Riding the Peak to Peak Gondola in Whistler, BC, has been on on my bucket list since its opening in 2008. A road trip to Jasper National Park, combined with a trip to Nairn Falls Provincial Park in 2016 with camping buddies Rick and Deanna finally made this happen.

Tucked away in a valley, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Pacific Mountain Range lies Whistler, a busy little ski resort village.  Made world famous by hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic ski events, and for being close to the bustling metropolis (by Canadian standards) of Vancouver, this snowy village is a mecca for winter sports lovers.  In the summer, the many little shops and merchants trade in their winter gear for hiking wear.  All things outdoors, from walking poles to backpacks to quick dry hiking shorts fill the shelves for the hikers from around the world that walk, shop, bike and camp here.

At the Visitor’s Centre we purchased tickets for the Peak to Peak Gondola,  a ski lift that hangs over 438m (1427 ft) in the air between the peaks of Mt. Whistler and Mt. Blackcomb, a distance of over 3.024km (1.88mi).

A chair lift near the Visitor’s Centre shuttled us to the peak of Mt. Whistler.  There we found the Roundhouse Lodge that housed the washrooms and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games display.

A short movie about the engineering of the Peak to Peak and the issues that plagued the building of this  “one-of-a-kind” structure was playing in a small theatre. It was very interesting, and I highly recommend taking the time to watch this. After the movie, we investigated the Peak to Peak viewing gallery for a look at the inner workings of the lift with all of its gears and cables, and then finally boarded the gondola. Did I mention I suffer from both claustrophobia and acrophobia? Whew.  I practiced my 4-step breathing exercises the entire 11 minutes of the trip, but some activities are just worth it. This was one of them.

The view  (through the window) was amazing in spite of the low lying rainy clouds. We were completely surrounded by  stunningly beautiful mountainsides, forests and meadows.  We could just see the treeline below the mist in several  peaks. Through the glass-bottomed floor we searched the valley for bears, deer and cougar.  We didn’t see any, but it was fun to look for them.   The ride was over far too soon.

At the top of Mt. Blackcomb the million dollar views continued. Along the short interpretive trail, we watched hoary marmots roaming about looking for food, and little pikas hiding in the rock crevices. This was the first time I have ever seen a pika.  It looked like a bunny with small ears.  Beautiful coastal mountainsides and peaks were identified by signs along the trail, and alpine flowers grew along the side of the trail.  The pika in this photo is the same species as those on Whistler.  I tried to catch an image, but they were so fast!

A very short slideshow of some of the flowers on the hike:

Eating opportunities were abundant. Picnic tables for those who brought their own fare, cafeteria style food court  with all the fast-food choices anyone would want, and even a fine dining restaurant. We opted for the much quieter Christine’s on Blackcomb. The meals were exquisite and elegant. Definitely for the fine diner who dines for the pleasure of food presentation. Unfortunately, after our pricey lunch we were still hungry, so  we hit the cafeteria for a pizza before heading back to Whistler Village via the Blackcomb lifts.

We didn’t stay long enough to take in any of the other activities at Whistler, but the time we spent on the mountain was spectacular.   The scenery, the wildlife, the plants, even the eating experience were amazing, and I enjoyed every minute of the day.  I checked another adventure off my bucket list, but I added one more: the early summer hike along the snow wall.  Find out about that spectacular hike here. Looks like a great adventure!

So many things to do in the Whistler area.  Here are a couple of websites that are worth looking at when planning your adventure.  You can find hiking and biking trail maps for Whistler and Blackcomb at https://www.whistler.com/about-whistler/maps/#hike

There are also many activities other than hiking and eating. For a list of all the activities, check out https://www.whistler.com/activities/summer/
For activities outside of Whistler, please visit my Alice Lake Provincial Park blog and read about the many adventures in nearby Squamish.  As you drive up the Sea to Sky Highway, be sure to check out Shannon Falls Provincial Park!

Here is my growing list of the parks visited as I continue my quest to visit all 648 BC Parks!!

https://648bcparks.ca/my-bucket-list-p…s-i-have-visited/