Hike Report: I enjoyed hiking Joffre Lakes northeast of Pemberton, B.C. Pemberton is north of Whistler about 35 miles on Highway 99 which is a good paved highway. If you go into the Whistler area, take time to hike the Joffre Lakes trail. The trail takes you by each of the three beautiful lakes which are all unique and different and are fed by a huge glacier (Matier) east of the top lake. The natural phenomenon that makes the lakes so colorful is they are three different colors of blue/green. Glacier flour gives each a different shade and their color is determined by the amount of glacier flour that is carried by the river that feeds all three lakes. Canada has a motto: “Naturally beautiful!” Whoever came up with that term must have visited Joffre Lakes.

We did this hike in early September. At the upper lake we sat and ate our lunches on a big rock at the west end and enjoyed the view. Matier glacier on the east end of the lake sorta hid from us as a snowstorm dusted the area. In some places we had to cross big rocks with the river below so we decided to hustle back before things became slick. The six that did that trail were well seasoned hikers from the Snoqualmie Valley Trails Club centered in North Bend, Washington east of Seattle.

Backroad and Outdoor Recreation Map Book, Volume 1  page 51, Joffre Lakes.

Parking: Parking at Joffre Lakes Provincial Parks is adjacent to the highway. There is room for a hundred or more vehicles. For the exact location, pick up maps at the Tourist Information Office on the left side of the road going into Whistler.

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