Day Trip: Hiking Whistler Alpine
With the end of the ski and snowboard season on Blackcomb marks the opening of the hiking season on top of Whistler, or so at least it would seem with the clear skies and very warm temperatures here in the southwestern part of British Columbia.
We (as in Canadians) recently had a long weekend or at least I believe most people created a long weekend out of our beloved country’s birthday because July 1st fell on a Tuesday this year but it allowed for some extra time to head out and part take in the beautiful weather mother nature has provided us. Robyn suggested we head to Whistler Mountain and hike up to the Whistler peak to wander around the alpine and as we checked the Whistler/Blackcomb website alpine hiking was open June 28th so we were excited to head up to the top.
For those who are unaware of where Whistler/Blackcomb is located it is in southwestern British Columbia about a 2 hour drive along the scenic Sea-To-Sky Highway north of Metro Vancouver past Squamish. Upon arrival in Whistler you will want to head towards the Upper Village and purchase yourself a lift ticket. Luckily the lift ticket during the summer season is at a reduced price of only $31.95 [Adult] (take an additional 50% off if you’re an EDGE card holder) where as the winter season lift ticket can cost up to $82!
Once you’ve purchased your lift ticket you can board the Whistler Village Gondola where you can sit back and relax as you ascend roughly 7,000 feet (or 2,200 metres) up the mountain. Don’t worry, you are offered a most excellent view of the surrounding mountain side as well as Whistler village as it gets smaller and smaller the higher up you ascend.
Once you’ve reached the top of the Gondola run you disembark and arrive at the Roundhouse Lodge which is also home to the currently under-construction Peak-to-Peak Gondola which will connect Whistler to Blackcomb. You can hang around and head off to the shop or grab some (expensive) food but this isn’t where Robyn and I stopped we headed off to the Whistler Peak chair lift which will take us the rest of the way up.
You make your way over to the Whistler Peak chair and start heading up the rest of the way to the actual Whistler Peak.
We both noticed that before the lift there is a sign that states those who are faint of heart might not want to take the chairlift up as it is quite steep.
Upon reaching the top you will see just how beautiful the coastal mountain ranges are and flanking the southern side of the peak is Blacktusk (dormant Volcano), aptly named for the black protrusion that prominently sticks out.
Robyn wanted to fly her kite ‘Smooth Sailing’ on the peak of Whistler so she did just that. Too bad the wind was fairly calm and not quite enough to get the kite to stay up long enough.
Another impressive and beautiful view is that of the Whistler Village and surrounding area. Be careful not to venture too close to the end as one misstep and you’ll be in for the ride of your life down the expert terrain of the Whistler Bowl ski run.
From you here you can lunch on one of many picnic tables and even take your photo alongside the Inukshuk or start your trek along the ridges and back down to the Whistler Village Gondola. Robyn wanted to take the High Note Trail (3-4 hour loop around) but due to the snow that was still plentiful we had to take Mathew’s Traverse (0.9km) to Pika’s Traverse (2.3km) which lead along the top ridge of Whistler Peak past The Saddle, over to Harmony and Symphony then back down towards the gondola.
One of the places that Robyn wants to take me for the upcoming ski/boarding season is Symphony Bowl which is the area in the above photo. She mentions it’s relatively new area and not as difficult as The Saddle or Harmony Bowl. I am looking forward to trying it out.
Now what sort of blogger would I be if I did not leave my URL where thousands of people could see it and hopefully remember it? The snow was as high as 8 feet in some areas so writing various messages into it was relatively easy. Many people left messages in the snow but I did not see any other URLs which is a bit surprising with how many visitors this particular trail will have.
Overall the trek took roughly 2 hours to complete and we both received bit too much sun. When we got there the sky was overcast and the sun was coming up. At about halfway through out trek the clouds parted and the sun shone down on us and since the snow was not quite gone the reflection also helped contribute to our redness. The trek was a lot of fun, though a bit disappointed that the High Note Trail was not open we were not discouraged and happily made our way back down to the gondola.
If want a good day trip and plan on being in the Whistler/Blackcomb area this summer and are not into the downhill mountain biking scene then purchase a lift ticket and head to the top! The view from the top of the peak alone is worth the cost. Who knows you might even see the local black bear population too,