Sept 13th, 2020: Screaming Cat and Iceberg Lake

Type of hike: Loop

Time (approx): 6 hours 40 mins

Distance: Around 21.6km

Hello, and welcome to one of the lesser-known trails in Whistler!

The Hike

The trailhead for this is north from Whistler, near Meadow Park. It is right at the cul-de-sac on Mountain View Dr and parking spaces are very limited due to the residential areas nearby. If you cannot find space, it is recommended to park at the lots at Meadow Park instead of risking it because your car could get towed.

I started quite early at around 7:30am and there were still plenty of parking spots. Of course, that could also be due to the blanket of smoke still heavy in the air from the fires in California. Outdoor activities were not recommended but I had already booked for the weekend in Whistler and I did not want it to go to waste.

The first 15 minutes or so is a bit tricky because there are many paths all leading in the same direction. For a trail that is not quite popular, I was pleasantly surprised to find it very well marked with both orange and sometimes written signs. I followed those instead of sticking completely to the AllTrails map. After crossing a gravel road for service vehicles, the forest part of this trail began.

Many of the reviews stated it was easier to do the loop clockwise instead of anti-clockwise as the map suggested, so I took their advice. I was also told by the hotel concierge that the first part of this trail is quite boring so I prepared in advance an audiobook to keep me company.

The trail was quite well-maintained and enjoyable to walk through. Not too many cobwebs and not too many flies or mosquitoes (at this point anyways). It was very quiet as well. There were a couple switchbacks here and there but nothing that required a lot of effort. The elevation gain was steady, not out of the blue. The 19 mile creek also runs almost parallel to this section of the trail (aptly named 19 mile creek trail).

The forest section of the trail lasted about 2 hours (more or less, could not really remember), and then the meadows appeared. The smoke had turned the sky an ash colour, and the sun was simply a bright red dot. The air even smelled faintly of smoke.

Everything felt a bit surreal, like I couldn't really believe it was only 10am given how eerie it looked. I found it rather hauntingly beautiful however, though the circumstances that made it so was unfortunate.

Just before Iceberg Lake, there was a bit of scramble, but again not challenging at all. The markers were still very easy to find but I did not end up following it 100% because this section crosses over the 19 mile creek and the water made the rocks slippery and the dirt path muddy. It was safer to pick my own path.

Iceberg Lake was not very big but it was super cool to see so many chunks of ice floating in it. The water was a beautiful glacial teal/turquoise colour.

Right after Iceberg Lake came a series of switchbacks that were quite steep. 19 mile creek trail connected to Skywalk North trail. This was the last elevation of the hike; everything after Screaming Cat Lake was downhill. Most of the trail to Screaming Cat was out in the open but there were some trees here and there, and I noticed a lot of cobwebs in those parts.

There are a few smaller unnamed lakes on the way; here is one of them:

I believe Screaming Cat Lake was named so because of how it looked from an aerial view (or at least on the AllTrails map). It did sort of looked like a cat with a very bushy tail. In reality though, it simply looked like a regular lake to me. Since I was the only one there, it was very calm, quiet and peaceful.

As the lake is quite long, here are some photos from different vantage points (I really liked how it had islands of trees and grass in the lake itself; made it look very picturesque):

This is view of the lake from the cat's 'head':

And this is from right in the middle of the cat's 'body' (the trees right in the centre was a pretty neat idea, whether it was placed intentionally or not):

The trail plunged back into the forest after Screaming Cat lake, and was very similar to the first part of this hike, except it was downhill. The reviews said going downhill on the Skywalk North trail would be better on the joints and knees instead of the 19 mile creek trail (hence why they recommended going clock-wise) but in my opinion, I think both were equally about the same. There were also a series of switchbacks on Skywalk North as I got closer to the end of the hike, and I definitely felt it in my knees afterwards.

One thing I noticed was the huge amounts of red berries on the last part of the Skywalk North, which signaled to me this was definitely bear territory. The sheer amount of berries reassured me bears were not around though because the berries would be gone if they were. I could be wrong, but at least in the moment, I felt a bit safer.

What I brought:

1. Bug spray. I would say there is a good amount of mosquitoes and bugs on this trail but not enough for it to be downright annoying.

2. Bear spray. As mentioned, the berries are a huge sign. Luckily, since it was already so late in the season, I did not bump into any bears. All hikers should have this with them at all times regardless.

3. Bear bell. This trail is very quiet so the bear bell can help cut through the silence if you are not used to it.

4. Hydration pack. Unsurprisingly, 3L was not enough because of how dry the air was due to the smoke.

5. Lots of snacks.

6. Wet wipes

7. Band-aids. Always good to be prepared even though I didn't need it.

8. Portable charger.

9. Lip balm and eye drops.

10. Ziploc bag to pack trash out.

11. TP. No outhouses on this trail.

Overall thought:

I do not quite agree with the reviews saying clockwise is better on the joints because I think my knee caps would have still felt sore if I went the other way. The elevation was similar on both the 19 mile creek trail and Skywalk North trail so it really depends on whether you want to see Iceberg Lake first or Screaming Cat Lake. The latter allows for swimming so going anti-clockwise might actually be better if that is what you are looking for.

I would like to do this trail again next year with clear skies. The smoke in the air definitely took away from the whole experience a bit, but I am glad I still went. It always amazes me to see chunks of ice or glaciers still standing in the summer heat. Also, it is not often I get to see ice up close like this. Definitely a bonus.

Screaming Cat Lake is just like any other lakes in my opinion, nothing particularly stood out to me. I wish there was a cliff somewhere I could climb to see the cat shape from above.