Mountain Hiking Trails South Western and Okanagan regions British Columbia, Canada

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Whistler Mountain Trails- Brew Lake

Brew Lake: Elevation 1420 meters (4623 feet)

Approximately 110 KM (68 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. Hiking time round trip- 7 to 7.5 hrs. Round trip roughly 13 KM (8.1 miles), elevation gain-1020 meters (3,335 feet). Best time is usually late July to October. Note: Part of this trail will involve trespassing on the CNR right of way. Hopefully CNR is as hiker friendly as the original owners (BC Rail) were. Checking the web shows the track route is still being used and an attempt is being made to find an alternate route that bypasses the tracks. Wasn't able to determine if there is now an alternate route.

Directions: From Vancouver drive north on highway 99. Using the traffic lights at Cleveland Avenue on highway 97 in Squamish as 0KM drive north 41KM (25.5 miles) towards Whistler. Here the highway crosses the CNR tracks. Just after the railway tracks turn right (east) into the Brandywine Falls Provincial Park parking area and park. Walk back to the tracks, turn right (south) and follow the tracks south. The track line is wide but watch for trains. After roughly 25 minutes the tracks make a sharp turn to the west, go under the power lines and then turn back to head south. Watch for a stone marker pile beside the tracks marking where the trail starts and heads west which should show up shortly after these track turns. There may also be a flag and/or a post up the bank with a sign. Watch for these markers as it is easy to walk by them.

The trail was well marked with a variety of markers but sometimes they can be hard to spot. There are some rocky old slide areas to scramble up and the trail here can be hard to follow. Watch for rock markers or cairns or the resumption of the trail on the far side. Stay on the trail, this is not a good area to get lost in. Some of the rocky climbs are quite steep, be prepared to do some scrambling. On the way the trail provides scenic views of the Black Tusk area across the valley. Shortly before the lake the trail passes through an alpine meadow followed by a final climb to the lake. The lake which is in a bowl and the surrounding area are very scenic. The photographs below show parts of the trail and the lake as it was in September 1995.


Brew Lake 1995/09

Part way up the trail, view looking east over the valley, Brew Lake 1995-09. One of several rocky slides to scramble up, Brew Lake 1995-09. Looking east at Black Tusk in the distance, Brew Lake 1995-09.
Another rocky area to scramble through, Brew Lake 1995-09. The trail swings around several rocky outcrops, Brew Lake 1995-09. Following the trail past some rocky outcrops, Brew Lake 1995-09.
Getting close to the lake and a final climb, Brew Lake 1995-09. End of the climb, looking down into the bowl with the lake, Brew Lake 1995-09. Looking across the lake, Brew Lake 1995-09.


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