Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

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In the world where there’s so much bigotry, just a lilttle change in scenery, changes the entire perspective, and makes you realize what the genuine things in life really mean…

I haven’t been up to alfen lake in couple of years, and all of my previous trips had been in winter. In winters, we do tele-mark skiing in order to get to the Alfen lake shelter, from the parking lot, which is 11 Kilometers below. Actually, the snow level starts well below the parking lot in winters, and on all the previous occasions, we had to ditch the vehicle somewhere along the road, gotten to the parking lot on tele-marks and then made a day long expedition attempt to make it to the shelter.

The challenge is to do it in one push. In winters, the snow level is well close to 30 ft and above and the terrain looks entirely different than it’s now in summer. Top this with relentless snowfall in blizzard like conditions, and unbroken trails.. Motivation is always to get to the gas-heated shelter; dry clothes; have a hot-meal and just rest your aching body, before waking up the next day and heading back down. In all of my out-door adventures, skiing up to Alfen lake and back is the toughest adventures i can think of - back-country skiing at its prime.

Today, we decided to do the entire route on mountain bikes in few hours and just enjoy the beutiful summer afternoon at one of our most favorite places. The Alfen Lake lies in the Garibaldi Provincial park in Squamish BC, about 70 Kms North of Vancouver..

Some pictures on the way..close to Red Heather about half way to Alfen Lake..

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My good friend Salvador - an avid outdoorsman

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me

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Diamond Head mountain from distance

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panoramic views..

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ugliness of deforestation..

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another view of Diamond Head Mountain

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

O my God. Such a beautiful place! Can I borrow your bicycle to look around? :halo:

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Getting closer to the Alfen Lake

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pretty much at the highest point of the route..and i was feeling tanked.. :D
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The hut starts to appear at a distance..

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some views towards North East

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and the lake finally appears..well more like a pond...in winters it's a snow wonderland..

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Some more pictures of the "pond"
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the alfen lake shelter.. i want go there on a night with full moon and spend a weekend..perhaps in Sep inshallah

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

the old shelter

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the new shelter..as you can see the roof is very curved. it's due to the fact that the shelter is completely buried in snow in winters, and often at times the park rangers shovel a small hole and create an access to the top level door

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Inside the shelter..

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

sure thing..you got legs of steel.. you’ll need em here :smiley:

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Beautiful place Dullay

Closed thread, reopened
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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

zabardast jhaga hai yaar :love:

21st Match, Group E: England v India at Durban - Sep 19, 2007
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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

that's beauuuuuuuuutiful outy!

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Bohat Khoob!

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

wow.. such beautiful pics..:love: :k: thnx 4 sharin’..:slight_smile:

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Beautiful pics!!

Hey where is the wife?? :hoonh:

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

thanks all..

my wife is still in pak..don't have a remote clue how she would put up with all my reckless activities...but i gotta plan written down how to train her on some of these mountains so she is able to keep up :D

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

Nice place man... Where is it the Kootneys, or closer to the cost?
I was in VanC last August a lot of cool stuff over there

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

i tried to learn how to ride a bike.. but after falling twice and hurting myself badly i had to change my mind :(

thanks for sharing the pix though :)

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

:smash: This should be in Travel & Tourism.

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

cool

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

this place is very close to vancouver (the coast)..kootenays is few hundred k towards the rockies in the north east direction..

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

:envy:

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Re: Alpine British Columbia: Alfen Lake

wow.. subhanallah.. beautiful :k: