Ziplines!

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We did quite a bit today, and it was all good. After breakfast we drove out through Stanley Park and over the Lionsgate Bridge to the Capilano salmon hatchery. There is no guided tour there, but it is built with tourists in mind, so you can follow a self-guided tour of the facility with explanations and models along the way. And, of course, you can watch the fish in the fish ladders and rearing ponds. So we learned a bit more about salmon and trout in British Colombia.

We then went for a walk around the Capilano river. There are several trails around the hatchery, winding their way through gorgeous old growth forest, between ancient trees, over bridges and around moss-covered boulders. Absolutely beautiful.

We got back to the car and drove along the Sea-to-Sky highway towards Whistler. We stopped not far from Whistler at the Brandywine Provincial Park (with a name like that how could we not?). We had a picnic there, and saw what I we thought was a blue jay but turned out to be a Steller's jay, a close relative. It was shy and moved fast, so the pictures didn't come out too well.

Anyway, after our picnic we walked along the trail through the forest and over a train track to the Brandywine Falls, a 70 m' waterfall plunging into the valley below.We took some pictures, enjoyed the clean air and read the plaques about how the mountains were created, shifting plates, volcanoes and earthquakes.

On the way back to the car we took a detour to Swimmers Lake, which turned out to be a small but pretty pond in the forest.

On the way back to the car a snake crossed our path! I'm pretty sure it was a garter snake, dark brown or black with light yellow stripes, but we didn't take any chances and just watched it go.

We drove the short distance to Whistler, parked and walked around town a bit before our zipline tour. The entire town is based on extreme sports tourism. There are no houses (that we saw), no regular supermarkets, apartment buildings, corner grocery stores. It's all fancy or fancier hotels, restaurants, clubs, tour operator's offices, outdoor sports equipment shops. All very pretty but, at least to me, seems 'plastic'.

I checked us in for our reserved zipline tour at the Ziptrek desk (right next to an ATV tour operator and across from a mountain bike operator). We signed all the waivers and waited for our guide. We watched the mountain bikers arrive from their mad dash down the mountain while we waited. A few minutes wait and our two guides showed up, helped everyone into their harnesses and helmets, and we were on our way. Our group consisted of 10 tourists - we four, another family of four (a couple with two young girls from Seattle) and another couple.

We loaded up onto cable car gondolas that took us up the mountain, and then, while one of our guides explained what would be happening next the other hooked himself up and zipped to the next station to set up the braking system. Our guides were extremely well organised and competent, communicating by walkie talkie and hooking us up and talking us through the whole thing, so that even Gilat wasn't too scared.

The first zip was the longest, about 700 m' long! And it was FUN! A beautiful, fast ride through - and over the forest! There were two ziplines there, so Ethan and I went first, followed by Tamar and Gilat, then the rest of the group two at a time.

Then we walked through the ancient forest to our next platform. The process there repeated itself, except that all the rest of the zips were single. The next one was shorter, but cruised through the branches. Surprisingly peaceful, fast as it was. It ended in a treetop platform this time. It's difficult to estimate how far up, but it must have been at least 30 or 40 m' high, and it was only midway up the tree. We crossed a hanging bridge to the next platform in the trees and went on another relatively sedate zip between the trees. Walking through the forest to our next station, we saw a bobsled track. Our guides told us that this was the most technical and fastest track in the world, and the luge and bobsled riders experience extreme G forces. Sportsmen from around the world come here to train, and to learn, for instance, exactly when to breath - it's so fast that they have an opportunity to breathe only at two points along the way, or they could pass out! And in summer they have wheeled sleds.

The fourth zip was also long, and it was the fastest - reaching speeds of 90 km per hour! Speeding over a deep valley with a flowing creek far far below. Cool!

We reached our last station after a walk through the forest, and climbed up a tower to the platform. We had to wait a little for the group before us to finish, and then it was our turn. The tower had a good photo spot just below the zipping platform, so we got some good pics.

This final one was also the steepest of the lot. It's so steep that it has a different kind of braking system, so our speed was controlled the whole way. It also had a net to catch anyone if the braking system failed. Looks like fun...

After the final zip was the most dangerous part - we had to cross the bike trail, with the bikers speeding down! We all made it safely to the end and took off our harnesses. The whole tour consisted of five zips covering about 2.5 km!

Back in Whistler we got some terrible ice cream and an apple cinnamon beavertail - that was good!

We made the long drive back to Vancouver and got back to the hotel at around 10:30, tired but happy.

Take a peek:

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