to put sunscreen on, do it now, as from this point on the there are no more trees on the route to offer you shade.

There is good news though.... once you pass over this massive hurdle, you finally get to see the reason you are here, and it is nothing short of breathtaking.

Welcome to Wedgemount Lake!



If you are over-nighting, there are a bunch of campsites up high near the BC Mountaineering Club's cabin, as well as a bunch right down on the lake shore. I would definitely recommend camping close to the water to fully take in the beauty of where you are.






Make sure to bring lots of warm clothes. Even on the hottest summer days, it gets extremely cold on the mountain at night.

There is a year-round outhouse up high by the cabin sites, and a temporary one by the water that is flown in just for the summer season.
There is no bear cache, and no garbage. Remember the golden rule of hiking and pack out what you pack in. "Take only pictures; leave only footprints."

From the campsite, it's only a short 15 or 20 minute walk up to the glacier. It is definitely worth this extra effort, even if your feet and muscles disagree.

The compacted ice is extremely slippery, so be careful not to slip. Also be careful of crevasses and cornices which could break off under your feet. Never enter a cave below unstable ice!




Watch for marmots back at the campsite. They will try to steal your food when you are not looking! Since there are no bear caches provided or trees to hang food from, many hikers create mini-caches by hanging their food bags from hiking poles. Even getting it two feet off the ground will keep your food safe from little critters during the night.

The hike down is almost as grueling as the hike in. Make sure you bring plenty of water and watch your step. You are far more likely to blow an ankle while descending at fast speeds than you are while going steadily uphill.


In total, it took us about 10 hours to complete this hike, not including the excursion to the glacier. Going up was nearly 6 hours, and coming down was about 4. (It probably didn't help that the temperatures were so high the day we went.... I found a news article after I got home that announced record-setting temperatures for the area; hitting a high of 36.7 degrees at the exact time we were trudging 1160m up a mountain with overnight packs on. The amount of sweat was unbelievable!)



We are not fast hikers, so I'm sure someone in better shape could do it in a much shorter amount of time, but you should make sure you give yourself enough time to complete this hike before dark.

This lake has a very short hiking season of July, August, and early September. Any other time of year, you are likely to encounter snow and very cold temperatures.

Take lots of food, lots of water, and lots of pictures! Enjoy your adventure!!


~ Adventure Girl