Last weekend I did something that I hadn’t since high school — I went on an overnight hike. Call me crazy, but I really felt like I needed to get out of the city, away from the crowds and into mother nature. You know, sweat out the toxins and breathe in that fresh mountain air. The stuff that’s good for you.
I’d seen this place on Instagram (rolls eyes, I know) called Tunnel Bluffs, and the pictures really wowed me. It’s located just outside of Vancouver in the Lions Bay area of the Sea to Sky Highway, and it was the perfect size for my not-so-fit self. A quick (albeit extremely steep and somewhat tricky) two hour hike to the top and my two best friends and I could relax and unwind for an entire night before packing up and coming back down. Is camping overnight there allowed? No. Did we do it anyways? Yup.
Turns out we weren’t the only ones… surprise, Instagram is giving away all the best secret spots (and now I’m guilty of making people even more aware of it). But guys, this place was just too beautiful not to share!
We got started a little later in the afternoon on Saturday, continuing on the Sea to Sky towards Whistler after stopping for a meal in Horseshoe Bay. I was trying to navigate my friends and I there with Google Maps, and let me tell you — it doesn’t really work. My maps started freaking out and telling us to turn back around and take the Porteau Road exit. After driving up and down the same stretch of road a couple times, we realized the trail entrance was directly across the highway from the Tunnel Point viewpoint and so pulled in to park our car there. Note that if you do this, make sure you park in a real spot and not one that says bus only! When we got back, a good ten cars had already been towed and the tow truck was still there working away… we really got lucky with the last proper parking spot.
It’s probably also worth noting that once you park you need to run across the busy Sea to Sky highway, with its blind spots around the corners and plenty of cars speeding by at around 100km per hour. Combine my pre-existing awkwardness around jaywalking with the extra 40 lbs of gear on my back slowing me down and I was feeling pretty nervous, but luckily we made it across in one piece.
And then, we hiked. Tunnel Bluffs has an elevation gain of 650 meters and is just about two hours one way, so it’s a whole lot of up. There are no stairs and the trail is truly just dirt, rocks and roots, so footing can be tricky and at times the trail is narrow (especially scary alongside a cliff). That said, if you take your time and don’t try to rush through it (and at two hours you really have no need to) you’ll be fine. Madison and I were both wearing just our Nikes and not proper hiking boots, which I wouldn’t recommend, but we stepped carefully and managed to make it to the top.
Let me just say — the view is worth every bead of sweat and every bug bite you get. When we finally reached the top, we were rewarded with expansive views over the Georgia Straight and Howe Sound including the Sunshine Coast, Bowen Island, Anvil Island, Mount Elphinstone, Vancouver Island and the Tantalus mountain range. We could also see the Sea to Sky Highway winding below us along the water’s edge, and some homes dotting the shore.
After setting up our tent and eating some food, we sat back with the other hikers to enjoy an incredible sunset. The sky turned a baby blue, then lilac, then pink, and then a beautiful mix of them all as the last of the yellow sun slipped behind the mountains. In its place came a couple of dazzling planets, and following their lead came the rest of the stars. And wow, the stars.
We managed to make a small fire in a crevice on the edge of the cliff that was completely surrounded by rock so as not to risk any accidents, and watched the flames flicker until they’d tired themselves out. We stared up at the sky and played Coldplay (of course) and talked about life and then thought to ourselves. It was so peaceful and relaxing, and I was there with the perfect people. When it comes to places as beautiful as this, you want to share it with those you really love.
I had an okay sleep through the night, though it was a bit rocky and the tent wasn’t quite long enough for me (lol) so I was half taking up some of Madison’s space. Around 5am though we awoke to our alarm to watch the sunrise, and as Nat made a hot pot of coffee for us outside the tent, the sky returned with its pink and orange glow.
Despite the coffee, I quickly passed out again for a few more hours and awoke later to some entirely new faces on the mountain. Somewhat awkwardly, we were the last tent left, and some early morning go-getters had already made it up to the view point, sitting outside of where we were sleeping. Quickly cleaning up and getting dressed, we put our bags back on our back and set in for the hike back down. By the time we reached the bottom my legs were absolute jelly, but I felt an incredible sense of satisfaction having completed the challenge, and building memories with my best friends.
If you’re considering hiking Tunnel Bluffs, here are a few tips from our experience:
- Do try to wear hiking boots, and not just runners. It can be done, but both Madison and I rolled our ankles a couple times. We were just lucky that no real damage was done.
- Do rent proper equipment! Nat already had a tent and the stove, but Madison and I rented our backpacks, sleeping bags and sleeping mats from MEC in Vancouver. For two days, it cost $67.
- If you don’t want to carry tons of weight in water on the way up, invest in a Steripen. I borrowed one from my sister, and we were able to refill our water bottles a couple times at a nearby stream. The pen uses UV light to make sure the water is clean and safe to drink. Bonus: it was cold!
- Bring bug spray. And a citronella stick. We had both, and we used both.
- Get up a little earlier in the day to ensure you get a good spot to sleep. We arrived just after a couple guys, but then another eight people showed up after that and didn’t quite have the view that we did.
Have you hiked Tunnel Bluffs, or any other noteworthy hikes in the Vancouver area? Let me know in the comments!
