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Anna and I were thinking about doing the Stein ever since we bought Gordon White's guidebook in 1998 at the Vancouver MEC. Back home in Montreal, the idea slowly grew on us year after year until we finally decided to do it this year. We were fascinated by the different eco-systems and wildlife we would encounter in the Stein. We also looked forward to experiencing a magnificent ancient landscape, a sacred place for natives whose ancestors drew pictographs on the rocks to record their dreams forever.
Day 1 - Sept 4, 2004 – Lillooet Lake Road to Lizzie Lake
We started the day at the intersection of Lillooet Lake Road and Lizzie Creek Road. The signs indicated that the park was closed,
but BC Park Service confirmed to us earlier in the week that it in fact was open. There were several forest
fires around Earl Creek, but my rain dance in Montreal must have done the trick and caused all the rain
in BC leading up to our arrival. The dirt road to Lizzie Lake was washed out in 4 places, with the first
washout the most difficult to traverse. The recent rains enlarged the stream where the road used to exist.
With the help of some local trout fishermen, we crossed the stream and slippery rocks. My 50 pound pack and
Anna's 40 pounder took a while to get used to as we only do one long distance trip per year. We now needed
to get back across the stream to the road/path to Lizzie Lake. Hiking alongside the stream we came across this huge
cedar that had fallen across the river. Perfect, we took our packs off and slowly slid to the other side and
continued up the road. We gradually gained elevation towards Lizzie Lake. There were already some nice snow-clad
peaks around us, and big firs and spruces. There were also a lot of visible scars on the mountainsides due to past
logging. Looking back periodically, we could see Lillooet Lake disappearing in the distance. Finally we
reached Lizzie Lake and made a nice camp in this quiet and peaceful area. It was comforting to sleep beneath
the massive trees that first evening. We don't have those big old-growth trees in Quebec and this is one of
the reasons we love visiting BC.
Day 2 - Sept 5, 2004 – Lizzie Lake to Long Lake
We should have brought Gordon White's guidebook with us, or at least some photocopies of the sections we
would be hiking. Instead I relied on the ITMB map, the only one I could find on the Stein, which in hindsight
was inadequate. Using GPS and map and compass, we followed the old logging road "trail" a few hundred feet above
Lizzie Lake. We were not the first. I could see that the path had been used, and I figured that since the fires
in 1996 and the road to Lizzie Lake was washed out, there were less visitors and the trail may have deteriorated.
So Anna and I continued on the "trail". The trail soon became a "herd path". The herd path soon became a
"bushwhack". Hiking in this environment was slow going and challenging, especially the endless devil's club.
All along, the GPS and map/compass told us that we were right on the trail. Finally after 3 hours of blowdowns,
devil's club, wasp nests, moss, and brush, we mercifully heard some hikers below us on the real trail. We found
out the real trail starts alongside Lizzie Lake and is very well defined and marked. The next few hours were easy
going, through forests and rocky sections, and we finally made it to the Gates of Shangri-La. A new world opened
before us, a world of pristine forests, mountains and the famous Stein River. We hiked to Lizzie Cabin constructed
by the late David Nickerson, and pondered for a few moments how he lived here in such paradise. The cabin is fully
equipped with a few wooden bunks, a stove, lots of accessories, and even a thermostat. I enjoyed reading the
entries in the journal, some serious, some humorous, from hikers, such as us, from bygone years. After an early
supper, we decided to head up to Heart Lake to make up for the slow start. Upon our arrival, a glorious alpine
lake surrounded by snow-covered peaks greeted us. We camped in a beautiful alpine meadow, one of several on this
trip. After the hardships of the day's beginning, this was a nice reward.
Day 3 - Sept 6, 2004 – Long Lake to Caltha Lake
The night was very cold due to a high-pressure system passing through. It was below freezing, which left frost
on the entire tent fly. The bright morning sun warmed us up in no time and allowed for great photo-taking. We
were alone except for another solo camper on a distant ridge who later went for some rock climbing. I checked
the GPS and surprise, we're not a Heart Lake or Arrowhead Lake, but we're instead at Long Lake! Even though we
came here by accident, it was a fantastic spot worth visiting. To get back on route, we had two choices, navigate
by compass to Heart Lake or head back down towards Lizzie Cabin and find the right trail. The compass was giving
me crazy readings, probably due to iron in the rocks. We took the sure bet and headed back down in direction of
Lizzie Cabin. We searched for the trail to Heart Lake but found nothing. Out of ideas, we returned to Lizzie
Cabin searching for any clues where to turn next. Luckily there was an older edition of Gordon White's Stein
Guide inside and we read the section on how to get to Heart Lake. Of course I left the guide in Lizzie Cabin
for the next pour souls who should need it. The trail was somewhat steep but the friendly pikas kept our spirits
up. We first passed Heart Lake, then Arrowhead Lake, then Iceberg Lake. The high alpine areas are like a lunar
landscape, except for the odd colonies of subalpine firs bundled together to survive the harsh terrain. The
trail continued higher and higher. We could see the huge valley separating us and Caltha Lake, our next projected
campsite. Up in the alpine, the views of the surrounding mountains were simply stunning. Caltha Lake looked so
close, but we lost all sense of perception of distance and it took hours to make it to camp. The moving specks
of dust we saw far in the distance later became a few fellow campers pitching their tent. Caltha Lake began to
offer that total sense of remoteness we so desired. We made supper an hour before reaching camp, which was a
good thing since there was nowhere to hang up our food so we slept with it in our tent. I wasn't that worried
about uninvited bears, but the stones crashing down the mountains around us at night were another matter.
Thankfully we camped far away from the slopes and our tent survived the night unscathed.
Day 4 - Sept 7, 2004 – Caltha Lake to Tundra Lake
Caltha Lake provided for an abundance of wild berries to complement breakfast. Blueberries are always great,
but I found some interesting small red berries that had a sweet tart taste. I was 90% sure that they were
cranberries, so I ate a few. After about 10 of these delicious berries, I thought that I'd better stop in case
they were poisonous. I found out later these were called "false-wintergreen". This day's hiking started with
some nice alpine leading up to Tundra. This was an easy section of the trail, well marked with well-placed cairns.
Then we reached Tundra Lake and it took our breaths away. As soon as the camera timer counted down from 10 to 0
and the picture snapped of us in front of Tundra, I knew this would be one of the best photos of our trip. The
azure blue waters, surrounding alpine streams, glaciers, and peaks around Tundra are forever etched in our
memories. After screeing down some of the permanent snowpack, we began our trek alongside the northern side of
Tundra Lake. Apparently there is a trail, but the ITBM map and Gordon White both indicate this as difficult.
How difficult can it be I asked? Well, extremely difficult, especially with full packs. Endless big huge boulders
with no apparent trail, steep slopes, and it never seems like you are getting close to your destination or getting
far from your starting point. Some very steep slopes necessitated us taking off our packs and go very slowly and
carefully. The first few hours were challenging, the last few exhausting. Next time we're in the Stein, we'll try
the main Stein trail via Figure Eight Lake. The campsite on the East side of Tundra was superb, high elevation on
an alpine meadow, and perfectly protected from the wind. This would come in handy during the evening and next day
as the weather gods showed their fury. That night, lying in our sleeping bags, it was the first time that Anna
and I heard voices in the vast distance. These voices continued all night. The language was unrecognizable, too
faint too understand, but too loud to be the wind playing tricks on us. Later on during our journey, we would meet
some natives and they said that we were blessed to hear the spirits, and it was a good thing that we did not
answer back.
