west side, and the BC Rail line charts a careful course between them. Although less than half as long as nearby Squamish Valley, Paradise has a quiet beauty all its own.
Take the right-hand road north from the bridge at Cheekye and you will be traveling on Paradise Valley Road. Paved for much of its 11.3-km (7-mi) length, the road is level—making for easy cycling, at least until you reach the Pemberton Trail. Along the way are several good picnic and fishing spots on the banks of the Cheakamus River, where fishing is strictly catch-and-release. The historic Pemberton Trail, now used as a hiking and biking trail through the Cheakamus Canyon, takes over where the road ends.
About 2 km (1.2 mi) beyond Cheekye, you pass an ecological reserve to the west and, across the road, the North Vancouver Outdoor School, where students study the environment. (The school’s conference center is available for use by other groups in summer; 604-980 -5116; www.nvsd44.bc.ca) The land on which the school stands was homesteaded by Jim Levette, who named Paradise Valley and gave his own name to a nearby lake. Several old fruit trees from his orchard still flourish on the school’s grounds. Evidence of the Pemberton Trail can be seen on the scree slope nearby.
Directly across the road from the school, a road leads up to Evans and Levette lakes. Evans is a private lake, but Levette has a public— albeit small—side to it. A 4-km (2.5-mi) road leads past Evans to Levette. Although paved as far as Evans, the road past that can be rough and muddy at times, but is graveled as it climbs towards Levette. Many visitors opt to leave their vehicles at the pullout near Evans Lake and continue on foot. The 11-km (6.8 -mi) Skyline/ Levette Lake Loop intermediate hiking trail leads uphill from here, at first following the road, then branching through the forest. A detailed trail map is prominently displayed. Conditions at points along this trail have deteriorated to where caution is strongly advised. Decide for yourself whether the trail’s excellent views of Tantalus, Diamond Head, and Squamish Valley are worth the risk.
If you opt to drive to Levette Lake, bear right until confronted by a deep ditch, which some drivers consider a personal challenge to navigate; others opt to park and walk the remaining few meters. On the far side of the ditch, a boulder-strewn road leads uphill on the right to Hut Lake, a 90 -minute hike one way.
Levette Lake has an open spot for picnicking and swimming at a Forest Service recreation site that has seen better times. There are primitive campsites beside the lake and an outhouse nearby. But a lack of garbage containers (and a general disregard for the principles of no-impact camping) contributes to the trashiness of what was once a pretty little campground. Views of Omega Mountain to the west, hidden by the forest at lakeside, greet those who make the effort to get out on the water.
Just beyond the North Vancouver Outdoor School, Paradise Valley Road crosses the Cheakamus River, then Midnight Way. Local rafting companies as well as anglers launch or cast from the easily accessible riverside beside the bridge. (Midnight Way is named after the Midnight family, who homesteaded here). From here it’s possible to drive north for another 7 km (4.3 mi), but the road narrows and becomes quite rough for the last stretch. If in doubt, park beside the BC Hydro tower and walk beside the Cheakamus. The river is frigid even in the dog days of August, which is the best time to spread out on a sun-drenched gravel bar; whitewater kayakers favor this location as a put-in spot.
As it flows through Paradise Valley, the Cheakamus River is a clear emerald color dotted with stretches of whitewater. Water levels in the river are controlled by a BC Hydro dam farther upstream on Daisy Lake, near Whistler. By agreement, an even flow is supposedly guaranteed for the health of fish stocks in the river (a debatable point with local anglers). There’s good freshwater action on the Cheakamus River almost year-round, though it’s strictly catch-and-release, as is all fishing on rivers and creeks in the Squamish region. Anglers cast from the banks of the Cheakamus for coho salmon in October and November, for steelhead from late February to April, and for Dolly Varden char anytime. Best access to the banks is from the north end of Paradise Valley Road.
> THE PEMBERTON TRAIL
Access: 11.3 km (7 mi) north of Cheekye. The Cheakamus Canyon section of the trail from the north end of Paradise Valley Road to Highway 99 is about 5 km (3.1 mi) one way. Ability Level: Intermediate
The rock walls on each side of the Cheakamus River close in at the north end of Paradise Valley. From here the old Pemberton Trail once led travelers up one of the valley’s steepest sections, where traces of the route are still evident. Most cyclists find that the rocky road climbs here too steeply for them to maintain traction for long. You’ll have to dismount and push for much of the way until you reach the BC Rail tracks. From here the going is much better heading north. You can also get some good views of the Cheakamus Canyon if you walk along the trail to where it intersects with the railway. Cross the tracks to pick up the trail again. Follow along for another 15 minutes and you’ll find that even better views present themselves just north of Starvation Lake (a much prettier lake than its name suggests).
Hut, Levette, and Evans lakes lie hidden across the valley, screened from view by rolling ridges. The Tantalus Range is to the west, with Omega Mountain most prominent. Basalt rock formations beside the railway tracks remind visitors of the volcanic heritage of the region. Another good view of the canyon occurs just as more of the Tantalus peaks begin to appear. The long stretch of river that is now visible below is a jade-green color that instantly turns to white froth when the river drops and encounters one of the numerous boulder gardens. The best view of all is to be had here. And even though the tracks and trail are perched high above the canyon, the ground trembles from the force of the Cheakamus as it splits into two cascading waterfalls.
Follow the Pemberton Trail north until it meets Highway 99 and you will have covered one of the most well-preserved sections of the historic route. This is also the opening segment of the epic Cheakamus Challenge mountain bike race held in September between Brackendale and Whistler (www.cheakamuschallenge.ca).
> BEST BEAK SPOTTING
NO MATTER what time of year you adventure here, Brackendale’s Art Gallery Theatre Teahouse, just north of Depot Road, makes a good stop to learn more about bald eagles (41950 Government Road; 604-898-3333; www.brackendaleartgallery.com). Open weekends and holidays from noon to 10 pm, this birders’ hot spot hosts a variety of artistic, musical, and dramatic productions and serves up steaming bowls of soup—perfect on a frosty morning. Sculptor Thor Froslev, who began building this sprawling space in 1969, is also responsible for publicizing Brackendale as the winter home of the bald eagle and helping to develop the park. The dramatic wooden signs on Highway 99, dominated by the profile of an eagle, are his creation.
> THE INSIDE TRACK
> Camping: Squamish Valley Campground (16.5 Mile Squamish Valley Road; 604-898-1145; www.campsquamish.com); Paradise Valley Campground (Paradise Valley Road; 1-800 -922-1486 or 604-898-1486; www.paradisevalleycampground.net)
> Flightseeing: Black Tusk Helicopter (Squamish Municipal Airport, 46041 Government Road; 604-898-4800; www.blacktuskhelicopter.com)
> Kayaking: The Sea to Sky Kayaking School in North Vancouver conducts tours of the Cheakamus River and other whitewater sources around Squamish (604-898-5498; www.squamishkayak.com).
> Rock Climbing: Slipstream Rock and Ice (5010 Paradise Valley Road; 1-800 -616 -1325 or 604-898-4891;
