Whistler Hikes: Harmony Lake and Alpine Loop

We spent last weekend in Whistler, with our friends JB and M. Sam was excited to go out of the United States for the first time in his life. The weather was beautiful and we got to enjoy some hiking and outdoor activities. On Saturday, we rode the lift up Whistler Mountain and hiked to Harmony Lake. The trail was covered with patches of snow and mud in a few areas, but otherwise it was clear.

Sam on the gondola ride up the mountain

Sam was a pretty cheerful hiker, for the most part. He was a real trooper over the weekend, for the most part.

 Harmony Lake with waterfall in the background. I loved the reflection of the snow and gray rocks on the clear water.

This is the beautiful view just outside Harmony Lake. I took this shot as we were heading back to the lift area.

We then took the Peak 2 Peak gondola ride between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. The Alpine Loop was an quite different from the Harmony Lake hike. Harmony Lake was nestled further back in the mountain, on a relatively wide trail. In contrast, the Alpine Loop went along the slope of the mountain, on a trail that was covered with large rocks and boulders. We didn't get to follow the full loop on this trail though; the trail was closed about halfway through due to snow and mud. It seems like it would be optimal to do both of these hikes in later July or August, to ensure that the trail is totally clear.

Sam did fine on both of the hikes. He needed a little help going up a few steep areas and in crossing the boulders and patches of snow, but he did a great job.

 

After hiking and resting for a minute in the lodge, we rode the open chair lift back down Blackcomb Mountain. We saw a black bear with her little cub almost directly underneath our lift at one point, which was fun.