Garibaldi Provincial Park Part 2: Black Tusk

As promised here is part 2 of my first trip in Garibaldi Provincial Park all about Black Tusk — if you missed part one click here to catch up.

After spending Saturday night at Taylor Meadows campground we woke up Sunday morning to beautiful sunny skies. While the group of friends I was with were heading back down to the parking lot that morning, my partner and I had already decided that we would use the day to do a little bit more exploring. My initial plan was to hike up to Panorama Ridge, which overlooks Garibaldi Lake, however at the last minute we decided to switch up our plans and head to Black Tusk instead.

I don’t exactly remember why we made the last minute decision to switch up our destination but I certainly didn’t regret it.

Both Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk are about the same distance from Taylor Meadows, in opposite directions, and offer their own unique view of Garibaldi Provincial Park. The first portion of the hike from Taylor Meadows is a very gradual uphill climb (savour this as it is the easiest part of the hike) which takes you all they way to Black Tusk Junction. It is here where you can either go left towards the Tusk or continue straight to Panorama Ridge and beyond.

Quick tip: If you are like us and have to carry your overnight packs with you (aka 50lbs of gear) there are a few places along the trail where the bush is pretty dense that you can stash your bag if you choose. Obviously going off trail is not encouraged, to help avoid disrupting wildlife, but this is what we did. Knowing I didn’t want to lug all of my gear up Black Tusk, I planned ahead and packed a small daypack which we put our sweaters, water and valuables in. We left our backpacks right after passing Black Tusk Junction and made sure to leave some distinct markings/take photos so we didn’t forget where they were.

After turning left at Black Tusk Junction the climb begins. As the elevation increases he views keeps getting better and better. I remember stopping to look back multiple times and just being absolutely speechless. The trail slowly weaves upwards and the thinning vegetation gives way to towering mountains, glistening lakes and thick forests — aka my idea of heaven!

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Eventually the trail becomes steep and the ground turns into a mix of rock and snow. From here you can clearly see the Tusk, though don’t be deceived it is a lot farther away than it looks. After going a short way upwards you reach a sign which marks the end of the trail. Hikers are still allowed to go all the way to the Tusk if they choose, this is just where the official maintained BC Parks trail ends.

If you choose to continue, which of course we did, then there are multiple routes up you can take. We stayed towards the right of Black Tusk as it seemed that most of the other hikers were doing the same. Since we did this hike at the end of June there was still quite a lot of snow at this elevation. I recommend going whatever way you feel gives you the best footing among all of the loose the rocks and icy snow.

I don’t remember exactly how long it took to the base of the tusk from this point, but I am going to guess about 30-45 minutes.

Regardless of where you start the initial climb from the BC parks sign, all of the paths eventually converge on the final steep climb to the base of the Tusk. This takes you upwards to the right of Black Tusk where you look out towards Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge and Helm Glacier/Lake. This is without a doubt one of the most scenic hikes I have ever done and we spent about 15 minutes sitting and soaking it all in (and catching our breath because it’s a climb and a half).

For many reaching the base of the Tusk is the end of the hike, as going any further involves scaling the side of the Tusk then climbing up it. A lot of hiking sites advise against this unless you are an experienced climber, but my partner and I decided to do it anyways. I was a little hesitant, especially being scared of heights, but honestly it was so worth it and I would do it again.

So for those who choose to continue, follow along the base of the Tusk to the left. It’s really important to be careful during this portion as rocks can easily come tumbling down from those climbing above you. A lot of people whom we saw had climbing helmets on which is definitely a good idea. Once you reach the far side of the Tusk there are a handful of chimneys you can climb to reach the summit. I believe we used the second one that we came across as it seemed the most sturdy (if you fall it’s pretty much straight down and yes, at this point I was freaking out). After a sketchy chimney scramble it is fairly straightforward from here on out. The ground levels out and in less than one minute you will reach the peak of Black Tusk.

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From here you are able to experience a view like no other. The top of Black Tusk rewards hikers with complete 360 degree views of Garibaldi Provincial Park. This is by far one of the most spectacular places I have ever stood. In each direction you look there is something unique. I remember being completely in awe of my surroundings and these are definitely some of my favourite pictures I have taken to date.

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All things aside, I definitely recommend going to the summit of the Tusk only if you feel comfortable! If you are confident with your scrambling abilities and careful it is well worth the climb. You get relatively the same view on top of the Tusk as you do from the base, with the exception that from the peak you also are able to see what lays behind.

After spending some time soaking everything in we descended down the back side of the shale rock face leading to the Tusk, to avoid having to walk back along the base to where we initially came up. As usual going down took a lot less time and before we knew it we were back at Black Tusk Junction to retrieve our backpacks.

From here we continued the rest of the way down the mountain, through Taylor Meadows, and back down to the parking lot (about 15kms downhill — my poor knees). The whole hike is about 29kms roundtrip and while we did it as an overnight hike many have done it in a day. Up until the BC Parks sign everything is very well maintained and marked. It is only beyond this point where the climb begins to require a little more thought and turns and intermediate hike into an advanced hike.

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