Whistler

---

Phil lent us his cell phone to use as an alarm as we are still travelling without a watch. We got up at 6.15, and Phil's best friend and colleague Paul picked us up a bit after seven. He was meeting some other Australian friends at Whistler so we were lucky to get a free trip up there.
Some of the sights on the way up to Whistler were amazing, with bright blue sky as far as the eye could see. There was some roadside construction being conducted in preparation for the next Winter Olympics at Whistler in 2010.
On arrival we bidded Paul goodbye and thanked him before heading to the information centre to work out what we were going to do. We decided to go on the gondola up Whistler Mountain (yes, another gondola) instead of Blackcomb Mountain. There was still a lot of people around for a working Thursday, but since it was a gorgeous day and Vancouver is only an hour and a bit away, I'm sure many had rung in sick.
The gondola ride took 20-25 minutes and gee was it worth it. 360 degree views of very high mountains, frozen lake at the bottom, it was amazing. In our gondola were two instructors, and six five year olds who entertained us, and kept my mind off the drop to the ground. I didn't find the heights too bad actually.
At the top it was a very cold, -10, so we headed straight into the chalet. We couldn't decide what to do because we didn't really have the right clothing for the conditions. We asked if we could get a chairlift to the top for even better views and hike back down, but we weren't allowed - too dangerous. Outside the chalet it was freezing, but we put up with it to get some photos and video footage. After sightseeing for a while, and frequent visits back inside the chalet we headed back to the gondola for the trip back down. Even though we didn't ski or snowboard we probably should have. There were so many runs, and most of them were so long it seemed like it would take all day to do each trail. It would also have been good to say we skiied at the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics, but at least we walked some of it.
In Whistler village the buildings are really well designed and pretty, but most of the shops seemed pretty expensive.
Getting on the bus was a relief to get out of the cold, but it was sad to leave behind such a beautiful place after a relatively short time.

---

Photos

Mountains 7
Yep, it's cold!