Day 5 - Sept 8, 2004 – Day off at Tundra Lake
The winds and rains picked up during the night and kept pounding us the whole day. The strong firs protected
us from the Western prevailing winds. We could see waves upon waves of clouds passing through and above our
campsite. It felt like a small patch of heaven in the middle of a storm. There was very little visibility except
for the green of our immediate surroundings. Occasionally one could see glimpses of our upcoming trail on the
alpine traverse to Stein Lake. We also saw a breathtaking alpine meadow between Caltha Peak and Pyramidal Peak
that caught our attention. This spot is nestled in between the mountains, with numerous streams running through
it from the glaciers high above. In Gordon White's book, this is called "5000 foot meadow", and I can't wait to
camp here the next time we’re in the Stein. We spent the whole day in the tent resting our worn muscles. We
brought a small AM/FM radio along and tried to catch a few stations to pass the time. The CBC came in quite good
at times and we listened to the Vancouver/Fraser Valley forecast, always hoping to hear the word "sunny". Later
in the afternoon, we were visited by a family of ptarmigans, a mother and three young foraging the local produce.
I didn't see any recent footsteps whatsoever at our campsite so I don't think anyone camped here for a while.
This place felt really remote.
Day 6 - Sept 9, 2004 – Tundra Lake to Stein Lake
The weather was going to be iffy the next few days, so as soon as we got some decent conditions, we decided to
try to make it to Stein Lake, where the climate would be better due to lower elevations. We started climbing the
trail to the ridgeline traverse. The weather was windy, intermittently rainy and quite unpleasant. We were fine
as long as we had some protection from the winds. Even at these high elevations, the flora thrives: mosses,
grasses, subalpine fir, and some pine. The higher we went, the more it drizzled, and the windier it got. As
Anna and I got close the top of the ridge, we could see the winds and clouds firing over at tremendous speeds.
As much as we longed to do the ridge-walk, safety was our primary concern. We decided to make our own route by
cutting across the face of the mountain range to Puppet Lake, and from there hike the trail to the western end
of Stein Lake. We crossed some boulders and some steep sections, alternating forest and alpine grasses. From
afar, the route seemed quite simple. However once in the jungle of the forest with no views to gauge our
position, we navigated by GPS and compass. We finally made it to Puppet Lake after a few hours. According to
our map, there was a trail heading down to Stein Lake. We found nothing, a familiar story. We saw evidence of
some paths in the woods, but I'm not sure if this was made by man or beast. Didn't matter, any path is better
than no path, and we weren’t going back. We hugged the stream that flows from Puppet Lake all the way down to
Stein Lake and descended the 3000 or so feet. The terrain was challenging, very steep. We were afforded the
occasional view of Stein Lake below. As we descended, we passed through different vegetation zones. We saw firs,
cedars, pines, spruces, and some hardwoods at the different elevations. Huge pinecones littered the ground.
When we finally reached Stein Lake, we realized that we went too far west. Many of streams from the mountains
above joined here, making this place very wet and boggy. The old-growth cedars thrived here. We then passed
through a swamp with tall reeds and small streams everywhere. We saw numerous fresh bear prints, I'm guessing
grizzly, in the soft mud. Anna and I were somewhat afraid of what could be lurking behind the tall grasses.
After some thick brush, more devil's club, and more small streams, we finally made it to a patch of dry ground
just before sundown. We pitched our tent under the watchful eye of some massive Douglas Firs, ate a cold supper
of apples and fresh broccoli to avoid cooking at our tent site, and hit the sack. We were exhausted, on a
slanted campsite, but happy to be safe.
