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Standing in the sun along the shoreline of the Phillips
Creek marine campsite, all I can see is a steady stream of whitecaps sweeping across
Buttle Lake. A gusty afternoon wind has turned the calm water I had kayaked
across a few days ago into a choppy mess.
But my boyfriend, Mirko maintains the 30-minute crossing back
to the car is still manageable – and we still have a four-hour drive back to
Victoria after spending a long weekend hiking to Marble Meadows and Mount
McBride in Strathcona Provincial Park.
Since the lake is known for strong winds during the afternoon, I knew there was a good chance that we’d encounter rough waters once we were back from the three-day backcountry adventure, from which I was still riding a mountain high. But the excitement from completing a difficult hike immediately transformed into fear the moment we left the sheltered water at the mouth of Phillips Creek and entered the angry Buttle Lake.
“This is crazy! Why are we doing this?” I shout at Mirko,
who appears calm as he paddles nearby. The waves grow bigger the further we venture
across the lake. Some toss my kayak around like a toy. Gripped with fear, I take
deep breaths to calm my nerves and paddle harder with my arms shaking. It feels
like I’m barely moving, but soon the nightmare is over. The shoreline is suddenly
within reach.
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Relieved to be back on shore, I begin to reflect on one of the most challenging backpacking trips I’ve done yet. I’ve been an avid hiker for about five years now, doing at least two or three multi-day backpacking trips every season. But this was the first time I’ve ever had to paddle across a lake to reach the trailhead and Mount McBride is the highest summit (2,083 metres) I’ve hiked. Adding to the challenge was a heat wave, with sweltering temperatures around 28C. But the skies were clear, which is what every hiker hopes for when their eyes are set on reaching a summit.
The hike to Marble Meadows is about 5.5 km and begins at
Phillips Creek Marine Site on the western shore of Buttle Lake. The
well-maintained trail is an uneventful climb, rising 1,400 metres through a
series of never-ending switchbacks weaving amongst the forest. The only water
source is at the 3.2-km mark, located after about 600 metres of elevation gain from
the trailhead.
Once above the tree line, we are treated to a series of strikingly clear tarns in the meadows located on an alpine plateau that still has snowy patches in early August. The area is known for millions of ancient sea creature fossils exposed in limestone beds that look like slabs of concrete. The appropriately named Limestone Lake would be our base camp for the next two nights.
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Due to a lack of trees in the high alpine, we’re treated
with sprawling views as the trail (which is difficult to find at times) passes through
rolling terrain and a series of waterfalls before heading up a snow chute to
the ridge that connects Morrison Spire and McBride. On the ridge, we soak up impressive
views of the mighty Golden Hinde (the highest point on Vancouver Island at
2,195 metres), along with all the other big peaks on the island including
Rambler, Colonel Foster and Elkhorn mountains.
Soon, Mount McBride comes into full view, sending a wave of excitement and apprehension through my body.
“How do you feel?” asks Mirko as we stop for a rest before
the final push to McBride.
“Nervous,” I reply. The mountain looks huge. It’s
intimidating.
We press on towards the summit, even though I’m reluctant to keep going given how late it is in the afternoon, and pass a few other hikers who turned around after only reaching the first peak. Hiking back to our campsite in the dark did not sound appealing, even though we came prepared with headlamps in our packs. But after scrambling up an obstacle course of boulders and shale, the summit is soon within sight – and it’s a sketchy one with a narrow track to the register and sheer cliffs on either side.
Fighting my fear of heights, I opt to sit in a wider section
of the summit and try to enjoy the feeling of being on top of the world on such
a beautiful clear day. There’s something extremely satisfying about hiking up
one of the highest mountains on Vancouver Island – even if the journey getting
there and back scares the crap out of you.
WATCH VIDEO: The sweaty hike to Marble Meadows and Mount McBride
