Wednesday, July 4, 2018

July 4 – Whistler Blackcomb Peak 2 Peak

The weather looked right to spend the $120 for the two of us to go on the Peak2peak Gondola. The forecast called for partly cloudy skies. We were in the sun most of the time with enough clouds to make the sky look interesting. As I am writing this, though, it is very windy and pouring rain.

As we were walking from the car we saw this extremely cute group of mini mountain bikers heading up the mountain for a day camp.

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Lots of other people had the same idea as us. I am pretty sure it took us an hour, first in the ticket line, and then in the line to get on the Whistler Gondola.

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Once we were up there everybody dispersed so the only other line we had to wait in was to come back down.

We should have gotten up much earlier as it was around noon by time we got to the top of that gondola. Unfortunately it closes at 5:15 on weekdays so we felt a bit rushed while up on top. 

I didn’t feel like there was much to take pictures of on that gondola. We immediately went to load on to the Peak2Peak Gondola to take us from Whistler over to Blackcomb. The ride is 4.4 km long and takes about 11 minutes. The center span across the valley is unsupported for about 3 km and at the highest you are about 430 m or about 1400 feet above the ground.

Going by one of the few massive towers supporting the trip.

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They have a few gondolas that they call glass bottomed. I am glad we didn’t wait for one. There is just a square of glass in the middle of the floor with a railing around it.

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Out over the valley.

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Heading back up.

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The view from the Blackcomb station.

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We did a short 1.6 km trail called the Alpine Walk that looped up and behind the lift station.

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A photosphere from here.

There is still lots of snow here, although not enough to ski.

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Up and around we go.

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Carefully crossing some snowy patches.

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Looking across to the Whistler ski trails.

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Some tiny Phlox beside the trail.

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And Heather.

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Most people walked around the snow. Not us.

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Back at the station a marmot entertained everybody for a while.

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It scurried away when a helicopter took off on a tour.

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We took the Peak2Peak back to Whistler. I think they said the cars can hold 23 people but today everybody got a seat.

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Back at Whistler, the Peak Express Chairlift was operating to take you to the very top of the mountain. From the gondola station you have to walk down a short but very steep trail to get on the chairlift.

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We saw them grooming this run serviced by a T Bar. Maybe it is open on the weekends.

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At the top there is a brand new, just opened, suspension bridge that you can see spanning between the two peaks.

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It seems that it is a custom to leave signed rubber duckies at the bottom of the lift.

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In addition to the picture below showing the bridge, I am pretty sure that in the middle of this slope many years ago I had a bad fall skiing.

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My ski pole caught on something and it wrenched my arm up over my shoulder. I think my shoulder joint popped out and then back in again. It still bothers me enough that it affects the way I sleep. Ahh, memories!

Once we were up, the first thing was for me to try the bridge.

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It was rather crowded and very bouncy. Trail by fire for a new bridge. The cables looked really thick.

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Since it is so new they haven’t completed the viewpoint at the end so you just have to turn around. I waited for a rare empty spot to take this picture. The grating on the floor made it very see though as well.

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I tried to take a photosphere out there but the bridge moved around so much that it ended up a jumbled mess.

There was a large viewing area beside the bridge.

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The photosphere from here.

With another giant Inuksuk.

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Some people took this access road down for a view behind us. Snow capped mountains everywhere.

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We got a side view of the Black Tusk.

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The photosphere from this viewpoint.

Since we could see the Tusk I wondered if we could see our campground from here. Sure enough there it was.

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The arrow points to our RV.

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I had not realized that the mountain directly across from us at the RV park was the top of Whistler. Here is a shot from when we got back.

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And this zoom with Jennie’s camera where you can see a bit of the bridge and the Inuksuk.

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We headed back down the Peak Express. It is MUCH scarier going down.

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And the climb back up to the gondola station.

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To join the line to head to the bottom and home.

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1 comment:

  1. What an amazing day to be at the summit! The pictures of the Black Tusk are awesome - quite the peak! It's amazing how they build these suspensions bridges! What a spectacular view!!!!

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