Sept 25th, 2022: Panorama Ridge

Type of hike: Can be both loop or out and back | Time (approx): 9 hours 50 minutes

Distance: Around 28.5km | Elevation Gain: 1610m

What to expect:

1) Well maintained and easy to follow until the last km or so

2) Some parts of the trail are full of wildflowers so be prepared for bugs and mosquitoes!

3) Some scrambling towards the end, people just end up making their own trails

Some important info:

1) Two outhouses along the way

2) Shaded for the first 8kms or so, more exposed later

3) Pass by Garibaldi Lake on the way up and go through Taylor Meadows on the way back for extra views

What to bring:

1) Poles! It will definitely help on the way down the scramble

2) Bug spray

3) 2L - 3L of water

4) First aid kit in case of injuries

5) Portable charger as this is a long hike

The Hike

I am seriously obsessed with Garibaldi Provincial Park. There are definitely hikes out there I would do once and never return to, but for some reasons, I haven't gotten bored of this place yet. A few months back I went back-country camping for the first time at Taylor Meadows with my friend and her boyfriend, and we were trying to catch the sunset from Panorama Ridge (we failed to summit in time). So when an old high school friend was visiting from out of town and wanted to do the ridge, of course I had to say yes.

The first 6.5km was same as always - well maintained, straightforward, easy incline, still boring. The weather today started off a bit chillier than expected, but we both quickly warmed up as soon as we started walking. We decided to go through Taylor Meadows because it was faster than going down to Garibaldi Lake. Side note: there must have been a lot of bear activity in this area because I saw a giant sign that said no camping at Taylor Meadows from Sept 1st - Oct 31st for that reason.

At around 13km, the trail split off into two - one to Black Tusk and the other to Panorama Ridge. The first few kilometers into Panorama Ridge was pretty easy. It meandered through beautiful rolling hills and alpine meadows that were slowly turning a brilliant orange/yellow hue for fall, and we saw Mimulus Lake and Black Tusk Lake shimmering in the distance.

After passing by the lakes, there was a brief section where the trail became very flat and goes downhill for a little bit. I saw the path that leads to Helm Creek, mentally making a note to come back for that one next year for sure.

As expected, the trail started to become rocky and jagged as we began the final ascent to the top of the ridge. I was stoked to see that almost all the snow had melted, and was finally able to see the actual trail (the reason why we failed to summit a few months back was due to the snow and slush) and its markers and cairns. It was tough for my friend as she wasn't used to all the rock climbing, but she pulled through!

The top was every bit as stunning as I remembered, though this year it seemed to be more infested with flies and hungry mosquitoes than last time. We had to pick a spot with lots of wind so the flies wouldn't be able to land on us for long. In the distance loomed the famous Black Tusk, and if I squinted hard enough, I could almost make out tiny humans attempting the scramble. I can't wait to go back next year.