Finally got around to doing this Lower Mainland classic on a beautiful Saturday in August. The hiking books warn about the popularity of this hike and indeed, I think the parking lot was busier than Metrotown, so if you go on a sunny weekend in the summer I highly recommend getting there as early as possible before the swarms hit. Note that it is pay parking.
To reach the lake and meadows you follow a well maintained, wide trail through the forest consisting of a series of switchbacks for a steady incline. There were some signs warning of a bee's nest near the trail and I managed to get stung by a bee in a bad mood, one too many hikers crossing her flight path I guess. It was a steady slog to the top but watching the campers hauling all their gear up the trail made me thankful for my small backpack of water and lunch.
The meadows were pleasant with a view of Black Tusk in the distance and we stopped at a creek to refill our water bottles. Of course the true gem was Garibaldi Lake, the turquoise water stunning against the glacial backdrop and vibrant fireweed sprouting here and there. We toured through the campground which looked pretty neat with walk-in tent sites. It fills up quickly as signs on the way up warned that the campground was usually full by early afternoon Saturdays. On the way down I was surprised by the number of campers still heading up the trail since it seemed the campgrounds were full.
Being my first serious hike of the season, my feet were very sore by the end of the hike due to the distance covered.
Time to complete: Approx 6 hrs and we took ample breaks at the meadows and the lake.
Level IMO: Moderate. Climbing the switchbacks got my heart rate up but my hiking buddy wasn't as affected.