The Province of British Columbia has over 800 Provincial Parks and Recreation Areas. More than 40 are larger than 100,000 acres (~40,000 hectares), with opportunities for observing wildlife and experiencing wilderness solitude. At over 250,000 acres, Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park is one of these large parks. The park protects the entire extent of the Stein River making it the last fully intact watershed in the Southwestern mainland of BC. The river supports five species of salmon while the surrounding valleys and mountains are home to a full range of wildlife INCLUDING resident Grizzly Bears and wolverines!
This was a place that I was dying to visit, and my chance came in September 2005. A cancelled trip to Yellowstone left me with a week of free time. I called up my old New Guinea hiking buddy Rogier Gruys (then living in Victoria BC) and asked if he could clear a week off his calendar. Rogier was up for it, and midday September 19 found us driving out of Vancouver’s northern suburbs on the Whistler Road (Highway 99). We parked our car about 1 km up the Lizzie Lake Road, and walked the remaining 10 miles (16 km) to Lizzie Lake.
We had hoped to walk over the Stein Divide and then proceed past Tundra Lake and down to Stein Lake in the Stein River valley proper. Unfortunately the trail was rough, and in many areas there was no trail, just a route marked by cairns. We spent a lot of time hopping across boulders large and small. Our progress was slow, and we had to scale back our plans and turn back at Tundra Lake. We did so with great regret but as the saying goes, “it’s best to leave a place hungry.” We did and I hope we and others will come back.
Stein Valley Provincial Park
Heading north for Canada (and Tim Horton’s donuts!)
Rogier, pumped about the trip ahead
The turnoff for Lilloet Lake
1 km in on the Lizzie Lake Road - time to start walking
Clearcuts and regrowth on the Lower Lizzie Lake Road
Will crossing the last road washout (Photo by Rogier Gruys)
Morning, Lizzie Lake
Entering the Gates of Shangri-La - Stein Divide in the distance
Roger on the front porch of the Lizzie Cabin
Rogier reading the naked ♀ hiker entry (!) in the Lizzie Cabin guestbook
There are downsides to sleeping in rustic cabins...
Will looking towards Iceberg Lake
Looking towards Caltha Lake from Table Mountain
It was a cold September! Morning ice near Caltha Lake
Roger photographing Caltha Lake
Figure 8 Lake
Rogier traversing scree on the south side of Caltha Peak.
Side valley in the Upper Stein
Tarn in afternoon light
Snowy morning at tarn campsite
The Stein Valley from the tarn camp. There be grizzlies! Next time...
Tundra Lake and Caltha Peak on the walk back
The impossible blue of Tundra Lake
Will above Tundra Lake
White winged Ptarmigan near Caltha Lake
Arrowhead Lake in late afternoon light
