Darkside Lake: The Dark Side of the Duffey

Gili probably had this hike on his bucket list for quite some time and finally it was an appropriate weekend to go. But only as we started driving I realized how far we’d have to drive to get to the trailhead. I guess Gili kept that fact hidden behind “it’s a short easy hike”. We also didn’t get an early start even though for the first time our backpacks were packed and ready to go a day ahead of time. Driving out of Vancouver was brutal and the Sea to Sky had numerous accidents along the way including one involving a bike unfortunately.

As we were getting close to Whistler we noticed signs about an Iron Man competition the next day, not good news for us and our drive back but we decided to worry about it when the time comes, meaning the next day which seemed far away into the future anyway. We stopped in Whistler for a picnic lunch and for everyone to burn off some energy either by crawling, or running. Then we managed to push through but on the logging road we discovered we wouldn’t be able to make it all the way to the trailhead which added a few extra kilometers into our not so long hike.

Neil who had just woken up before we started hiking was dragging his feet on the logging road. He was hungry and still tired and needed multiple breaks. Since we only started hiking at 5pm it wasn’t a good sign. Luckily once we entered the forest, the hike became more interesting especially once we hit the boulder field and our progress increased dramatically. Finally we were moving at a good pace.

Indeed the hike was not long and we arrived to the lake in time for dinner. By then our troops were very hungry and very tired. Just above the lake there was a nice looking hut. At first we intended to camp but we didn’t find an appropriate flat spot to pitch our tent. Since it was so late and no one else was there we decided we’d spend the night in the hut.

Of course, as we were having dinner three guys and a dog appeared. This wasn’t good for our plans to spend the night in the hut by ourselves but they seemed as excited to spend the night at the hut with two kids as we were excited about them sleeping there. They brought a tent which they soon discovered was too small for them, but one guy was creative enough to make a shelter for himself using a tarp. They sort of found a flat area by the lake which was big enough for their tent.

The night at the hut was very cozy and we all slept well despite the mice and perhaps rats we heard running inside the walls and downstairs… We woke up to a nice day and we had breakfast outside. Then I spent a bit of time with Kai inside the hut since the bugs were out. He seemed to enjoy peeking out of the window which was just his height. After our mosquito incident in Wells Grey a few weeks before we had both kids protected with bug shirts, but still Kai managed to get seriously bitten on this trip as well.

We spent some time by the lake and then started our hike back which was uneventful, and we made it back to the car around 2pm. The drive along the Duffey is beautiful but it was a bit ridiculous to see the overflowing parking lots by Joffre Lakes after we were almost completely by ourselves just a few valleys over, on the dark side. 

We also noticed the new look of Joffre Peak after the big  landslide in May, something I had somehow completely missed out on and only discovered recently when I suggested to Gili that we’d hike to Keith Hut sometime and he looked at me like I was crazy before explaining that it’s going to be out of reach for a long time.

Kai fell asleep immediately so we didn’t want to stop even though we reached Whistler and the road closures due to the Iron Man. A few detours later we were back on the highway and by then both kids were asleep. We pushed through to West Vancouver and went over immediately to an Indian Restaurant we like. Then we spent more than an hour at John Lawson Park, a park we discovered last year on yet another long drive back. Both kids really enjoyed the park so a few weeks later we even went back there, this time by bike.

The traffic towards the bridge was still moving slowly, but I guess this is how it is on sunny mid-summer weekends. Despite the long drive, the traffic, the Iron Man and such, it was still great to get out of the city and discover a new place, a great hike and an awesome hut.