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We are in our last month of Summer here in Vancouver and the weekend that has just passed was my first free weekend off since I started working. Being the weekend after my birthday and with my aunt Julia visiting from Australia, some adventure was definitely on the cards for the three of us. Dustin, Julia and myself had a few options available and after weighing up the pros and cons of a visit to Vancouver Island, we soon decided that a day trip to Whistler was the way to go. Less travel time, less expenses and we could do it all in a day. So after spending a few hours planing, researching and weighing up the costs for an overnight visit to Vancouver Island, we soon became a little less enthusiastic about the trip and warmed to the idea of a day trip out to Whistler. A place that has been recommended by many, and talked about across all sorts of travel books and blogs. All I really knew about this place was that it was spectacular for skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking, and that they had hosted the Olympics here. It enticed people from all around the world and was listed as one of the top things to do when visiting Vancouver, what ever that really means. Canada has many top reasons to visit so was Whistler really going to show us the WOW she was famous for even though it was summer?
To get there we all caught the bus which got us there in about two and half hours. We were told that the bus ride up has really nice scenery and to sit on the drivers side, but the seats were all full and it looked like we are the last three people on the bus. We managed to find three empty seats and the ride up was very quiet since we had to sit separately. Along the way I caught some glimpses of the mountains which became more magnificent the closer we came to Whistler. We hadn't planned our day and didn't really know what we would be doing but knew that we were in for a bit of an adventure in the outdoors. After asking around for some recommendations, it sounded like the best thing to do in a day is to ride the gondola up and over the mountains. A quick stop by the visitors centre showered us with all sorts of activities from zip lining, mountain biking, bear watching, canoeing, trekking and many other outdoor activities. There were also interests on the other end of the scale from galleries to spa retreats, shopping and brewery tours. Turns out that Whistler is a summer time playground not only for the sporting enthusiast, but for people of all ages who have different interests. As we jumped into the gondola from the village we were carried up and away and learnt more about this fascinating place throughout the day.
Our adventure begun as we were carried high above the mountains with our highlight soon to be riding over the Fitzsimmons valley on the Peak 2 Peak. Below us we can see mountain bikers zipping down and around the many paths carved into the ground. Thousands of tress and rocky surfaces soon became smaller and smaller as we were carried up higher and higher to the peak of the mountain. We look out for bears but can't see any. The peak of the mountain is still covered in snow yet not enough for skiing. Our first drop off gives us time to walk around the summit and take in the stunning 360 degree views which were really refreshing and unlike any other landscape I have seen before. Being back in the mountains reminds me of South America and the treks we did there. There really is something very refreshing and calming that places like this bring us, and it is amazing how just one day out here can really give you that lift. Finally we had made it out into the country and this is where we really get to taste the excitement of the many things Canada has to offer.
Our day was spent catching the gondola across the mountains and walking around the many trails available. Riding the Peak 2 Peak from Whistler mountain to Blackcomb mountain was really amazing! We have quickly been informed by the many guides about Canada that is has the best, longest, biggest this and that in the wooooorrrrld, and this gondola happens to be the longest unsupported span anywhere in the world stretching three kilometres. We are pretty tired of so many things being referred to the biggest and best in the world and has become a funny topic more than anything now. So be it if this is the longest gondola ride in the world, either way it was really amazing to be gliding so high above the ground! It was almost like flying and our carriage was holding about eighteen people. The construction of the gondola is really impressive and so incredibly quiet as it carried us across, with our highest point being about four hundred and thirty meters above the ground! We even spotted a bear down below in a clear area with no trees. This was our only bear sighting for the day. Our bear safety guide tells us to 'stand our ground' if we see a bear, to speak or sing softly to show your presence and to look the bear in the eyes. We must only attack with a weapon if the bear starts to attack. The advice was pretty ambiguous so probably a good thing we didn't see a bear. The bears out here are black bears and don't really take much interest in humans and are not as dangerous as grizzly bears. For $119 we could go on a bear sighting tour but would much rather that money be used more wisely. The closest contact we had with nature was a friendly little bird that landed on Dustins' shoulder on Blackcomb mountain. Towards the peak of the mountain lots of little grey birds that looked a bit bigger than a sparrow took a lot of interest in the humans and were very tame. Perhaps people have been feeding them and two took a liking to Dustin with one landing on his head and another on his shoulder.
As the day came to an end and our legs began to feel more tired, we caught the last gondola back into the village. We had been refreshed by the beautiful landscapes, tall green pine trees, seas of wild flowers, mountain ranges, bright blue lakes, snow capped peaks and lots of fresh air. Even though there was not much snow, the mountains were full of life and plenty of people were about. The was also a mountain biking festival on which had attracted hundreds of people but most of the action could not be seen from where we had spent the day. Turns out there are many events happening all year round at whistler and we are already planning our next visit which will be full of more adventure. Mountain biking, zip lining, canoeing, trekking.... the list goes on. We have had a taste of Whistler's adventures and will be coming back for a few nights to fit in as many adrenaline rushes as we can. We might not be able to extend our stay in Vancouver to visit Whistler during the ski season, but it turns out that this doesn't really matter after all. So consider this part one of our Whistler story for now....
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Pamela Neill I'm glad you're finding time to explore. For some reason I thought that Whistler was closer. It was nice that you got to spend time with your Auntie. Love your blogs.