Barrel Aged Beer At 1600 Meters
Anyone that’s been backpacking a few times knows that pack weight is super vital to making your trip comfy and helping you use less energy. But sometimes it pays to pack a little extra weight to get a delicious beer (or three) at your destination.
Winter Versus Summer
Surprisingly, of the 2 other times I’ve been backpacking to Elfin Lakes, I’ve never actually been up there in the Summer. Both previous trips were in winter; one on snowshoes and the other on a splitboard. In the winter you can stay in the propane heated shelter. It sleeps probably 20-25 people but it books up fast on weekends so you need to reserve a spot ahead of time. If you’re a real go-getter, you can just set up your tent in the snow and tough it out in the cold. I’m not at that adventurer level (yet).
I’d seen pictures in the Summer and I definitely made it a goal to get up there. The views you get of the mountain ranges are fantastic in the winter so I could only imagine what they’d look like in the summer. Also, in the summer you have the choice to stay in the heated hut or you can choose from about 30 tents pads scattered around the area. It just means you have to trek up there with your tent. Luckily I’ve invested in some lightweight camping gear just for occasions like this (it also means I can bring more beer).
Sunshine to Showers
We already knew ahead of time that it was supposed to rain so we came prepared but luckily for us the first half of the hike was in the sun and we got some decently clear(ish) views on our way up.
That last picture was probably the last time we were dry that day though. The rain started to come down so we put our jackets back on and picked up the pace a bit to get to the shelter and dry off.
Luckily when we arrived at the at the top it stopped raining just long enough for us to set up our tents and scurry back to the hut to warm up and make some lunch.
Dutch Blitz and Bottle Logic
As I eluded to earlier, I didn’t pack “smart” in the backpacker’s sense of the word but I feel I packed pretty smart in the beer nerd’s sense of the word.
After setting up our tents and eating some well deserved lunch we decided to break out the Dutch Blitz (if you’ve never played, you need to get on it) and get relaxed for the night. After a can of Structures Brewing“City Of Solace” NE IPA and another can of Twin Sails “Orange Slices” Double IPA it was time to break out the pièce de résistance, a bottle of 2018 Fundamental Observation from Bottle Logic Brewing. This bourbon barrel aged imperial vanilla stout is one of the best beers I’ve ever had and not only was it a tasty reward after that long hike but at 13.2% it also kept us a little warmer. It was also a good way for me to drown my sorrows from realizing how bad I am at Dutch Blitz.
A cold, cold night
I’m usually very prepared for any hike but I will say, for this one, I came very under-dressed. I didn’t really think about how much colder it gets overnight in the alpine. I have a decent down sleeping bag but I still had to wear all my clothes, and 2 pairs of socks, to bed that night. Damn it was cold!
After a fairly uneasy sleep, I woke up early (to no rain) and explored the area a little bit. There was an eerie morning fog and absolutely no noise to be heard. This is one of my favorite things about being out in the wilderness. I checked out the lakes and they were still so warm. I probably would’ve gone for a swim if it wasn’t so cold outside. Take note if you’re up there, one of the lakes is for swimming and the other is for gathering drinking water that you can boil in the hut on their propane stoves.
The Journey Home
The way back is always tough because you’re tired from the day before and, in my case, a rough sleep. But there’s also the motivation of getting back to the car and sitting down that helps push you through a little.
The hike back was fairly uneventful but the weather was cooperating for us so we had some decent views and a little warmer conditions. We stopped at Red Heather hut for a quick snack and a rest and then made our way down the last 5km or so to the parking lot.
Damn, did it full good to get that backpack off and change in to a warm, dry pair of clothes.
Celebratory Beer
Now, when you do a hike like this and you’re driving through Squamish after it ends you need to stop at (at least) one of the three breweries down there. My go to is usually Backcountry Brewing because they make amazing beer and pizza. But not only that, the name definitely fits the theme of the activity we had just finished. There’s also A-Frame Brewing, which is an awesome little spot down the street from Backcountry that has a nice patio and delicious brews. This time though we decided to hit up the Squamish OG, Howe Sound Brewing. They’ve been running the craft beer scene in Squamish since 1996 (before it was cool to live in Squamish). They have a full food menu and, after eating backpacker food the last 24+ hours, we needed some options. The beer menu is pretty big too, so you get a lot of options.
Here’s a BIG TIP for you though. Don’t fill up on too much food at the breweries because a trip to Squamish is never complete without stopping at Mag’s 99. This is, hand’s down (in my humble opinion), the best fried chicken in BC. I’m salivating just writing about it. I was full from my burger at Howe Sound but I still stopped at Mag’s to get some fried chicken to go. They’re actually more of a Mexican restaurant and that side of the menu is amazing as well but the fried chicken is……well, just go try it for yourself and let me know.
