After Singing Creek backcountry camping trip, I was looking for more camping options. Unfortunately, all campsites that could be reserved were already booked. The only option was to go early to one of the recreation sites and try our luck with the ‘first come first serve’ campground. Cal-Cheak Recreation Site seemed attractive, given the hiking/climbing options along Sea-to-Sky Corridor.
Cal Cheak Recreation Site
We arrived at Cal Cheak Recreation Site Thursday evening and fortunately found a campsite in South Camp. It was right next to the Cheakamus River and had a picnic table. Kavya was super excited, as I had told that there was a possibility that we might have to drive back home. I walked over to Site #4 to register for our two nights stay at the campsite.
Our campsite was a short walk from our car, so we did a couple of trips to get our camping gear and bags. Soon we had our tent and hammock set up.
Kasturi and Kavya got busy with Checkers while I prepared dinner. We would camp here for two nights and make hiking/climbing trips along Sea to Sky highway.
BC’s New Day Pass System
One of the hikes we wanted to do was Peak 1 hike in Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. Due to COVID-19, BC Parks had limited the number of hikers and day pass (free) was mandatory. Visitors can hike in the morning (AM pass) or later in the afternoon (PM pass). The pass is issued every day at 6:00 am and is in high demand.
I got up early at 5:55 am, logged in to the Discover Camping site and navigated to the Day Pass page for Stawamus Chief Provincial Park. I got three passes for AM hike. Within 2 minutes, all AM passes were sold out.
We have a Guest!
Once the booking was complete, I went back to sleep. I got up around 7:00 am and started prepping for breakfast. Kasturi got up shortly. Just as she was brushing her teeth, she saw a movement in the bushes. It was a black bear. The bear was at the campsite next to us and was walking towards our campsite.
I got the bear spray out, got up on the log and yelled at the bear. “Bear, Go Away!” was the most intelligent response I could think of. Kasturi made some noise with the pot and pan I had out for breakfast. Thankfully, the bear noticed and rushed back into the bushes away from our campsite. Although we had seen bears while driving, it was our first bear encounter. All the ‘Bear Smart’ reading we had done during our last backcountry camping trip helped make this a safe experience.
Stawamus Chief Peak 1 Hike
Stawamus Chief was my first hike in BC and is one of my favourite hikes. I did it earlier this year in February during our family road trip. I was happy to do it again with Kasturi and Kavya. Around 10 am, we were on the Stawamus Chief Trail. There was a new Ranger station to check the day passes of hikers.
We made our way up the stairs and hiked along Oleson Creek. The water level was low compared to my previous visit in February.
After an hour of hiking, we were at the big boulder.
We continued on the trail for First Peak and were soon at our first ladder.
Kavya was doing well so far and was chatty, which is always a good sign on a hike. She quizzed us about Black Hole, White Hole, and shared what she had learned from Parsa on our last camping trip. Further ahead, we pulled on chains and climbed another ladder on our way to Peak 1.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and as we scrambled up the last section, we had stunning views of the Howe Sound.
Soon we were on the summit.
We took a 20-minute break and then started our hike down. After 1 pm, the PM pass holders were coming up. We were back at the parking lot at around 1:30 pm. It took us three and a half hours to hike up and down the Stawamus Chief Trail to Peak 1. The hike with family felt much easier than I had expected.
Climbing at Smoke Bluffs
We were all hungry and drove to the Essence of India restaurant for lunch. It was hot outside, and I was looking for some shaded areas for us to climb. Lumberland crag at Smoke Bluffs seemed to be a good option.
After lunch, we drove to Smoke Bluffs, found a parking spot in the shade and walked towards Lumberland crag. The guidebook said its just one minute hike from The Black Zawn, but it was more like five minutes.
There was just another group, climbing on the left side of the wall. So we hiked all the way to the right that had some easier climbs.
I geared up, and Kasturi belayed me on the Checkmark, Right Start (5.6, Trad). It was a short climb, and Kavya was up next. Kavya did some layback climbing and got up the initial section. It was an easier climb to the anchors.
Next, we did Checkmark, Left Start (5.7, Trad). Slightly tricky than the previous one, Kavya got up this route after a couple of attempts.
I set up another short route Birthday Girl (5.6, sport). Kavya was tired by now and had a tough time even getting up the first ledge. We packed up and made our way down to the parking lot.
As we arrived at the South Side Campground of Cal Cheak, it was packed. People had set up their tents at spots that were not designated campsites. One tent was right next to the water source for the campground.
After a quick dinner, we settled in our tent for a game of checkers.
The next day, we had a late start. We had no plans for today, and we just had to drive back home. While Kasturi was preparing breakfast, Kavya and I took the time to goof around the campsite.
Sea-To-Sky Corridor – Scenic Stops
Around 10 am, we started our drive back to Vancouver. It was a beautiful day, and we made a stop at the Tantalus Lookout. We had a panoramic view of the Tantalus range.
The Exhibit provided fascinating information about the significance of Tantalus Mountain, Bald Eagles, Mountain Goats, etc. and the history of Squamish Nation.
Our next stop was Porteau Cove Marine Park. It gets quite busy on a summer weekend, but luckily we found a parking spot. It was a short walk to the pier.
After a quick break, we were back on the road. I have driven along the sea-to-sky corridor several times now, but it never gets old. This was another fun trip of the season with camping, hiking and climbing all-in-one trip.
Resources:
Squamish Nation History
BC Parks – Stawamus Chief | Porteau Cove
Discover Camping for Day Pass and Other Permits
Lumberland Crag at Smoke Bluffs
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the above organizations.
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sundar
Chanda baredidi Raja.