Day 7 - Sept 10, 2004 – Stein Lake to Island Camp
It was great to be among the big tall trees again. Looking up, we could see the huge Douglas Firs and spruce
towering towards the sky. These ancient giants must be hundreds and hundreds of years old. This was day 7 out
of 12 in the Stein, and we perhaps covered a third of the total distance. We were getting slightly worried about
not making it out of the Stein on schedule, and hoped the trails ahead would be less challenging. Our goal was to
get to the Eastern point of Stein Lake and go as far as possible and make camp. We started on some obvious herd
paths and passed over/under an infinite number of blowdowns. The odd rockslide afforded us an escape from the
torturous blowdowns, but these were few and far between. By now, Anna’s legs were bruised from the rough terrain
the past few days, and showed signs of fatigue. I helped her through the tougher sections. Finally we made it to
the Eastern end of Stein Lake and saw the new cable car to get us to the other side. Anna was afraid being
suspended above the river, but the cable cars was one of the things I looked forward to since I had never done
this in my life. We were back in civilization, sort of! We met some natives doing some trail clearing who
indicated that our trail ahead was in good shape. They were right. The trail was great, well-maintained, minimal
blowdowns, lots of well-built log bridges. We continued in deeper and deeper forest, very lush vegetation and
lichen hanging from the trees like green hair. We continued to the second cable crossing of the day. This was
one of the solo-crossings over a much wider section of the river. Looking below while cruising across the river,
the river had gained in size and strength since its inception at Stein Lake. We made camp on the other side at
Island Camp. At night, the spirit voices of the Stein greeted us again.
Day 8 - Sept 11, 2004 – Island Camp to
Big Spruce Log Jam
The first part of the trail had gentle gains/drops in elevation and was easy going. The forest was primarily
spruce, with some incredibly massive trees. Occasionally the trail would wind through a cedar grove with their
strips of leathery bark. Passing through the mighty cedars felt like a prehistoric trip through the Jurassic
period. The tall trees blocked most of the sunlight. The trail then gained elevation towards Lookout Camp. This
was the last significant climb on our trek. We were now in the Upper Valley, the site of the great 1996 fire. All
around us, in every valley, were the burnt out remains of trees that used to flourish. Here and there, isolated
patches of spruce or fir somehow survived the inferno. Some of the larger trees survived because they were
protected by their thick bark up to 3 inches thick, but most succumbed. Anna and I imagined the magnitude of the
fires that raged here. Now several years after the fires, life is renewing the mountains. Everywhere there are
small pines and spruces sprouting up. The blueberries, raspberries, and black currents are thriving in the
abundant sunlight. Around Lookout Camp, there was a lovely cairn garden created by some bygone hikers. Looking
towards the West in the direction of Tundra, the sky was dark and spitting rain. Looking the other direction
towards Lytton, it was sunny! It seemed like two totally different climates, with the mountains attracting all
the ugly weather. The Stein River was now winding through the valley and generating a lot of white water. Even
a few hundred feet above the river, we could hear its roar and see it gaining power from all the feeder streams.
We descended back into the valley to Big Spruce Log Jam camp where we set up tent for the night. There is
actually a huge big spruce log jam clogging up the entire river at this juncture. Above the logs, soil is
beginning to settle and some plant life growing. Making camp here was peaceful and relaxing and the climate
warmer. Day 8 was truly the first easy enjoyable day where Anna and I made good mileage.
Day 9 - Sept 12, 2004 - Big Spruce Log Jam to
Ponderosa Shelter
Last night, Anna heard the spirits screaming, but I slept through it. My eyebrows rose when Anna said that it
sounded like a huge fight between two tribes. Annie York’s book “They Write Their Dreams on the Rock Forever”
refers to a 70 year battle between ‘Nlaka'Pamux and the Lil’wat warriors ending in 1850, and how this was the
basis for some of the rock paintings in the Stein. Our journey continued. The landscape was getting warmer and
drier, with a predominance of Ponderosa Pine and its reptile-scale-like bark. We crossed the Scudamore cable
crossing. What fun! This solo cable car picks up quite a bit of speed across Scudamore Creek. We crossed another
cable crossing at Cottonwood Falls, with Kent falls visible in the distance. We continued along the trail towards
the Ponderosa Shelter. For the first time, we encountered some towering Cottonwoods. That must be how Cottonwood
Falls got its name! The trail was easy going. At one point, I got a mild scare when I glanced behind us and saw a
black blur speeding towards us at high speed. My first reaction was bear! It turns out this was a friendly group
of young natives from Mount Currie speeding to their camp near Ponderosa shelter. They were on a weeklong
Rediscovery camp in the park. We chatted with one of their leaders James, who told us some interesting stories.
