Whistler

After two days around Alice Lake we drove to Whistler and picked up our lift passes.  On the way we stopped at Brandywine Falls for a short walk.

We were starving so had an early lunch in Whistler before taking the gondola up Whistler mountain. We spent a little time at the top enjoying the views and then traveled via the peak to peak gondola to Blackcomb Mountain and back down on the open air chairlifts. We were a little nervous of the open chairlifts at first but in the end we preferred them, they were breezier. We drove a little south of Whistler to stay at an RV park that night.

Gondola above Whistler Village

Just hanging over the Valley

Open air chairlift down Blackcomb Mountain

I couldn't manage much of the hike at the top of Whistler Mountain

But I was good at sitting in the gondola

The next two days we also spent in Whistler. We rented bicycles and rode the trail around Whistler valley and lakes, we went ziplining and we rode a lot more chairlifts! We finished our time in Whistler with the Friday night mountain top hog roast. The gondola was a little heavier when we went down that night!

Our bikes for the morning

Alta Lake

Cycling the Valley Trail

Resting in the park after cycling and a big lunch

Posing in the Olympic Rings before the crowds arrive in Whistler village

Marie the Builder?

Rosie ready to zip

Zipping through the forest

And across the river

Half upside down

On the way to the summit

Chairlift to Whistler summit - this one was a little scary

Don't look down!

Going up to the summit

View from Whistler Summit

Hog Roast and sides

Dessert including amazing triple chocolate Brownie

Sea to Sky Highway

After another night of non-sleep it was time for us to pick up the van and start our road trip.

We got the bus from near the hostel to the rental agency. We checked out the van and were pleased that it didn't have anything rude written on it. Rosie raided the free stuff section for anything useful we could take with us, including a little dustpan and brush because she always enjoyed sweeping out our other vans.We were a bit concerned about the camp toilets when we saw some other people put 24 toilet rolls in their van, but maybe they just like to be prepared!

As we got in the van to drive off, Rosie noticed that the air wasn't working. It was already getting hot at 9am. We had to get the van looked at by the mechanic and then fixed before we could leave. It didn't take too long to sort out but we had left our bags in our hostel room and by the time the van was fixed, we had stopped for fuel and driven back through the city we were rushing because we were late to check out. It was only a little late so we managed to get our stuff packed away hurriedly before the cleaners took it away. Finally, we were on our way out of the city.

By now the sore throat I had picked up on the plane 3 days ago had developed into something worse and by the time we were driving out of Vancouver I was a shivering, coughing wreck. Rosie was a hero and did all the driving that day, and for the next three days in fact (she was my saviour) while I sat in the passenger seat struggling to even navigate. I think I only managed that much because I had looked at the route so many times during trip planning.
We stopped for shopping and supplies and then at Horseshoe Bay for a scenic lunch.

I am smiling but I actually don't have the energy to walk to the viewpoint

But it looked like this - Horseshoe Bay

And this is how I felt!

After lunch we continued to our planned campsite at Alice Lake. It was only late afternoon but I already had to try out the van bed. I took some painkillers and slept for a couple of hours while Rosie relaxed and read.

Sea to Sky Highway

Alice Lake

When I woke up I felt a lot better and was starving so we got ready to cook dinner. It was then that we discovered that we had not been given a lighter for the stove. Very upsetting. Instead we had to have cereal for dinner. I also ate bread, a giant tomato, fruit and anything else I could eat without cooking, I was so hungry. We added a lighter to the list of items to buy the next day, along with all the other things we had forgotten and reminded ourselves that it was our first day and we weren't experts at life on the road immediately all the other times either.

The next day we stayed in the same area. We took a short drive and walk to Shannon Falls and then took to Sea to Sky Gondola up to check out the views.

The original plan had been to hike up to the top of the gondola and then take it back down. This was planned before I got sick and before we had accounted for our still persistent jet lag. We did about 1/8 of the hike before we turned around. We were disappointed but we agreed that it was a good decision. There will be plenty of other hikes, better to turn around than to continue when you know you shouldn't and get into trouble.

On the hike up before we turned around.

Despite not doing the hike I still had to do the painkillers and sleep in the van routine in the afternoon again, but I felt better than the day before and I seemed to have avoided passing on the illness to Rosie. That night we both slept well for the first time since we arrived in Canada.

Cooking our first camp meal - after we had bought the lighter!