My wife and I took our dog with us, and spent three nights up in Whistler, last week! The weather was fantastic, after having a few days of rain the previous week. We mostly strolled through the village, and relaxed in our loft suite at the dog-friendly hotel. It was very refreshing.
We did get out on a couple of short hikes while we were there, however!
The first was a walk through the village, and over to Lost Lake. We walked around to Canine Cove, on the eastern side of the lake, and after sitting for a while enjoying the fine weather, we continued around the north end. After rounding the end, we headed up into the hills on the west side of the lake, traveling along both hiking and biking trails.
Eventually we made our way back to the village, and our hotel.
The next day, we looked online for some options a little further afield, and I discovered a short hike nearby that I wasn’t familiar with: The Ancient Cedars Trail. According to the description I read, it was up a logging road, but was easily reached by passenger car – no 4×4 needed. It also said that it was a suitable hike for all ages and abilities.
So, we started out for the hike, and shortly after turning on to the logging road, we found that the condition of the road had deteriorated quite a bit since the website was written. It was a long, slow, arduous trip in my Mazda 3! Eventually, we reached the trailhead, and started up the trail
And I mean UP the trail. It was pretty steep and unrelenting, especially for a non-hiker (like my wife). The website (and others I’ve seen) said that the elevation gain was 150 m. I’m not sure how that works, when the trailhead is at 835 meters, and the high point is around 1040 meters. Plus a bit of up and down through some draws and gullies… Does. Not. Compute.
Anyway, the trees in the cedar grove at the end of the trail are big and beautiful – estimated to be somewhere over 900 years of age!
Eventually, we all made our way safely back to the car, and began the painstaking process of picking our way through the potholes and boulders to the highway…
Finally, on our last day, we hiked to the Train Wreck, just outside of Whistler. The trail is a pleasant, easy trip – well groomed, and well graded. The suspension bridge across the Cheakamus River is very cool, and the site itself is really neat to see. In short, there are 7 rail cars scattered through the trees, that derailed way back in 1956. In the intervening years, they have been painted over and over again, becoming an ever-evolving art display in the woods.
All in all, a very cool, easy hike, and well worth the time!
So, in summary, no “big” hikes, but a few short ones to add just a little spice to a very relaxing vacation!
One Reply to “Whistler Getaway – September 2018”