Hiking Manic Peak via Darling Lake near Squamish
Contents
Manic Peak via Darling Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 16.80Km
Elevation Gain: 1,208m
Highest Elevation: 1,959m
Average Gradient: 14.38%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes
Scrambling / Exposure: Some simple, unexposed scrambling
Manic Peak via Darling Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°45’08.2″N 122°56’03.1″W
Manic Peak via Darling Lake Overview
Manic Peak is an unofficially named summit located directly southwest from Mamquam Mountain, technically in Garibaldi Provincial Park, and it could be argued is a mere extension of the Mamquam massif itself. Accessed from the Watersprite Lake trailhead, Manic Peak offers some amazing views of the numerous summits of Mamquam, namely Delusion Peak & Darling Peak, as well as the Garibaldi massif, Dreadnought Peak, Crawford Peak and many of the typical Sea to Sky summits as well. The hike also passes by Darling Lake, a scenic alpine lake formed from the outflow of many of the glaciers flowing from Mamquam.
Back in 2015 the BCMC (who maintain the Watersprite trail) created a trail to Darling Lake, clearing out the bushy terrain, marking the route and even putting in a handline over the tricky Paranoid Creek crossing. Unfortunately government entities got involved under contentious circumstances, and ordered the BCMC to remove the trail, take down the markers, remove the hand cable crossing and cease any maintenance of it. While the official trail was removed and maintenance has indeed ceased, hikers and mountaineers continue to use the trail primarily to access Mamquam, and as such the trail is quite easy to follow, with much of it marked. A map is strongly advised however.
As noted the trailhead for this hike is shared with Watersprite, and as such involves a long, rugged FSR drive that is only suitable for capable vehicles. SUV’s with good clearance can and do make it to the trailhead, but ideally you would have a higher clearance vehicle with all-terrain tires thanks to the rough and rocky road.
Manic Peak is a self-navigated affair with no trail or markers to the summit once you depart from the Darling Lake trail and gain the ridge. Very few people complete this hike and there is a high chance you won’t see anybody the entire day. The ridge to the summit is fairly straightforward boulder hopping, with some use of hands needed here and there. There should be no exposure anywhere along the hike. The season for this hike is primarily summer, likely July to October. Any earlier in the year will likely involve snow, with crampons and an ice axe recommended, especially if you drop down to the lake from the summit as the GPX notes.
Dogs are allowed in the area but crossing Paranoid Creek will be extremely difficult if not impossible for most. The bouldery ridge will also prove challenging. Camping at Darling Lake is fine and some people opt for this.
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Is Manic Peak via Darling Lake worthwhile?
There aren’t many hikes that get you this close to the enormous and imposing Mamquam Massif. While all of the summits of Mamquam are technical mountaineering objectives, Manic Peak is a straightforward hike offering an insight into an otherwise rarely seen region. The views from the ridge and summit are excellent, and Darling Lake is a nice addition as well. If you want a hike that avoids any crowds and offers stunning views, Manic Peak fits the bill perfectly.
How difficult is the hike to Manic Peak via Darling Lake?
With over 1,200m elevation gain and a 14% average gradient Manic Peak is a fairly difficult hike, though certainly not obtrusively so.
Technically speaking the hike has a couple of challenges. The first real challenge is crossing over Paranoid Creek. In order to cross, parties must butt scoot across a long fallen cedar log above an often raging creek below. While not that difficult, merely requiring some balance, it can be unnerving if the creek is fast flowing, which it will be in early and even mid summer. Beyond that the trail up to the meadows is straightforward yet steep. Once in the meadows the trail is hard to follow and a map would be useful, with fairly straightforward route finding. You’ll climb up the ridge towards the summit, at which point you pick your own path, hopping across boulders. There may be the odd time you use your hands, mostly for stabilization, but there should never be any exposure. If you decide to drop down from the summit to the lake directly (forming a loop) you can expect a steep descent on some slick rock. In the early summer there is every chance there will be snow on this descent, which would absolutely need an ice axe and crampons.
Manic Peak via Darling Lake Route Information
The trailhead for Manic Peak is shared with the Watersprite Lake trailhead. This involves a long drive along the mostly benign Mamquam Forest Service Road, before turning off and joining a very rugged FSR. This road is very rocky, steep and has a few rutted sections that will challenge most vehicles. While SUV’s do reach the trailhead every weekend in the summer, the biggest concern would likely be vehicles without all-terrain tires, with a flat tire always a possibility.
From the trailhead hikers will follow the well manicured Watersprite Lake trail, which starts off very mellow, with minimal elevation in the first kilometer. Since this trail is maintained it’s usually fast and simple travel. After 1.5km or so you’ll enter a forest, climbing up gradually and avoiding any mud thanks to the steps and bridges installed by the BCMC.
