The Sea to Sky Summit isn't your average running-shoe, gravel path hiking trail... get ready to SWEAT.
I wouldn't consider myself a 'hiker.' Such a title is earned through actively scoping out trails on the weekends, rocking the adventure outfit with proper boots, preparing for the worst with bear spray (never met her), and extra food and water, you know, so you don't die.
All of these things I learned at the Sea to Sky Summit in Squamish, B.C.
If I had spent a little more time reading the website, and actually considering what is so-called 'advanced' in B.C. versus Ontario, my partner Rocco and I probably would've skipped this one and went to brunch instead. In my mind, 3-5 hours seems like a breeze, we walk a lot when we travel, we can do this. We'll simply stroll to the top and take the gondola down, it'll be an adventure! At least I was right about one thing.
But let's be real, even if a warning pop-up invaded my screen saying "THIS IS AN ADVANCED TRAIL, USE AT OWN RISK" I'd be like "Nah, we can do this, how hard could it be?"
Some trails I've 'conquered' in Ontario
Name | Distance | Duration | Elevation Gain |
Hilton Falls | 4 km | 1 hour | 52 m |
Lions Head Lookout | 6.8 km | 1.5 - 2 hours | 147 m |
Minnow Lake Trail | 4.3 km | 1h 10 min | 111m |
Versus the Sea to Sky pathway to death. The numbers speak for themselves.
Sea to Sky | 6.5 km one way | 3 - 5 hours | 918 m |
My goal for this post is not discourage you from trying the Sea to Sky hike, this is a challenge, and as long as you think like a hiker and pack like a hiker you'll be fine, I promise. I want to reiterate that the trails we Torontonians like to call "hiking" are nothing compared to those in beautiful British Columbia.
However, this is your warning. For the gym goers, think of this trail as part step climber, part pull-up machine. Literally using your upper body strength to pull yourself over huge boulders so you don't fall off the cliff. I'm talking 90 degree climbs. You reach a point, where your lungs are burning, your legs are shaking and you see the 1/3 of the way sign and you think: Can I do this? Is this worth it? Is it too late to turn back?
TIP #1: Make sure you follow the marked signs, when there's a picture of the gondola and an arrow, follow the arrow. It sounds extremely simple, but we got lost along the way.
From the beginning of the trail, be prepared to climb full vertical. Sometimes on stairs, sometimes climbing over rocks and fallen trees. There are no shortcuts, only up. At times, we had to stop and catch our breath. We met people along the way skipping ahead of us (easy there endurance king) and other newbies who were matching our gasping breaths and sharing raised-eyebrow looks of 'are we there yet?'
The Big Mistake
Somewhere along the way, we lost track of the markers and just started following our fellow newbies. Thus began our journey to The Stawamus Chief trail at marker 20.. unknowingly. We stopped for a banana and a joint at this incredible view on top of a rock after climbing vigorously for an hour. We were out of breath, but hey, we're probably about halfway there, let's relax and take the rest of the hike in grace. I don't think I've been more wrong in my life.
We get to a section of the trail where there's these metal chains bolted to the rock, and the only way is to go up. Rocco and I looked at each other with confused expressions. This can't be safe for people. We're wearing Adidas running shoes and regular t-shirt and shorts, no handout rock climbing gear? I was half-expecting a park ranger to pop out asking if we needed help, (my silly little city brain) but nope, we were on our own to navigate the chains up the rock.
Somehow, some way, we managed to keep the momentum going, feet slipping, gripping that chain like it's our lifeline. Which it was, if you let go, you'll fall into the abyss of trees. At one point you had to swing your body over this giant boulder, trying to find stable footing and grabbing the next chain. Terrifying stuff.
But that wasn't the end, we had to cross another (flat ground at least) sliver of a trail with these chains guiding us, then up a metal ladder (full vertical), into a narrow gorge where your shoes got stuck and then solid rock, with no handrails, trees or anything to prop yourself against. The group in front of us were sharing the same life-threatening thoughts, looking back with a face of 'Am I going to die?'
TIP #2: If you're going to hike, go out and buy yourself some solid boots. Real hiking boots that protect your ankles, don't slip in mud, and can easily grip the rock beneath you. Like any hobby, equipment matters.
We later found out, we went up the wrong mountain. 'The Chief, peak two.' It truly was an amazing view. The fog was clearing and we had tons of fun posing on the rock and waving to the other hikers miles away.
And then I saw the gondola, directly in front of us on another mountain.
"Babe?" I said, hitting Rocco to look where I'm pointing. "I think we climbed the wrong mountain."
