Just Another Mountain

Lake Lovely Water is situated at 3,822ft in the Tantalus mountain range, north of Squamish. There is no road access so the only way to find this hidden gem is either by helicopter, or by crossing the Squamish river and hiking 5-6 hours on what I can only imagine is a pretty steep climb. We got a helicopter transfer so I can’t speak for the difficulty of the hike, but judging from the hike we did from Lake Lovely to Niobe Meadows, it’s safe to assume it’s a significant climb.

There are two helicopter companies that fly out of Squamish airport: Sea to Sky Air and No Limits Heli Adventures. I advise booking well in advance (like everything in Canada, it gets booked out fast!) We booked in March and the only dates left were June so it was a gamble with the weather but against the odds (and the forecast), it paid off!

Our flight was scheduled for 4:45 PM on Friday, but when we arrived our pilots seemed uncertain. Due to heavy cloud coverage, they weren’t sure it would be safe to fly. We waited for about 30 minutes as they conducted a quick test flight. As the pilot made his way back down, we were immediately rushed toward the helicopter as it was only a matter of minutes before the conditions could change again. Our pilot stayed inside the helicopter with the engine and propellers running, ready for takeoff, while the other guy stood outside trying to explain how to open and close the door, and how to unload our gear. We could barely hear a word he said, and before we knew it, we were airborne.

The flight itself was just a few minutes but incredibly surreal. Clouds swirled around us, but through them we caught glimpses of the Squamish River snaking its way through the forest below. Then, as quickly as we had taken off, we landed. We scrambled to unload our gear, and moments later, the helicopter lifted off again, leaving us completely alone—just us and the mountains.

About a five-minute walk from where we were dropped off, we came across the first few wooden platforms and had our pick of the bunch. One platform offered a perfect view of the lake, while another looked out above the lake at the mountain tops —both incredible spots to set up camp. In total, there are around 12 platforms, with the rest being more sheltered in the trees so lacking a view of the lake.

Nearby, you’ll also find the Tantalus Hut, which is owned by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) and available to rent. There were a few canoes as well, which would have been amazing to try out—but those are only accessible if you’ve booked the hut.

As for facilities, there’s an outhouse and a bear cache. We didn’t see any bears in the area but they are supposedly very active.

It was drizzling as we set up but there was quite a lot of tree coverage. Despite the rain, we sat outside our tent and watched the clouds slowly shift to reveal the beauty of the mountains surrounding us. The clouds moved so fast that every time we caught a glimpse of the landscape, it seemed extra special. It rained all night long but when we woke up on Saturday, the rain had passed and we were left engulfed by the clouds. 

We attempted to hike the 3km trail to Lambda Lake which involved walking along the edge of the lake, scaling the large rocks and venturing back into the trees along some extremely narrow paths with some pretty sheer drops. About a kilometer in (although it felt way longer due to the constant climbing up and down), we arrived at a steep, sketchy looking section with chains that was blocked by a huge pile of snow that was too risky to cross. The clouds were also completely blocking our view so we thought it wasn’t worth carrying on. We decided to turn back to camp for some lunch and attempt the hike in the opposite direction to Niobe Meadows instead.

Again, it was only 2.5km to get to the meadows but it felt much longer as it’s just a pure climb from start to finish. It was probably the most fun hike I’ve ever done as there was so much more to it than just a simple walk. We traversed large rocks, crossed some snowy patches, held onto branches to pull us up steep sections in the forest, and eventually got to Sand Spit beach. This is a small sandy area where you are also allowed to camp.

Just as we arrived, the clouds lifted and blue skies appeared. Seeing the mountains from a closer perspective was incredible. We could see our tent looking out over the lake, and also where we had turned back on our earlier hike across the water. To get to Niobe Meadows from here, you essentially just scale the waterfall that flows down into the lake. It was a really fun scramble and as soon as we got to the meadows, the clouds once again dispersed and we could see Mount Niobe in all its glory.

We made our way back to camp where another group had arrived. They were meant to fly in just after us on Friday but due to the clouds/fog, they had to wait until 5:30 PM Saturday. We were unbelievably lucky not just because we had the whole place to ourselves for 24 hours, but because we got there in the first place!

Saturday evening was perfect. Thanks to the summer solstice, we were blessed with blue skies for hours. The mountains were perfectly reflected in the clear water and we watched the clouds eerily creep in and out across the landscape. 

Our flight back down was scheduled for 8:45 AM, but we got a call at 7:00 AM saying we needed to be picked up asap, otherwise it’d be late evening by the time the clouds cleared. We quickly packed up and thankfully were taken back down. We were only in the air for literally 3 minutes as our pilot was eager to beat the clouds.

Lake Lovely Water is definitely taking one of the top spots for most beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen. It was just as gorgeous in the rain and clouds as it was in the sun. This was one of my favourite weekends in Canada to date.