| Campground: | Riverside Camping & RV Resort, 8018 Mons Rd, Whistler, BC V0N 1B8, Canada |
| Total Distance: | 1621 Miles. |
| Traveled today: | 229 Miles. |
| Key highlights: | Whytecliff Park Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver Shannon Falls Sea to Summit trail ***** (hard hike ) and down with the gondola Panorama trail ***** (short and nice) |
What a fabulous start to our Canada days. The Sea to Sky HWY99 is easily one of the most beautiful drives. The border crossing to Canada was slower than we expected. However, once we turned in, Vancouver looked glamorous with the snowy mountains backup. Once we started HWY 99, the views were so amazing we decided to detour to Horseshow bay and headed to nice and well-maintained Whytecliff park, which has some good views of the lake, mountains, shore, and beaches. The town
has a vacation destination charm, and the main street next to the ferry terminal had very welcoming eateries and cafes that we skipped
Further up on HWY 99 – Shannon falls are a must-see stop. It’s a leisurely stroll to the falls. The weather was good for the day’s hike, and without further planning, we decided to hike to the top of the Sea to Summit Gondola – and take the gondola down.
Incredible 900 meters (almost 3000 feet in 7.5K ) elevation trail – very steep and strenuous, mainly when we lost the main road After we crossed the gondola route started to climb the shorter skid trail – only 5K (that means steeper, using ropes in some sections). Two and a half hours later we were proud to be at the top, where the views were magnificent. The cable station
offered a great selection of beers, cocktails, amazing fresh clamshells, and live music to add to the delight. Before heading back,
we strolled the easy 1.3K Panorama Trail – where the balcony offers the most spectacular view in the area.
A steak dinner was a good finish to a great day.