The Stawamus Chief Hike
I’ve got some new pictures up that showcase some of the beauty Vancouver (and surrounding area) are famous for. Biggie and I drove up to Squamish to hike the infamous chief, although we decided to pass on climbing the granite face, and instead went for the hike up the back.
The total trip took just over five hours and is comparable in difficulty to the Grouse Grind (although a bit longer):
- 45 minutes – Trip to Squamish – It’s a very scenic drive, although it is also famously perilous. The Sea to Sky highway definitely one of the more beautiful drives I’ve been on.
- 1hr 40 minutes – Hike up the Chief – Starts out slower than the grouse grind, with about equal difficulty, although you do have to get more creative when you get near the top and the trail gets steeper. At certain points, you have to use chains and ladders drilled into the rocks to help you climb the granite.
- 1 hr – Lunch Time – There are three peaks, and we picked the first peak because we were told it had the best view; We were not dissapointed as our pictures will indicate. We enjoyed the sun, pounded Subway, and tried to keep away those little chipmunks.
- 1 hr 20 minutes – Hike Down the Chief – The trip down was boring, and seemed anticlimactic. We wanted to get home, and it seemed to go one forever, it may have even lasted longer than the 1 hr 20 minutes I remember. The trip down is easier on your cardiovascular system, but much harder on your joints.
- 45 minutes – Trip Back to Vancouver – By this time, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got an alert driver. It is very likely all the passengers of the car will be sleeping.
- 5 hours 15 minutes – total trip time – The perfect length for a day trip, and you can still get back in time to party all night!
Even though it was a cloudy day in Vancouver, it was sunny up in Squamish, so make sure to check the Squamish webcam pictures before you go – you might be able to escape the rain.
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NO WAY MAN!!! I was just there yesterday!!! Peak 1 — oh yeah baby. When did you and Theoni go???!!! Visit my website soon and we’ll compare pics and diaries.
The Chief is a nice hike eh. Not too crowded now, is it? Well, not as bad as the Grind I hope =P
Roberto, you are right. thankfully it isn’t like the grouse grind (on the grind you can find people drinking starbucks while talking on cell phones) -
Lea, I saw your posting – that’s too funny