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Published: July 17th 2011
Wednesday morning was an early one as I was off to catch the 8am Greyhound bus to Whistler. About $50 later, I was off.
It's about a 2.5 hour ride from Vancouver to Whistler, but I'd heard the Sea to Sky Highway had gorgeous views so I was actually looking forward to the ride. Unfortunately my tired body had other plans for me, as I fell asleep on the way... oops! I woke up in Squamish and stayed awake the rest of the way but the view was nothing special in this portion.
I was a little worried and disappointed because it was raining all morning and wouldn't let up once I got to Whistler. I grabbed a map from the information booth and walked straight to Starbucks for a warm coffee. It was COLD! I was wearing 4 layers and my pashmina scarf and was STILL cold!
I walked through a bit of the village and shops. I found a Whistler patch for my camp blanket and even bought myself a wind breaker/rain jacket since I need a new one anyways, and the weather seemed appropriate to do so then and there.
I found some lunch (warm soup!) and then made up my mind to go up the mountain regardless of the fact that I couldn't even see which direction the mountain was because it was so cloudy and rainy. The lady at the information desk said that the lift up the mountain was enclosed, that the Peak 2 Peak ride between mountains was also enclosed, and that the rain would only bother the view. She said it takes about 2.5 hours to do both peaks so I knew I just needed to go, despite weather and disappointments.
Well, the trip up Whistler was cool. I got my own little gondola and saw a bear early in the ride up. The ride up was about 30 minutes, and it was spitting out but I was still able to get a few photos from the lift. The best part was when the snow appeared!
At the top of Whistler, the view was stunning! The rain stopped and most of the clouds had cleared so I was able to see lots. The snowcapped mountains were beautiful and I was able to see snow, stand on snow, and hold the snow!
I was then headed across on the Peak 2 Peak gondola for an even more beautiful view! I was in the gondola with a family from Toronto and we talked about how Blue Mountain in Collingwood held NOTHING to this place! My pictures won't do the views justice, but it really was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen.
Once I arrived on Blackcomb mountain, I took more photos and then caught a bus to the foot of another lift (called Seventh Heaven). The bus driver was trying to discourage us from going up there by telling us how the temperature was below freezing and not much of a view today, but I figured that was just because we were the last busload of the day and the workers just wanted to go home. Myself and a few others made the trip anyways, and discovered that she wasn't lying. The lift was not enclosed, so the open air was definitely hitting me. There was nothing to see at the top, and we had to turn around and head right back down the mountain once we got up there but the view on the way back down was worth it. From the Blackcomb side we had an awesome view of the Whistler side. It was COLD though! "Below freezing" wasn't exaggerating. I had my hoods up, my hands up in my sleeves and my scarf wrapped around my face!
I then took the bus back to the the top of Blackcomb for some more photos and then hopped on my own gondola for another Peak 2 Peak ride, as I realized I'd missed the Inukshuk on the Whistler side. So back I went, enjoying the view again, in order to get my photos with the inukshuk. I have a new love of these things, although just discovered that the version that looks like a human is actually called an inunnguaq (like the 2010 Olympic Winter Games mascot). Well, no one else was even around to take a photo of me with this thing so I propped my camera up on a rock and set the self-timer then ran down the little hill and up the other. It worked! Mission accomplished!
I then head back on the Peak 2 Peak a third time (again in my own gondola!) and then made my way down the Blackcomb mountain on two more open chairlifts. Those weren't quite as cold as the first one I'd done but it got pretty foggy on the way down. I did see 2 more bears on the way down though!
In total, I spent about 4.5 hours up on the mountaintops!
I then grabbed dinner at a pizza place and headed for the Greyhound stop. The ride home this time, I slept again until Squamish (through the boring part at least) and then was awake for the beautiful views between Squamish and Vancouver this time. On my left were huge rocky hillsides and on the right were mountains and water. I was glad I didn't sleep through it this time!
Once back in the city, I made a quick stop at Chapters for some gifts and then headed back to Meg's to sleep. Definitely my favourite place so far!
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Steph A.
non-member comment
Wow, it looks like you've been busy! BC is a beautiful province!