Marble (Mouse) Canyon, Joffre Lakes, Nairn Falls back to Whistler

I’m sat here writing this from a hostel in Whistler, why not from inside Kevin as normal you ask? This morning, disaster struck. However it seemed somewhat inevitable when we chose campsite number 13 at Marble Canyon: We woke this morning to a much louder mouse noise from within the main camper. Throwing back our bed curtain I found a mouse climbing up the window towards us. After the initial shock, I jumped into action, batting it onto the floor then grabbing it in a bin back and running in out to the bin in my socks which must have looked slightly barmy if anyone was watching. Looking back probably not a great call on my part as the mouse could have very easily bitten me, but it didn’t and we survived the encounter (apart from the mouse). I also discovered 2 other mice trapped in the mousetraps, and the third had been activated but not caught anything. Very disturbing that one enterprising mouse found its way past the drawers and into our main compartment. Amelia is not happy. Therefore we’re staying in this hostel tonight and reassessing the situation tomorrow. 

Anyway back to the positives, today was about seeing things we didn’t get the chance to on the way out. From here on in we’re driving back towards Vancouver on the same roads we used on the way out, and during the washout of a day in Whistler we missed seeing Joffre Lakes, Nairn Falls, the parks in Whistler and Brandywine falls. Today we saw the first two and tomorrow we’ve planned the others. 

Joffre lakes are a series of 3 lakes at increasing altitudes set in lush forest, with snow topped mountains all around. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the top lake, again less than half of what the sign suggested. I think they try to scare people off doing these hikes. Of the three lakes the middle is the most scenic. Hilariously, but slightly tragically, there are also birds that voraciously attack people’s lunches. One literally swooped down to grab a biscuit clean out of an unaware tourists hand (no not either of us, although they did have a good go). It was a pretty surreal scene; a stunning mountainous backdrop, with about 8 different groups of hikers attempting to each lunch on the rocks next to the stunning lake, with birds continuously diving at them for their food. We later saw why they behave so aggressively, people were feeding them throughout the route, despite the strongly worded signs literally everywhere not to. Jeez tourists just follow the rules. 

In other news we debated what the correct spelling of ‘hiccups’ is. I said ‘hiccup’, Amelia thought ‘hiccough’. While technically both fine, the accepted wisdom in modern times has been ‘hiccup’. Absolutely fascinating trivia. 

Nairn Falls is less of a hike and more a stroll to a viewpoint. It’s worth a visit but nothing particularly outstanding. 

After the mice fiasco this morning we found a hostel in Whistler and arrived here at about 6ish. It’s great, although we are sitting in the corner of the common room with a very noisy group of people about to go out as it’s Friday night. We’re certainly not partaking in such frivolity. Definitely showing our age.