Elk River Trail to Landslide Lake

We did this trail at the end of September last year as a last hike while the sunshine was hanging around from the summer. We planned to do the hike in 2 days, hiking to our campsite the first day and then up to landslide lake and back to the car the second. The weather was beautiful the first day. It was bright and warm. The trip started off with a very good mood.

The trail is relatively flat and we were trucking along at a good clip. I was excited to see Landslide Lake but that had to wait until the day after. We were just going to set up camp the first day and enjoy a relaxing evening beside the river that was close to our tents. About three quarters of the way to the camp site, Ryan’s dog Daisy started acting a bit weird. She looked like she was in pain. A closer look by revealed she had a wasp in her backside and was not very happy about it. Almost immediately after, we were surrounded by wasps. One panicked look at everyone else and we got out of there quick.

I ended up a with a few stings and a few of the others did as well. Immediately popping some Benadryl to make sure I did puff up to something unrecognizable we continued on.

The rest of the trail was a bit of a daze for me after taking the meds but it sure was pretty. We stopped at a spot on the river for lunch in the sun.

After arriving at our camp and setting up our tents, we relaxed on the river. The light cut out quickly and the warmth died with it so we retired to our tents excited for the next days adventure.

Rising early with the sun the next morning, I took in the scenery by the river. The sun was lighting up the nearby peaks and it was quite the site. I was grateful for the warmth from my steaming coffee as the day sure hadn’t started to warm up.

Eyes open and bellies full we begun our trek to Landslide lake. Another 2 km from where we had camped, it was mostly uphill but at a very moderate incline. The trail steepens as we neared the lake but we were happy to be so close.

The vista does not disappoint as you climb the last steep section and emerge from the bush. The lake opens up in front of you and rises into Mount Colonel Foster in the background.

On the right of the lake there the clear evidence of the massive landslide that gave the lake it’s name. All up the valley, actually, there is evidence of the slide. The rock right down the middle is scrapped clean from the torrent of water that rushed down the valley after the slide.

After a delicious lunch on the side of the lake we started the track back down to the camp and out to the cars.  I had put a waypoint on my GPS close to where we ran into the bees nest on the way in. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and one of the girls still got stung a couple times. I was thankful that I made it through the gauntlet unscathed this time around.

Gear for this trail

Pack: Osprey Aether 70

Shoes: Salomon Wings

GPS: Garmin Colorado 300

GPS for this trail

I had the GPS for this trail to get the track so I could geocode my photos later. It is not required. The trail is very clear single track. There is one branch that cuts left and goes across the river. It is well marked but do make sure you look at a map before you leave so you have an idea of where you are going. A GPS signal was hard to come by in some parts because of the deep valley.

Extra Links

Trailpeak Track: http://trailpeak.com/trail-Elk-River-Trail-near-Campbell-River-BC-1168

Ross’ Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcthink/sets/72157607544212326/