Spring is always an interesting time of year around Squamish. It can be summer down at Newport Beach, but feel like winter up on the summit of Sky Pilot Mountain.
The weather can also be chaotic. When Mark Twain famously once said, “In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours,” I believe he may have been standing in Squamish.
It can also be the time of year when we get the itch to get out hiking on the trails again.
The green leaves on the trees and birds singing in the morning remind us of all those ideas and plans we put on hold when the first snows flew last fall.
But trying to figure out how to prepare for a hike at this time of year can be tricky.
Below I’ve listed some advice for planning ahead for springtime adventures.
Grab the right gear
The first thing I would recommend is to get out all your hiking gear and clothes that probably got packed away at the end of last summer and fall. The reason for this is to jog your memory of any issues you might have had with your gear that you forgot about over the winter.
Maybe the waterproofing needs to be reapplied to your leather boots? Maybe your trail gaiters have a large tear in them?
The most important thing is to get out your gear in advance of heading out on a hike and inspect it early.
For gear, a few extras I would recommend are hiking poles and traction devices for your hiking boots or shoes. Hiking poles are invaluable at this time of year since the trails can often be slippery and muddy, as well as uneven.
Any small creeks you were able to hop over at the end of last summer might now start to be swollen like rivers from the spring melt-off of the snowpack up high. The hiking poles will help you to hop across these creeks more easily.
The traction devices will prove to be very useful should you encounter ice and compact snow. If you choose to hike on a popular trail such as Garibaldi Lake or Elfin Lakes you will more than likely encounter compact and slippery conditions later in the spring from the amount of traffic on those trails.
For clothing, plan for close to winter conditions.
Bring plenty of layers and plan for temperatures at least 10 degrees lower than what the weather is in Squamish if you are going to head up into the mountains.
I will always bring a waterproof jacket with me in the spring due to how unpredictable the weather can be.
Be wary of weather
When it comes to spring weather you really need to be prepared for the unexpected. It’s at this time of year when the forecast seems to change every hour.
Days that are forecast to have thunderstorms seem to turn into beautiful sunny days in an instant, and vice-versa. It can feel like summer in the sun and winter in the shade.
Be conservative if storms are forecast and while up higher in the mountains keep an eye out for dark clouds forming on the horizon. Bad weather can be upon you in an instant.
Almost all of my experiences with sudden storms in the mountains around Squamish have occurred in the spring. They seem to pop up out of nowhere and last for a couple of intense hours before completely dissipating.
Check the forecast the morning of your trip and before you leave cellphone range.
Check trail conditions
Similar to what I mentioned above for gear, plan ahead for variable conditions on the trails.
The trails will likely be changing on a daily basis as the snow melts back, the foot bed dries out and the creeks and rivers flow at different rates.
There is likely to be blow downs and dead fall on the trails through the forested sections that has accumulated throughout the winter. It can sometimes take a few months for trail crews and volunteers to clear these.
Expect these obstacles that you will need to deal with and try to stay on the trails to minimize your impact on the plant life, which will soon be just starting to grow again.
Snow cover on the trails will also be common throughout the majority of spring, especially up higher on trails near the subalpine and beyond. This snow can be often isothermal, which will cause you to sink in deep. It can also be icy hard and uneven.
Gaiters to protect snow from getting into your boots and traction devices for your boots can help deal with this.
The snow cover through sections can also obscure the trail. In areas like this where following the trail can become difficult be sure to keep an eye out for trail markers and flagging tape on the trees to help guide the way until you can get off the snow again.
If you can’t spot these markers and you aren’t sure of the way to go, it is always an option to turn around.
When you aren’t dealing with snow, you will probably be dealing with mud. Freshly waterproofed and waxed leather boots as well as gaiters are key to stop your socks and feet from getting wet.
Walk through the mud where possible and try to avoid skirting it by leaving the trail and walking beside it.
Doing this unnecessarily widens the trail over time and it damages and destroys the plant life.
Plan for mud and embrace the feeling of walking through it. Personally I actually enjoy this.
You may also need to watch out for loose rocks beside and on the trails. Overnight the temperatures through the spring can still regularly drop below zero Celsius. This thawing during the day and then freezing at night can loosen up rocks and boulders from the soil.
Be aware of this when walking on or using small boulders as handholds. A sprained ankle from a sudden rock dislodging beneath your boot is a quick way to end your day.
While there are many factors to be aware of in the spring, it is by far my favourite time of year on the trails. The bugs aren’t fully out in force, it hasn’t gotten too hot and muggy yet and every bit of new greenery you are getting to see for the first time.
The air is filled with all the aromas of the forest that seem to be forgotten about through winter and the streams, creeks and waterfalls popping up everywhere add variety to those trails that are usually dry and dusty by the middle of summer.
So plan ahead now, prepare for the unexpected and enjoy spring in the forests and mountains around Squamish!
