Halver-Lungren (aka: Swan Falls Loop) at Buntzen – Nov 11, 2002

Wet and Wild – living on the Wetcoast means some outings are warm, sunny and dry while others are you guessed it………. cool, overcast and soaking wet. Today was guaranteed to be the latter. The posse: Bruce, Stef, Dave (in shorts all day!!), Kronos and yours truly knew the weather forecast, so geared up……… the rest awaits you.

One of the most exciting parts of this hike for me is the ‘possibility’ of seeing Coquitlam Lake (it’s one of our watersheds, therefore off limits to the public). In addition there are supposed to be amazing vistas of Indian Arm, the Lower mainland, etc. I’ve been on this hike 3X, completed it twice, turned back once due to snow near the top (whiteout conditions and heavy snowfall) and have seen Coq Lake for ~ 45 seconds, a quick break in the fog and rain revealed some of this very large lake and rugged surrounding area.

Getting geared up in the parking lot preparing for monsoon conditions, and here’s Dave in his shorts. On our way… a mellow walk along the hydro road just past the north beach. An old structure at the trailhead allows us to layer down preparing for the accent. Bruce decides it’s a great time for snack and pulls out a bag of two bite Macaroons. Not thinking with our heads but with our mouths we enjoy a few tasty treats.

The accent is continuous climb with a few SHORT breathers all the way to the top. Swan Falls at it’s finest, within earshot and a great view after ~25 min of hiking. The moss, vegetation, trees, shrubs etc look sooo green, soaking up all that mother nature has to offer.

Pit zips open, hats off, as the accent continues, the trail resembles a marsh, a lake and a small running creek in places. Thank God for Gore-Tex boots! Nearing the top, we get to the snowline which makes for a change of scenery, from lush green to completely white, foggy and raining, oh joy?

Triangulation Point where I’ve heard there are great views is just another sign, the only thing we’re viewing is clouds and the slippery ground. Take shelter (somewhat) under big old Cedar tree for a quick lunch then back to the trail. Onward…. we arrive at the Lake District believe it or not, Bruce and Dave are standing right at the edge of the lake, it was foggy-dog out today. Another fuel and photo stop: the trail is a raging creek, Stefano is sitting on the end of a log right in the middle of the creek while I’m taking photos of the same log and creek running beside it. Why did we take a break here? Why not….

At one point within the Lake District, we started trail running and had been at it for 10 min and a family we passed earlier ended up in front of us….. you have just entered the Twilight Zone……… turns out, there are about 3 loops within the Lake District and we missed a turn. Signage is a little confusing but we finally made our way back to the truck going on dusk.

Life’s one road trip after another…..

Posse: Kronos, Dave, Bruce, Chris & Stef
Pics & Words: Chris