After just under 2km, at around 910m elevation, the trail will reach a junction with some signage. Watersprite Lake, where practically everyone is going, will be to the right, and the unofficial, unsigned Darling Lake trail will be to the left.
Over the next kilometer you’ll follow this obvious, albeit rough trail, as it climbs gradually. There may be spots that are overgrown, and in the early summer morning you can expect to get soaked in dew from the branches if so. At around 1,000m the trail reaches Paranoid Creek, following it upstream briefly as you meander towards the crossing point. After dropping into the forest you’ll see the fallen tree crossing over Paranoid Creek, a slick log thanks to the amount of people that have butt slid across it over the years. You’ll now have to straddle the log with a leg either side, using your hands in front to scooch your butt forward inch by inch, with a potentially raging Paranoid Creek 6ft below your feet. A fall could be life threatening at certain times of year so do take care and focus on your balance. Thankfully it’s short lived and you’ll soon reach the other side.
Once on the other side of the creek the trail isn’t super obvious initially, mostly thanks to the boggy, overgrown terrain and some deadfall. Still, it’s not that hard to stay on track, and once you gain some elevation you’ll find yourself on an obvious and, at times, well marked trail. Between kilometers 3.5 and 5.5 will be where you gain most of the elevation in this hike as you grind up through the forest with little of note to see. Thankfully the trail is easy to follow and in surprisingly good condition given the lack of maintenance. As you near the meadows at 1,600m you’ll pass over a few short boulder fields and soon enough you’ll break out of the trees and find yourself in a combination of meadows and boulders.
At the 1,600m mark the trail loops around and is not obvious at all. There isn’t really a designated route here, you can go whichever way you please, ensuring you keep an eye on your map to verify you’re going the right way. Over the next 800m or so you’ll meander through these meadows without gaining much elevation, and at around 6.3km you’ll reach the point where you have to either drop down to Darling Lake or continue gaining elevation as you climb up to Manic Peak. If you are doing the loop I strongly advise going counter clockwise, ascending up the ridge first before summiting and dropping down to the lake directly from the summit.
Once you’re on the ridge there is no trail whatsoever, and no markers or cairns to follow. You will now self-navigate along this broad ridge in the direction of the summit. Travel is mostly simple, with a few ups and downs over bumps along the way. Some of these can be bypassed by traversing below them if needed. As you climb up the views of Darling and Delusion Peak, with their surrounding glaciers, will be incredible, as well as Darling Lake down below. You’ll also see the Garibaldi massif off in the distance, as well as Sky Pilot, the Chief and the Tantalus range to the west.
Now it’s just a case of working your way towards the summit, which is simple stuff and shouldn’t take too long. From the summit the views only get better, now being able to see Dreadnought Peak, Crawford Peak and many of the other summits surrounding Watersprite Lake (which you can’t see). You’ll also now see Mamquam Mountain’s summit beyond Delusion Peak.
After resting up at the summit you can decide whether you want to also add on Darling Lake. If you do, you can either return down via the same ridge before backtracking to the lake, or the faster way is to drop directly off the summit into a valley with creeks flowing into the lake. This drop down is steep and slippery at times, and may even have snow in it depending on the time of year. Make sure to assess the route before committing as climbing back up won’t be fun.
In dry conditions the descent is straightforward albeit steep and sometimes loose. At times it looks like you may cliff out, only to realize you can continue descending quite readily. Eventually you will have descended all the way to a creek flowing from a pocket glacier, at which point you simply follow this creek all the way down to the lake, which is simple. The views you’ll get of Garibaldi behind Darling Lake on the descent will be excellent.
Darling Lake is a nice spot to relax and refill your water, with a few campsites dotted around the northern perimeter of the lake. It’s easier to walk around the right side of the lake than the left, but either will work. Once you reach the other side of the lake you should spot a few cairns, following them will eventually lead you back to the trail you approached from, at which point you simply return to the trailhead the same way you came.
When should I hike Manic Peak via Darling Lake?
Most people will want to avoid snow on this hike, in which case you’ll want to at least wait until July before attempting it. I would imagine the bugs in early to mid summer are horrific here as much of the route is damp and humid. Paranoid Creek also plays a factor, it will be fast flowing in early summer. The ideal time to visit is late summer when the creek will be far more mellow and the bugs will have died down considerably. Snow will likely return by the end of October, sometimes earlier.
Top Tip
You’ll need some comfort in route finding in the backcountry for this hike as the trail is not marked once you depart from the Darling Lake trail. A map is strongly advised.
In the early to mid summer snow very well may be lingering, which may prevent your ability to drop down from the summit to the lake directly. You can always go back down the ridge to reach the lake, though this will add some distance to the hike.
I’d advise ascending the ridge rather than ascending directly from the lake, descending the steep terrain will be easier than ascending it.
