A day pass cost just under CAN$12 to access the trails around Lost Lake Park which you purchase at The Passiv Haus ( it's Austrian) or Passive House. Snowshoe or cross country ski rentals are an additional charge.
I was snowhoeing along on my own but met up with an older Australian couple from the Gold Coast also snowshoeing but for the first time. They had abandoned their attempt at cross country skiing for the first time leaving it to their children and grand children to it. It was the wife's 60th birthday today.
We snow shoes all the way to the Beachcut - a few km green trail. Many cross country trails were crossed and it took us about an hour to reach - stopping to take a few photos. It was raining but it didn't really bothered us.
When we reached The Beachcut the couple's grandchildren were already at the warming hut. Ah The Warming Hut - I have seen this in a previous snowshoeing adventure but never been in it. The grandchildren told us that there is actually a fire in there. I go in with my snowshoes on as it was just too difficult to take them off and put them back on. It wasn't even a real fire not even a gas fireplace like the one in my apartment - it looked like a hanging screen projecting a small fake fireplace but the hut was warm enough and even had a spider hanging from one of its ceiling lamps!
There were holiest in the area but no running bubbles as they were all frozen. The only running water was in the toliets - not a good idea to drink from the toilet taps. The grandchildren were thirsty however there was no water around but Grandpa came prepared, never snowshoe without being prepared - in his backpack was a full hot thermos of hot chocolate - enough for himself and his grandchildren. Grandma didn't need one - she just needed to rest. She also didn't like breaking rules so when we found out how to get back to the Passiv Haus - we didn't have much choice there was no quick way of getting back there. We could not use the 2.6 km cross country tracks so we had 2 choices one of which I did not recommend as I made a mistake last time snowshoeing this route and it took me 2 hours to get back to the Passiv Haus ie go to the left and follow the trail up and around Lost Lake then following the upper trail all the way back down to the Passive Haus. The other option which was much shorter was to go back to the trail we original came from and follow the trail until we seat the fork in the trail near the emergency point and veer right then follow the trail down. This we did and it was a lot flatter quicker. We finally reached the Passive Haus a little past 3 pm and it was not even dark yet!
Their grandchildren were already at the Passive Haus without their jackets on just ski pants and t shirts. I was told how they were not used to all this snow equipment- it's just thongs and shorts on the Gold Coast!
The grandfather told me that last time he was at Lost Lake it was Spring and there were a few nude men around Lost Lake - it's a nudie beach apparently!
After having a rest I strapped my snowshoes back on , said my goodbyes and nice to have met you and made my way back to my apartment - it was straight into the hot tub for me!!
I spent about an hour in the hot tub before heading back upstairs and having a shower and change of clothes.
Dinner The Food Channel then to bed. End of another day in Whistler.
I will miss snowshoeing around Lost Lake and the solitude and back to nature.
Entrance to Lost Lake Park Cross Country Ski Trails ahead and snowshoeing trails to the right
The Warming Hut
This is the mostly frozen and snow covrred Lost Lake.
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