In Search of a Ghost Town

I think yesterday was one of the toughest amd most tiring days I've had since being out here in Canada! Sheany had been taken to a place on the edge of Green Lake by a guy with a 4x4, which was once a small logging community on the shore of the lake before being abandoned somewhere between 1930 and 1950, depending on what you read! Being my normal curious self, I decided to head there, camera in hand to attempt some arty ghost town shots!

I looked on the only available map we had, and I saw the Parkhurst loop, a trail that branches off the Green Lake Loop, around the ghost town. On the map it didn't look too long, and it appeared that I'd be easily able to get back to Emerald Estates from the end of the trail, in order to get a bus back.

I figured it wouldn't take too long, and so, due to a spot of drinking the night before, I waited until around 230pm before I ventured outside. The first thing I noticed was the heat. I'm pretty sure it was above 30degrees, and the sun was beating down without a cloud in the sky. I caught the bus to Alpine Meadows, and started the walk from there, heading to Nicklaus North Golf CLub, from where I could pick up the Green Lake loop.

When I got to the trailhead, the first thing I noticed was that it probably wasn't going to be quite as easy as I thought it might be. Still, I had a full bottle of water, and I thought I was prepared. The trail started off, with a sharp narrow climb, with a loose rocky surface, and dense vegetation encroaching on either side. I carried on a little further, and the path changed from a narrow steep climb, to a wider steep climb. I got to the top of this climb, sweating profusely, minus my shirt, thinking that this will be a good work out for myself!

Well, it surely was. I was about to find out that this climb was one of many along the road. Everytime I thought "Surely we're descending to the lake side now", we turned away from the lake to start climbing and ascending over another rocky bluff. My water was getting warmer and warmer and the combination of walking up or downhill on loose rocks, or walking in the sand on the flat sections was making my legs tired, and I really hoped I'd be getting somewhere soon! The only consolation along the trail were some spectacular views over the lake.

The trail did end up descending, as it joined a river, then descended further to the valley floor, and joined another river, and figured that this must be the Green River that flows out of the lake to the north, and that I must have gone too far. I decided therefore to almost double back on myself, following the train lines that I knew ran along the shore of the lake. Thankfully this was the right call, and I soon found another sign to Parkhurst and the Green Lake Loop. However, I was getting slightly confused as the trail kept disappearing, and I had to just guess that I should carry along the train tracks.

Eventually I saw a trail heading into the forest from the tracks, and thought I may as well give it a try. At long last I had managed to stumble into Parkhurst! I had a nose around, taking some photo's around the area, of the collapsed houses and the abandoned 1940's trucks.

After a while I decided to head back, given that it was now about 730pm and I'd been hiking pretty much non stop! I got back to where the trail had descended to the valley floor, deciding not to take the same route back, but to head to Highway 99 to Emerald Estates, and catch the bus back. Of course what I hadn't counted on was that I had to walk about 4kms north to cross the river and get to Highway 99, before turning back for Emerald. This meant that I was absolutely knackered and drained, I'd run out of water, and was now about 5 or 6 km's from Emerald, which was in turn a further 9 or 10 km's from Whistler Cay!

I started walking back, before thinking I was really tired and thirsty and that it'd take me all night to get back home. So I decided to give hitch-hiking my first ever try! After about 15 minutes of walking and not much luck - not too many people head into Whistler from the north at that time of night - a guy in a Mini convertible felt pity on me, and stopped to pick me up! After a pleasant chat on the way back in about the state of the North American tourist industry, and the plusses and minuses of living in Vancouver, he dropped me off at the supermarket and I went off to buy about 10l of liquid of various descriptions!

So today, I'm trying to chill out, the temperature outside at 35degC, which is why I'm staying in this lovely air conditioned internet cafe as long as possible! Bring on the winter again!