Sep 2, 2017
What else is there to do on a long weekend than to launch a rugged 2-nighter into the mountains?! We decided to check out Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, just north of Pitt Meadows and west of Pitt Lake, home of Widgeon Valley. I'd seen photos of Widgeon Lake previously and from these it looked magical- something we later discovered ourselves to be true!
Initially there was some confusion between us about how to get to the Lake, as postings on Clubtread, Vancouver Trails, and other forums seemed to all offer different travel advice. Eventually, we settled on renting a canoe from Deer Lake Boat Rentals in Burnaby (MEC was cleaned out for Labour Day weekend) at $35/night for the weekend rate. We put in at Grant Narrows Regional Park at noon on Saturday. It was extremely busy, with motor boats, canoeists, and kayakers flocking to get out on the water during an unseasonably hot weekend. I would recommend arriving earlier than we did, if you wish to avoid the traffic chaos. Luckily, patience prevailed and we were able to pack our boat, park the car, and launch in under 30 minutes.
It was a straightforward paddle across the Narrows towards Widgeon Slough, which was just southwest of the boat launch on the east side of the lake. The Slough seemed to range between ~1ft. - 15ft. deep, with an average around roughly 3 ft. of depth. We wore lifejackets on the way in just to be safe, as any responsible seafarer venturing into unknown waters should! The waters were dead calm for the most part (aside from the odd wind gust), and the only challenge here was having to exit the canoe to pull/push our boat through the shallow areas where we bottomed-out. After 1.5 hours of paddling at a reasonable pace, we arrived at the Widgeon Creek Camp Area.
Some carb-y snacks later, we set off into the bush for our hike. The first 5-6km were relatively flat, with only minor elevation gain. As mentioned in numerous other reviews, the final 2.5km involve steep root-climbing and rock-scrambling before pitching out to the lake. This part of the trail was challenging enough for an advanced hiker- there are plenty of technical features to navigate, which was offered added difficulty while lugging a 40lb. pack (plus a rubber raft). The trail provides some fun sections- climbing over large deadfalls, rope ladders, and a couple gorgeous waterfall rest spots.
The lake itself is pristine. Almost no garbage, next to no crowding, and a peacefulness only achieved by putting in the effort to reach such a spectacular destination. The only drawback to submersing oneself in the natural setting were the regular helicopters and float planes that passed over the lake throughout the day. The lake is literally teeming with trout (though we didn't catch any :( ) and makes for a fun exploration using a floatie or a small raft. One pair of hikers brought up inflatable river rafts and kayaked to the opposite end of the lake in search of the elusive airplane crash which is entombed in the mountains to the north.
A decent camping spot was somewhat difficult to find, as we were informed by a BC Parks Ranger at the Widgeon Creek Camp Area that there were already at least 10 people at the lake by 2pm. It would be beneficial to try to arrive as early as possible to avoid having to scrounge up some flat ground that isn't rock-solid to serve as your tent pad. A few groups had to do this and seemed displeased by the result.
Being that there is much to explore once you arrive at Widgeon Lake, and the intensity of the hike, I would recommend this as a minimum one-nighter, if not at least to give the legs a re-charge for the way down. You'll thank yourself for it later!
Enjoy:)
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