People in Vancouver are such gentle and friendly humans. We quickly asked a group of hikers (happily climbing the rocks with ease I might add!) where the hell we were and they politely said we missed the sign to get to the Sea to Sky Trail. "It's about a 40 min walk back down and then the trail is another 3-4 hours, so it's going to be another 5 hours mate, sorry about that." How the hell are we going to do this climb down the chains again?? I seriously questioned my life decisions. We had barely any food left and our water was almost out. The odds were not in our favour.
A quick look at everything we brought for 'survival'
1 Water Bottle
2 Bananas
A Bag of Trail Mix
3 Joints
A lighter that barely worked
2 Digital cameras
1 Film Camera
2 Sweaters
Phones
It was a long way down. It was definitely a lot easier coming down after the chained area, but we were muddy and exhausted. By the time we got all the way down to the gondola sign, we had to make a decision, do we just turn back to the parking lot? Or do we start over and just go for it? We may not have good sense, or packing skills, or practical survival skills for that matter, but Torontonians have good will power. We came for the gondola, and dammit, we will get to the gondola! We told another hiker of our situation and she literally said, don't do it. I believe her exact words are, "Last time I went, I got lost and then puked from exhaustion." Who doesn't love a little danger?
There's a lot of spotty memories on this trail. Hearing nothing but my heavy breathing, and heart pumping, telling myself "just one foot in front of the other." The dehydration really got us good. We were hungry but didn't want to eat our salty trail mix that would make us more thirsty. I jokingly almost put my head under a rock that was slowly letting out drops of water, but the algae deterred me. The more we wandered through the forests, the more I felt a sense of pride - I was really proud of us. I didn't even know I had this strength to pull my body up, never mind over sharp rocks and trees, I still can't do a single pull up at the gym. My legs were on fire, but I was getting used to the traction and my pounding heart mostly blocked out the pain from my knees. We were silently hoping for a miracle and thankfully, we passed by the first person on this trail with their dog. Yep. This trail is no challenge for a dog I guess! We asked her if the water was safe to drink from the stream and she said yes, in fact, she has quenched her thirst from the falls plenty of times. That was enough confirmation for us! We walked over to the gushing water and sat down on this large rock, leaning over the falls to fill our water bottle like the tiny adventurers we are.
TIP #3: Make sure you pack enough food and water for your trip. We went hiking again with some friends and they packed breakfast and lunch sandwiches, plus granola bars and 2 jugs of water.
We were feeling good. Look at us! Doing hiking things! Being one with nature! The food and water really helped with a second wave of energy and we set off again. About an hour later, we ran into a park ranger in her jeep with bright enthusiasm, "How're you two doing?!"
We must have looked like we're dying, sweat stuck hair, muddy legs and muddier shoes, scratches and dried blood on our hands and legs, and the face that says: JUST END IT ALL. But we have no energy to actually say that. We explained our mistake and she showed us the shortcut trail so we can avoid anymore extensive climbing. It was a longer winding road that looped back and forth to the top, but it was also flat ground. We happily agreed.
We ran into a few more hiccups along the way, but at this point, there's no stopping. I was joking that we'd have to get 'rescue-copptered' out of here, but Rocco was determined to get to the end. We were interrupted by a quail who hissed at us because her kiddos were crossing the road. Rocco also saw a bear in the distance, so we picked up rocks and walked quickly by the area.* After a few more scenic spots, the light between the trees opened up and we found the gondola. It felt like we hadn't seen civilization in days! We actually made it! And yes, the view is WORTH IT! There was quite a few people, all dressed up, sweat free, taking photos on the suspension bridge and eating snacks, while we sat there amazed at our journey and satisfied by the snow-peaked mountains.
The gondola down was amazing. The mountain views are just unmatched in B.C., the views really are worth the climb. Thinking back, I don't regret the hiking or getting lost. There's a certain state of happiness and satisfaction when you challenge yourself and step outside your comfort zone. If you're planning a trip to B.C., I 100% recommend this hike. Face the challenge, and get lost in the beauty of nature. Pain is always temporary.
Vancouverites, you sure know how to hike!
*When Rocco mentioned he just saw a bear up ahead I was freaking out. With our luck, we'd totally get mulled by a bear on this crazy-ass trail before reaching the end. I watched a video a few months ago where this hiker got all big like a bear, and yelled a lot, but I had nothing to confirm that was the thing to do when seeing said bear. I actually tried to google what to do, but I had no service. So we decided to pick up a big rock each. If I had to use the rock, I'd throw it towards the bear to try and scare it away. Rocco said he'd "bash its head in," whatever that means. We are both wrong, here's what to do if you encounter a bear while hiking.