Earlier this year we did a hike in the snow on Whistler mountain. It wasn't the hike that we wanted to do, but that day we also turned our Edge Cards into a season pass for hiking at Whistler. It was only an extra $15 so it seemed worth while. So we decided to head up this Sunday and do the hike we wanted - the High Note Trail. We've done this hike before, and it's a wildflower bonanza in the summer!

There wasn't a lot to see from the top...

Sadly, the weather wasn't very nice when we arrived. Clouds had socked in the top, and it was actually pretty cold. Still, we decided to press on and do the hike. It ended up being worth it, even if we were stuck in the clouds most of the day.

I'm going to do this post a little differently, and just add some notes to the photos. Curious to see how it works.

Right from the moment we got to the top of Peak Chair, we were solidly in the clouds. You could barely see across to the place where our hike was supposed to start.

This time of year there are lots of wildflowers up on the mountain. We were happy to see many, right from the start of the hike.

The start of the High Note Trail. As you can see, we were right in the clouds.

Justine, about to step off into the abyss.

These red flowers are probably my favorites and were abundant during large stretches of the hike.

Marmot!

One of the most fun things about this hike, because the trail was pretty quiet and there weren't a lot of people around, there were tons of marmots about.

Sadly, I have no idea what most of these flowers are.

We were about a week early for most of these beautiful purple flowers. They were growing all along a small stream, but most were still buds.

It's really hard to capture how many flowers there are on the mountain.

The purple ones are lupin - that much I know!

These ones were also a week or so away from being in full bloom. It's amazing how much things change from one week to the next.

A small floral still life.

A couple of marmots sharing a rock while the sun sort of came out.

These two were playing on and around the rocks, pretty much oblivious to everything else going on.

These clusters of purple flowers tended to be on/near rocks, and had the most beautiful colours.

After hiking along the ridge for a while, we came to the split in the trail. The shorter Half Note back, or the full High Note. We stuck to the original plan.

This marmot was sitting right beside the trail. He let us get pretty close, before diving for his hole.

Very close - we got within 8 or 10 feet of this one.

Cheakamus Lake is the highlight of this hike - if you can see it. The clouds came and went over the day.

The blue colour of the lake is amazing - if you can see it...

The clouds came in and out all day. Sadly, we never saw the whole lake.

The only one skethcy part of this hike is this metal bridge wedged inot the rocks. It's not too bad, but it is something you have to take car on.

Or you can ham it up...

Someone wasn't taking it all that seriously.

The clouds parted long enough for a view up the valley.

I love this view - the trail winding along the ridge, with an almost full view of Cheakamus Lake.

There are an amazing variety of plants that fight to survive, including some suculents.

One of my favoutite pictres from the hike.

The red wildflowers, the blue of the lake - so much colour, even if the sun didn't come out.

Eventually you come to the spot where you turn back towards Roundhouse. The terrain changes pretty dramatically.

Even in this very harsh looking area, the flower thrive for a few short months.

Such amazing views.

A small stream works it's way across the meadow.

A this point it drops over a ledge, and becomes a pretty good sized waterfall. Sadly, you can't get to it easily.

I love the Dr. Suess flowers.

Half way up the big climb near the end of the hike. This part is a tough slog.

My red wildflowers lined the trail through this stretch of the hike.

Another one of my favurite pictures from the hike. I love the colour combinations.

These were the most vibrant of the red flowers. They ranged from a pale orange through this vibrant red.

Coming to the end. A boardwalk along Harmony Lake, before one last climb up to the lodge.

Success!