Touch and go is the agenda that alpine trekkers follow at this time of year, especially if what they’ve got in mind is to go scrambling above the tree line. Cooler weather offers one certainty: between now and Thanksgiving, nature will draw the blinds on favourite high-elevation rambling routes.

Given this summer’s foreshortened hiking season, that hardly seems fair. First, a deeper-than-average snow pack was slow to melt, resulting in a late start locally and throughout nearby Coast Mountains. A cool, wet August further dampened the urge to seek the peaks. September finally offered a sunny reprieve, but not without a few hiccups, of course. To herald the autumn equinox, five centimetres of fresh snow dusted the tallest peaks, then just as quickly melted with the advent of Indian summer.

What’s the allure of a high-altitude hike? Some would say you’ve got to go high to get high. Nothing heightens an appreciation for this special corner of the nation than soaking up mountainscapes with kilometres of rolling ridges dappled in vibrant hues that range from olive greens to pumpkin yellows. All this and more awaits, especially if you lie burrowed inside a cozy sleeping bag as the frothy Milky Way, whipped up by a cosmic barista, foams overhead.

Based on a survey of likely spots along the Sea to Sky corridor this month, here are two easily reached destinations within several hours’ journey of Metro Vancouver.

Take it from the top—the top of Whistler Mountain, that is. Treat yourself to a gondola ride to the Roundhouse Lodge’s 1,840-metre perch and begin from there. While your legs are still fresh, tackle the combined Harmony Lake and Musical Bumps trails, which lead 4.5 kilometres east to meet up with the High Note Trail near Garibaldi Provincial Park’s boundary. (Numerous hikers interviewed by the Georgia Straight reported that much of the 11.5-kilometre portion of the Musical Bumps Trail between Whistler Village and Singing Pass has fallen into disrepair. They strongly recommended bypassing that approach in favour of the Whistler gondola option. For details, visit www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/garibaldi/trail_updates.pdf)

From the Roundhouse, a well-marked, single-track route winds down around Harmony Lake, then climbs into Burnt Stew Basin. Stands of subalpine fir dot the rock-strewn slopes. A wall of Spearhead Range peaks, from Blackcomb to Quiver, define the northern skyline. Your reward on reaching the ridge between Piccolo and Flute summits, two of a trio of “musical bumps”, is the sudden appearance of Cheakamus Lake to the south. It’s impossible to overstate the captivating beauty of the lake’s polished turquoise surface.

At this point, weigh your options. Either explore west along the five-kilometre High Note Trail, which eventually leads to the summit of Whistler Mountain, return to the gondola along the Musical Bumps Trail, or continue east along this same trail toward Singing Pass. The sunnier the weather, the more you’ll be lured to scramble up Flute and beyond, to Oboe Summit. There’s no finer place to appreciate fall colour, alpine-style, except perhaps from the shores of Rainbow Lake.

As Whistler Mountain dominates the eastern skyline, where the resort lies at the summit of a pass between Squamish and Pemberton, so too does Rainbow Mountain to the west. When it comes to ascending the 7.5-kilometre Rainbow Lake Trail, with an 800-metre elevation gain, there’s no getting off the hiking hook this time. If you’re going to reap the rewards, it will have to be under your own steam all the way. Not that there’s any harm in that, especially as municipal trail crews have done their utmost to ensure a positive “resort experience”.

In response to a volley of complaints from local hikers about deteriorating trail conditions, blowdowns have been cleared, boardwalks repaired, outhouses spiffed up, and, best of all, two new bridges installed. Lead hand Kevin Sibbald took a moment from his perch atop a privy where he was installing a new roof to tell the Straight that although ownership of the trails is a grey area, the municipality accepted responsibility for their upkeep, particularly as Rainbow Lake is the main source of the town’s water supply.

Unlike the High Note Trail, huckleberries and blueberries are in plentiful supply beside this route. So too are brilliantly coloured fungi, though not the edible kind. Still, the pleasure a white-speckled, golden-globed amanita imparts to the eye is a totally unexpected reward. Blue grouse, striped like tabby cats and camouflaged by mottled plumage, dart among the tangled ground cover. When you pause at one of a series of viewpoints, gray jays, or whiskey jacks, will eagerly swoop in to pluck food from an outstretched hand.

Rainbow Lake spreads out across a subalpine basin as Rainbow Mountain’s four summits rise above. It is far smaller than Cheakamus, though no less colourful, and a blessedly level trail skirts its perimeter and leads to a viewpoint of distant peaks to the east. These include Wedge Mountain, the tallest and, owing to its distinctive shape, most easily recognized.

After hiking steadily uphill to reach this high point, you may well be moved to hum a few bars of Ode to Joy. Knowing that it only takes half the amount of time to descend will surely lend a touch more gusto to your performance.

Access: Before setting out, check Environment Canada’s Web page as well as Whistler Blackcomb’s Web cams  for views of Garibaldi Park and surrounding peaks. Remember to pack the 10 essential emergency items recommended by North Shore Rescue.