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Logger’s Lake is an amazing little lake hidden up in the deep forest above the more well known Cheakamus River. The lake, almost unbelievably exists in a long extinct volcano. However, as soon as you see the lake up close, you quickly come to believe it. The lake sits in an almost cartoonish looking, volcano-shaped bowl, with one side of the bowl a crumbling array of truck sized boulders leading down to the lake.
The crater that Logger’s Lake sits in was a volcano that pushed through the glacial ice in this valley about 10000 years ago. As the lava cooled it formed the wonderful basalt ridge that is crumbling into valley. As Logger’s Lake sits deep in this ancient volcano's vent, it is sheltered from the wind and soaks up the suns rays into the dark boulders all around. As a result makes it the warmest lake in Whistler, though most other lakes around are glacier fed(via rivers and creeks), so the comparison is not entirely fair. The surrounding cliffs and forest also add to the tranquility of the lake. Located a bit off the radar for most and requiring a short logging road drive and then a very steep, but short hike to get to also contributes to its serenity. This serenity is broken at least once a year, however, when a new tradition formed in 2012. A yearly "Flash Mob Floatie Party" began, where hundreds congregate at Logger's Lake, most with rubber boats for an outdoor party, DJ an all. But aside from that one hilarious day, Logger's Lake is a secret-feeling oasis. Another, though unexpected draw to Logger’s Lake, is its good fishing. Occasionally the lake is stocked with rainbow trout and because of the steep shoreline, casting from almost anywhere along the shore is easy and effective.
There is also an ancient and disintegrating log that is a pier of sorts that leads to a tiny wooden platform out in the lake. A good spot to cast from as well, though you will be standing in a centimetre of water as the platform partially sinks under your weight. Logger’s Lake has a surprisingly large network of hiking trails around it. As the area was logged quite extensively in past decades, you often hike along trails near the lake that are in fact overgrown logging roads.
The ridge directly behind you, if you are facing Logger's Lake and the log pier is an excellent place to hike. Appropriately named the Crater Rim Trail, this trail takes you quickly up to a tremendous vantage point over the lake. Further along and up the ridge you reach the outer edge of the volcano vent and can look outward across the valley in the direction of Cheakamus Lake. The trail then bends to the right and ascends back towards Loggers Lake. Bearing left at the next junction takes you further along the Crater Rim Trail, while bearing right takes you back down to Logger’s Lake.
The Cheakamus River trails consist of two trails that link via the suspension bridge at one end and the vehicle bridge in Cheakamus Crossing. These two trails, Riverside & Farside, lay at the heart of The Whistler Interpretive Forest which encompasses the surrounding areas of beyond Cheakamus River. These areas consist of the Riverside Trail, Farside Trail, Discovery Loop, Ridge Trail, Riparian Interpretive Trail, Crater Rim Trail, Craterview Loop, Plantation Loop, Biogeoclimatic Loop and Crater Lookout. The Riverside Trail(left side of Cheakamus River if looking from Cheakamus Crossing toward Cheakamus Lake) is an easy to moderate, 2 kilometre multi-use trail with a a few steep switchbacks and a couple very scenic viewpoints over the river. At the suspension bridge it connects to the Farside Trail, an easy, multi-purpose trail that brings you back to where you started in Cheakamus Crossing. More Logger's Lake info...