Whistler Part 2

We enjoyed a second wonderful day in Whistler, waking up to a glorious morning and planned to do the Peak2Peak Gondola. It was the last weekend of summer activities on the mountain and the famous Turkey Sale. It is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and the place was packed with people looking for bargains, carrying snowboards and gear through the village. Mountain bikers were everywhere and as we queued for our gondola tickets they were also lining up to go up the mountain.

 It was a 25 minute ride up the mountain with a stop part way up to let off riders. During the ride up we would pass over the tracks with riders whizzing by under us. The view gradually grew more amazing as we got higher. Getting out at the top felt like being up at Mt Hutt – funny that – it’s a ski field! There was a bit of snow but no one skiing yet. Some of the bikers go all the way to the top stop to start their runs and it was fun to watch them.  Lots of tourists taking photos, like us,  of the Olympic rings and wonderful mountain vista.

 

 

Getting into another gondola with a glass window on the floor, we started out across the valley.  It was really spectacular, but we looked unsuccessfully for black bears. Across the other side on Blackcomb Mountain we got some lunch before heading back across to Whistler Mountain. We were very hopeful heading down to the village again that we might see a bear but no luck. Some other kiwis we bumped into had seen some.

 

After a few bargains in the village and an addition to our collection of Christmas decorations from places we have visited, we headed back to Vancouver. I managed to use all my camera battery trying to get pictures out of the window of a moving car of the beautiful views but you know how those go. Ooops! Tree got in the way... Ooops! Side barrier cutting out lovely picture of islands and harbour in the evening twilight! After about 50 such photos rest of the car was laughing at me J I did get a couple of good ones though and we watched a cruise ship leaving the harbour too – maybe heading towards Alaska.