Valerie Lake, a great winter destination for ice skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, fat biking and more
Valerie Lake is a small alpine lake located by the Mount Sima and Copper Haul roads in Whitehorse. I first read about it in the popular book Whitehorse & Area Hikes & Bikes from Yukon Conservation Society. On first going in the summer, on a reconnaissance hiking trip, it proved to be a beautiful, quaint little lake. At that time, I promised myself to be back in winter on a hunch that this would be a great ice-skating lake, and it absolutely was. On dark winter days, I would rush to the lake after work, skating under the last bit of light and making the trek by headlamp back to the car. I skated on Valerie Lake by myself, with friends or with a partner.
Why Valerie Lake is a prime ice-skating destination
It’s a small, intimate lake. At roughly 4.5 acres, Valerie Lake is half the size of the smaller Hidden Lakes in Riverdale, and a quarter of the size of Ice Lake by the Whitehorse airport. But it’s also twice as big as Paddy’s Pond in Hillcrest, or 54 times the size of a Whistle Bend lot. Not too small, not too big.
And in terms of icing, smaller lakes freeze much sooner than larger ones. But too small of a lake and it feels like you “already toured the building” pretty fast on your skate. It’s also perched at a higher altitude than most local ponds, which also promotes an earlier freeze-up. Valerie Lake can often be safely skated on by mid-November.
Speaking of safety, it’s a good idea to bring a battery-powered drill and do a few drill tests through the ice. If it’s not four inches (10 centimetres) thick, get off and come back after a particularly cold night. If the ice is thick enough, grab your shovel and get to work. Going early enough in the season and before any major snowstorm, you might experience the joy of finding bare ice on the lake. Or maybe some adventurous skaters will have been there before you, leaving the lake ready to skate on. In that case, buy yourself a lottery ticket.
The lake environment is worth mentioning, too. In winter, the forest floor is filled with animal tracks from squirrels, grouse, snowshoe hare, fox and the occasional lynx and wolf. In the left corner of the lake is a tiny creek inflow, as well as a large creek outflow in the opposite corner. The creek outflow seems to remain open all winter (no matter the frigid temperatures), so it’s a good spot to observe birds and also discover tracks from animals seeking the open water.
And lastly, Valerie Lake is fairly accessible if you don’t mind a short, pleasant hike. At the lake, some generous souls left a picnic table for everyone to enjoy. It’s a great spot to go with friends and family, even if not everyone wants to ice skate, as there are plenty of other activities to stay busy with.
If you are walking to the lake, you can keep going along the same trail, following the creek for a bit and then climbing towards a canyonlike upper view of the area. It’s also possible to cross-country ski or go on a fat bike, looping down the powerline trail by the outflow creek and then back to the Copper Haul Road. This must also be a good ice-fishing lake given the number of fishing holes I find on winter visits.
Getting to Valerie Lake
From Whitehorse, drive south to Mount Sima Road. Once on the road, keep an eye on your odometer and drive roughly three kilometres. There, on the right and at the end of a curb, you will find a large pullout to park your car. Parking is generally good for my little 2WD Toyota, but after a heavy snow you may want to wait for other (heavier) vehicles to pack the area first.
Leave your car at the pullout (don’t forget your skates) and walk along the Copper Haul Road, which you will find just around the corner. Spot the Trans Canada Trail marker on your left, about 100 metres from where you left your car. This is the trailhead. After you turn left, the trail will soon climb abruptly; but don’t worry, it won’t last. Stay to the right at trail intersections. The trail to the lake is about one kilometre and, more often than not, is travelled by snowmobilers who will leave a compacted trail to walk on without snowshoes.
Dust off your Hikes & Bikes book or visit yukonhiking.ca for more information about hiking or skiing the trails around Valerie Lake.