Sometimes visitors may hear spirit voices or songs in the Stein. Other times, visitors may hear drumming. The
spirits in the Stein are known to play tricks on people. James warned us about camping around Earl's cabin since
apparently a sasquach hangs out around there. We almost stopped for the night at Wrong-turn campsite, which is
ideal since you get sun first thing in the morning, but instead we continued to Ponderosa shelter, which we had
all to ourselves. To top off another fine day, we cooked a nutritious great-tasting dinner of whole grain pasta,
sundried tomatoes in olive oil, tomato sauce, and fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Gourmet cooking in the backcountry
at the Ponderosa shelter. What could be better in life?
Day 10 - Sept 13, 2004 – Ponderosa Shelter to Tee Pee
At Ponderosa shelter, the Stein River was calmly flowing towards the Fraser. Along its sides, there were inviting
sandy white beaches. I wondered about who built the shelter, and when, and how it was used. We had breakfast of
organic oats and quinoa, the packed up and set out for Tee Pee camp. Shortly after leaving Ponderosa, we
encountered our first pictographs in the Stein. Beside the trail there was a shallow cave with some rock
paintings above. The paintings were hundreds, perhaps thousands of years old. One of the pictures we saw was a
humanoid form with a rope attached to an animal. Annie York's book on rock writings indicates that this pictograph
represents a young blinded boy being let home by a bear to his grandmother. The trail wandered through mixed
forests; there were much more hardwoods now. Some spots had colonies of pure Cottonwoods, while in other places
there was a predominance of birch. The climate here is so much drier than the higher elevations from a few days
ago. The walls of rock along the Stein are starting to get much steeper. Some trees manage to live among the
cracks on the steep slopes. There are small caves visible all over. I'm certain that these small shelters contain
more rock paintings form long ago. Along the trail, there are some wonderful camping spots on the north side of
the Stein River, just before the suspension bridge. The bridge itself is a small marvel, like a mini-version of
San Fran's Golden Gate Bridge. Around us one can see the after-effects of forest fires, but none are evident
from the recent 2004 fires that closed the park. There were rumors that Earl's cabin burned down, but the only
damage sustained was due to some inconsiderate campers setting up a campfire inside. Continuing past Earl's
creek, we saw several culturally modified cedars and then made it to Tee Pee camp. We set up the tent not far
from the river, which was especially loud. I was able to sleep through the noise, but Anna has a harder time
dozing off.
Day 11 - Sept 14, 2004 – Tee Pee to Lytton Trailhead
This is our last day in the Stein. All good things must come to an end, as we set off in search of the Lytton
trailhead and parking lot. Hopefully Anna and I can hike at a good pace and catch up to the natives ending
their Discovery camp to catch a ride back to Lytton. The trail hugs the river. There are huge boulders in the
water fallen from the steep valley walls above. Our packs are so light, perhaps 20 pounds each, so the hiking
is easy going. We climb up Devil's staircase; it’s a breeze, just a small steep section. All along, we're
wondering, did the hard part start yet? I was expecting huge boulders like the section at Tundra. After Devil's
staircase, we start to see some hikers coming from the Lytton trailhead. First, some backpackers on a two-day
trip, then a few day-hikers in jeans, T-shirts, and runners. We must be close. We cross another creek and see
more pictographs. Finally we come to the famous Asking Rock, full of small offerings from visitors looking for
answers to their deepest questions. A little while longer on the trail, and we finally reach the end at the
Lytton trailhead. We are filled with joy and a sense of achievement from completing this incredible 11-day
journey. What a great adventure it was starting high in the mountains, at the beginning of this watershed,
and following this great river right through to its very end at the mighty Fraser. This trek had it all: tall
mountains, old-growth forests, alpine lakes, lush vegetation, bushwhacks, cable-crossings, spirit voices,
sacred pictographs and of course the incredible Stein river. Looking back one last time, Anna and I say goodbye
to the Stein Valley and hope that we'll be back soon.
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