Lake Lovely Water, British Columbia

Flying with Glacier Air

By Peggy Gordon

The pilot circles above the snowy peaks of the Tantalus Range and then suddenly Lake Lovely Water comes into view. This pristine, alpine lake lies at an altitude of 3 thousand eight hundred feet in the coastal mountains of British Columbia, about 40 miles northwest of the 2010 Olympics city of Vancouver. Lake Lovely Water is a renowned hiking and rock-climbing area which can be reached by float helicopter or by foot. It is one of the most beautiful hikes in this area. Other activities include swimming, fishing, and canoeing. The Alpine Club of Canada has a two-storey hut on the lake which will sleep 20 people.

This licensed pilot could be you, along with a pilot guide from Glacier Air, located at the nearby Squamish airport. Or relax and let one of their experienced mountain-flying pilots show you the dramatic splendours of snow-covered mountains, icy glaciers, and secluded lakes while you take stunning pictures and build memories.

Glacier Air offers helicopter tours, fixed-wing airplane sightseeing tours and charters, as well as mountain flight training. If you want to celebrate that special occasion, or treat that special person, what better way than with a champagne lunch on a glacier. After touring the Tantalus Mountain range, the helicopter lands on Serratus Glacier and everyone gets out to stretch their legs, sip champagne and drink in the spectacular view. If you don’t drink, it doesn’t matter – the view itself is worth the trip! This alpine lunch is only offered from May to September and requires 24 hours notice. Even the warm, lined, waterproof  boots are provided by Glacier Air.

If you are planning to come to the 2010 Olympics, Glacier Air will pick you up in Vancouver and take you on one of their many tours around the breath-taking local mountains. If you go via the shimmering blue waters of Howe Sound, you will pass by cascading Shannon Falls, the third highest waterfalls in BC at a height of 335 metres above the sea-level freeway known as Highway 99. Next to this is the famous Stawamus Chief, another world-renown hiking and rock-climbing formation. It is a 700 metre granite monolith with 3 summits and is the second largest granite monolith in the world. It is surrounded by Stawamus Provincial Park suitable for camping.  If you view the Chief from Runway 14 at Squamish airport, you can pick out the shape of a beige-colored witch on her broom against the gray granite rock background.

You can fly up to Mount Garibaldi and around Garibaldi Park which is one of the largest provincial parks in British Columbia. See the “Barrier” which is a volcanic lava  formation that restrains the turquoise-coloured waters of alpine Garibaldi Lake. Another tour takes you up to Whistler and Blackcomb, two world-famous ski resorts. Included in this tour is the striking volcanic rock formation known as Black Tusk, which is visible for miles around. You will also see Cloudburst Mountain and Wedge Mountain.

Besides all the organized tours, there are customized tours arranged to your satisfaction. If you don’t know exactly which are the best choices, the friendly knowledgeable staff at Glacier Air will be quite willing to assist you. The owner/manager is Colette Morin, who has come up the ranks from private pilot, commercial pilot, instructor, tour guide, and now “le grande fromage” at Glacier Air, since 2002. The fleet consists of two Cessna 172s, and two Cessna 206s, along with a Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter. Glacier Air now has a base in nearby Sechelt and is truly capable of offering you an awesome mountain-flying experience in the coastal mountains of British Columbia, Canada.

If you wish to visit Colette’s website, it is www.glacierair.com. All the appropriate links, fares, and contact information are on the site.