Adventure abounds along the Sea-to-Sky Highway
By Sue Kernaghan
Skirting a glacial ford before climbing into the Coast Moun- tains, the Sea-to-Sky Highway, a ribbon of road between Vancouver and Whistler, is one of the world’s great road trips. You can drive the route, also known as British Columbia Highway 99, in less than two hours, but why rush it? All along the way are long ocean views, jagged peaks, thick
forests, evocative historic sites and some of the best outdoor adventure options on the planet. And that’s just for starters. Te new Sea-to-Sky Gondola, opened in May 2014 just south of Squamish, can whisk you into the alpine heights to see this landscape from a whole new angle. Te gondola (actually 20 eight-passenger cable cars) soars 885 metres (almost 3,000 feet) from sea level up onto the slopes of Mount Habrich, offering sweeping views of Howe Sound, Stawamus Chief, Shannon Falls and the surrounding peaks. At the top, viewing options include the Chief Overlook,
a deck which cantilevers over a sheer drop (gulp), and the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, a 100-metre-long (328-foot- long) walkway stretched high above the ford. It’s okay. You can look down. You can also explore 30 kilometres of hiking trails, ranging
from stroller-friendly walks to backcountry treks, learn about the local Stawamus First Nation’s heritage along the inter- pretive Spirit Trail or just soak up the views over lunch at the Summit Lodge. While you’re up there, watch for climbers on neighbouring rock faces and windsurfers in the ford below. Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada
The Summit Lodge provides a home base to relax. Te Sea-to-Sky Gondola is a good fit for Squamish, offer-
ing relatively low-impact access to high-altitude backcountry in an area already known as an outdoor adventure playground. About halfway along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, tucked be-
tween Howe Sound and the Coast Mountains and surround- ed by eight provincial parks, Squamish has claimed the title, “Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” And with good reason. It’s not just that you can rock climb,
raft, windsurf, hike, bike, scuba dive, fish and golf here, it’s that, in Squamish and all along the Sea-to-Sky Corridor, you can do most of these things at a world-class level. Rock climbers, for example, speak in hushed tones about
the Stawamus Chief. One of North America’s largest granite monoliths, the Chief looms 700 metres (2,300 feet) above the town and attracts climbers from around the globe. Local ex- perts at Canada West Mountain School and Altus Mountain Guides know all about the Chief – and the 1,500 or so other climbing routes in the area.
View beautiful totem poles and learn about First Nations heritage.
thehubwinnipeg.com Summer 2015 • 53
Photo by Paul Bride. Photo courtesy of Tourism BC.
Photo courtesy of Tourism BC.
Photo by Geoff Brinkhaus.
Photo by Paul Bride.
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