of mist from the falls and shade from some impressive large trees provides the perfect tonic, especially if you climb the stairs leading off to the left just before the main viewing spot to a higher vantage point at the base of the falls where fewer visitors venture. A breeze stirred by tons of falling water whips the mist into billowing clouds, making this an ideal place to get a natural facial. I particularly enjoy visiting here in fall when leaves on broadleaf and vine maple trees display vibrant colors.
To combine a visit to the falls with a walk to the Stawamus Chief, take the well-marked trail that leads 2.5 km (1.5 mi) north from the parking lot along the base of Goat Ridge. It crosses a small bridge at Oleson Creek that links with the Chief’s primary hiking route.
SLITHERIN’ SAY-NOTH-KA First Nations mythology tells of a two-headed sea serpent whose expeditions wore the spillway for Shannon Creek. Indeed, the falls’ rock face does look like snakeskin.
> STAWAMUS CHIEF MOUNTAIN
Access: The main entrance to Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, along with nearby climbers’ access parking lot, lies on the east side of Highway 99 south of the Mamquam Forest Service Road intersection. Ability Level: Strenuous
The Stawamus Chief is the sentinel of the Squamish Valley. As you journey north on the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver, the sight of this 702-m (2303-ft) granite monolith comes as a relief, the signal that the highway’s sinuous twists and turns lie behind now. To appreciate its majesty, pull over for a good look from the provincial park’s roadside viewpoint on Highway 99.
To the trained eye, the mountain’s smooth-faced apron of blue-gray rock reveals dozens of vertical routes to ledges from which to take in the bigger picture. The action in the parking lot below, where climbers spread out their ropes and pitons, carabiners and camming tools, daisies and aiders, belay and rappel devices, harnesses and chalk bags and all-important gear slings, is evidence of the amount of equipment and serious preparation required to make even a basic climb of the Chief’s west face. (Information on climbing routes on the Chief and other climbs in the Squamish region can be gleaned from Kevin McLane’s The Climbers Guide to Squamish.)
From the Base: One of the easiest routes at the base of the Chief begins at the well-marked climbers’ access parking lot beside Highway 99 just north of the Chief’s more prominent viewing zone. Follow the welcoming Apron Trail that leads a short distance uphill through the forest and connects with the Grand Wall area. An easy stint of free climbing deposits you on a ledge from which most climbers begin to rope up. Even if you go no higher, you can now claim to have climbed on the Chief. Enjoy an unobstructed view of the town spread below. Unlike the monolith, which took an estimated 60 million years to assume its present shape, the transformation of Squamish’s formerly industrial waterfront seems to be occurring in the blink of an eye.
Hiking Up: If you’re more inclined to slip on a pair of lightweight hiking shoes and throw some snacks and water into a backpack, consider two alternatives to storming the walls. These routes may make you feel like you’re climbing a clandestine staircase to gain access to the turrets of a castle—especially if you begin early, before everyone else who knows the way shows up too.
There are two approaches to the Chief’s trailhead. One leads from nearby Shannon Falls Park (see above); the other begins a short distance above the Highway 99 roadside viewpoint. From Shannon Falls, signs point the way. Travel time to the Chief is 30 minutes on this well-maintained trail, the first half of which leads over level ground through an alder forest. Once it reaches the base of the mountain, the trail begins to climb beside the smooth granite rock face, which is covered in places by green lichen. A small bridge over Olesen Creek, gurgling through a cleft in the mountainside, provides a good glimpse of Howe Sound below. The Chief Peaks Trail begins across the creek.
Squamish Spit
The trailhead in Stawamus Chief Park lies beside the 63-site campground (16 vehicle and 47 walk-in sites; see www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks for details). This is where out-of-town climbers are typically ensconced. Park here. Once on foot, you’ll pass a spacious cooking shelter with picnic tables, stainless steel counters, and food lockers to help deter bears.
Pay particular attention to the cautionary signs posted at the foot of the first of a series of steep staircases. As BC Parks takes pains to point out, “This is not a ‘walk in the park.’” Also listed are recommendations to dress properly and avoid injury. Equally telling are the older markers affixed to the trees by the Federation of Mountain Clubs of B.C., which maintained the trail before the establishment of the provincial park here in 1997. They say: “To all peaks carry water.” There is little shade on much of the trail, so pack plenty of fluids.
Stawamus Chief Mountain has three summits, each one progressively higher and separated by deep clefts. At the outset, a common trail leads upwards towards all three. It then divides into two separate routes. Along the trail the handrails are smooth and well oiled from constant use. The bridge to the Shannon Falls Trail soon appears over Olesen Creek where a bench provides good views over Howe Sound and the ripples where the outflow of the Squamish River meets the tidal action. Several distinct shades of green delineate the zones of dissolution as fresh and salt water blend. This is a good place to assess how much higher you want to climb. It helps if you are as psyched as the climbers on the Chief’s smooth face.
Wood and stone stairs lead upwards beside Olesen Creek. Potholes in the creek brim with clear water. The cool sounds of the rushing water help your frame of mind on a hot day. At the junction 40 minutes beyond the bridge, the majority of hikers head for the South (or First) Summit, a 7-km (4.3-mi) round trip. There’s no loss of face in joining the relatively easier conga line to the South Summit (elevation 600 m/1969 ft), particularly if you are hiking with young children or dogs. That said, I recommend the numerous rewards—such as some modest rock climbing and a great view of a notch on the Chief’s north face—if you choose the slightly more challenging route to the modestly higher Centre (Second) and North (Third) Summits, an 11-km (6.8-mi) round trip. In fact, one of the most pleasant options, particularly if you have an extra hour’s time, is to follow the loop that links both.
No matter which summit you choose, be prepared for an unrelenting regime of up, up, and up (and the resultant knee-knackering corollary of down, down, down). Pace yourself by monitoring your breathing. Never climb so fast that you can’t breathe through your nose—the most effective way to feed your oxygen-starved muscles. This also ensures you take the time to enjoy your surroundings. Unlike the stark openness of the Chief’s apron, its hiking trails lead beneath tall stands of ramrod-straight Douglas fir. These provide shade as welcome as the steady breeze that funnels round the mountain off Howe Sound. The constant owl-like hooting of one or more male blue grouse accompanies you.
> SOUTH SUMMIT
During the entire climb, you will find yourself walking up, around, next to, and under the solid granite of the Chief. The trail is smooth and wide in most places. And the higher you climb, the more exhilarating it becomes, until, finally, near the top and above the tree-line, you reach a broad and open windswept spot. The most difficult part is now behind you; relax and contemplate the lunch menu on this final section. From here you can see Shannon Falls in profile to the south, with the ribbon of Highway 99 curving beyond until it goes out of sight past the Garibaldi viewpoint. To the north, the Squamish River cuts through the valley between Brackendale and Howe Sound. Across the water to the west are the glaciated peaks of the Tantalus Range.
Your imagination may begin to work overtime as you approach the edge of the cliffs. Thinking about the sheer
