Upon our return from our whirlwind visit to Vancouver Island, it was straight through Vancouver and up into the mountains for this next part of our explorations. Our drive took us up the Sea to Sky Highway, a section of Canada's Highway 99 that went from Horseshoe Bay, just west of Vancouver, to Pemberton, a village in the mountains. Despite the fair weather we had en-route back to the mainland, the skies grew overcast shortly after, and remained so for the rest of the day.
Our first stop was at Shannon Falls, just before the town of Squamish at the head of Howe Sound. As our first large waterfall this trip, it was a fairly beautiful sight.
After the falls, we headed to lunch at Sushisen restaurant just outside Squamish, which had what I would consider as some of the best Japanese food that I've ever had. It was a decision most definitely helped by the generous portions of very fresh salmon sashimi that we got.
Post lunch, it was a long winding drive all the way up to Pemberton. After setting our things down at our hotel, we wandered out for a casual stroll around One Mile Lake, located just outside the village. While the dark clouds continued to hang ominously overhead, the walk was a pleasant one.
The skies did clear a little after the sun had set, and it got fairly picturesque.
The next morning was unsurprisingly foggy. We drove out for a hike to Nairn Falls, not knowing exactly what to expect due to the weather. The following photos do show some of it, but the experience of being next to a roaring river in the midst of fog shrouded mountains and forests is difficult to describe. It was utterly beautiful, surpassing even the great experiences of fog in the past days.
After the easy morning hike, we drove back down the mountains towards the town of Whistler. By the time we arrived, the morning's fog had cleared, and when we headed up to the top, the views were spectacular. Whistler Blackcomb, as the resort is collectively known, is very touristy even in summer, so expect some crowds.
View from the chairlift up to the summit
Can't miss out on the awesome gondola and ski-lift rides!
After Whistler, one final stop was made at Horseshoe Bay, all the way back at the coastal end of the Sea to Sky highway. This was a small coastal community that hosted another of the BC Ferry terminals, and the large ferries made a sharp contrast to the smaller craft and calm waters.
Little more was done after this stop except for a short stop in Vancouver for dinner, before we headed to the airport, ending our journey on the western side of Canada.
Once again, this sojourn into the beautiful mountains of British Columbia was short. But it was definitely wonderful, as we got to hike in some really beautiful surroundings, and saw great views. This is another place where I'm definitely coming back in the future (for a larger number of days, if possible), so that I can hike and photograph more of these beautiful mountains.
But this was not the end of our entire Canadian journey.
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Till the next time, where we begin the exploration of a few of Canada's cities.
Raylen