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Published: September 15th 2012
Peak to Peak Gondola
Most amazing of views.Very slow start to the day! Mum and Dad waited patiently for off spring to awake but finally, at 10 am, enough was enough and they were dragged from their bunks.
It was after 11 am when eventually we were on the road West (it's actually more North)towards Whistler. I was slightly agitated at such a late start for a relatively long drive of 1.5 to 2 hours each way but once we hit the Sea-to-Sky Freeway / highway whatever it is, that all changed. Again we were spoilt with superb weather and this just added to the most amazing of scenery. This was high amongst some of the most remarkable and picture perfect post card driving we have ever experienced. We made comparisons with other places, but only in part and seldom in scale. From the ocean bordered by craggy in parts, forest strewn in others, mountains to small lakes surrounded by heavy bush, all with the mountain ranges stretching away on both sides and in front of us. On occasions just stunning.
Stopped at Murrin Provincial Park and had a short walk around the lake for a few minutes and then drove off through Squamish and into
Whistler. The village is pretty much what anyone would expect, a well heeled clientelle in a well presented attractive little town. The whole place has a resort feel or tone to it. Very pleasant but perhaps just a little artificial. But thats the village - not the scenery - that is a whole new ball game.
Lots of mountain bikers all having a great time and many of them have amazing skills and guts looking at some of the tracks they are coming down, but just maybe taking themselves a little too seriously. But full credit to them picking Whistler as a place to go biking. Simply a stunning setting.
After lunch in some little restaurant we got tickets for the Peak to Peak Gondola. Its actually two gondola trips. The first from Whistler Village to the top(ish) of Whistler is 25 minutes roughly in a 4 person gondola. But thats the village - not the scenery - that is a whole new ball game.
At the top of Whistler we had a wander around for a while soaking up the view, one that you could never tire of, and then caught the second gondola across to
Blackcomb.
This is not like other gondola / cable car trips. This is in its own league. I estimated that at its hghest point we were around 436 metres above the ground and I suspect the entire ride is around 4.4 kilometres with an average speed of something akin to 7.5 metres per second, which when you quickly do the maths means the trip between the peaks is roughly 11 minutes. Fortunately wikipedia proved my calculations accurate. This gondola is much larger, seats between 16 and 20, and on the way over we travelled in one with a glass bottom. Didn't really add anything to be fair but points for trying it.
While the scenery on the way up the mountain to Whistler had been spectacular, this part was sensational. Absolutely stunning and I have long run out of superlatives. The forest sits below like a dense carpet pile, about 100 foot high in most places, and with the quiet of it all it was just superb to soak it all up. Small streams with river bed rocks and shorelines ran ribbons through the forest breaking the greenery.
Once on Blackcomb we went for a look around
View from the top.
No photograph good or bad can do this view justice... because one of our objectives was to locate the elusive Marmota Caligata Okanagana, more commonly known as the Hoary Marmot...actually hes about as elusive as a Wallaby front rower, and we ended up finding three of the 'lil critters' pretty much straight off the bat. The Hoary Marmot is cute enough, but really his mystique has to be in its name. Hoary has several meanings, ancient or venerable or tedious from familiarity being two of them, or gray with age being the more probable origin for these fellas. Whatever the reason, the Hoary Marmot has to have one of the coolest names of the rodent world. From the three that we saw, and knowing of course that the Hoary Marmot is sexually dimorphic it seems probable that the one featured here is a male. The Hoary Marmot is especially significant to Whistler as it was after the distinctive chirp or 'whistle' of HM that the mountain was named. The Roger Whitaker of vermin no less.
We also saw a chipmunk!
Getting back to the village was just the journey up, but strangely, in reverse. It was on the way back that we have the pictures of Sandy and
Marmota Cynomys
Our special guest of honor... The Hoary Marmot. That is just the coolest of names! Must be the envy of all other rodents... Caitlin and Reuben. At Whistler we transferred to the smaller gondola and headed backdown the mountainside. And here was where we had a little excitement. Hawkeye found a black bear. He was in a small clearing off to our right a short distance and everyone got to have a good look at him for around half a minute before the cable car passed and he disappeared from sight. Kids were really excited by this. So was mum.
At the bottom found the kids their promised ice cream from world famous in Canada 'Cows' ice cream. This place had lots of quirkey gifts with plays on the bovine terminology. Fridge magnets that say things like 'Hello Cowie' on the Hello Kitty type logo, Justin Beefer book marks and another fridge magnet that featured a hiefer with lip stick and a long wig titled '50 Shades of Hay'. Caitlin wanted to buy that one for Sandy. I thought not.
It was after 6 pm when we left Whistler and drove back to Eagles Lodge Resort. This was perhaps even more stunning than on the way up because it was in the late afternoon light and through the dusk. Had orange
With the world behind...
...one of the most expansive views we've ever seen. hues to the snowy peaks and then silhouettes of the islands and hills surrounding the ocean as we drove back down the Sea to Sky Highway. Really memorable.
Back at the accommodation shortly before 8 pm after a very good day out.
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JB and Big All
non-member comment
Hoary what's its - are they really vermin?
Great pictures and sounds like you had a great day out. It really sounds as if you are having a great time. Enjoy. Lots of luv