North, to the Great White North

A few months ago, I received an email from my cousin David. He mentioned an upcoming trip to the Northwest and asked if we’d be in town mid September. We replied yes and hoped he’d stay with us for a few days. He replied not only would he stay with us in Seattle but asked if we had any interest joining him for a few days up north in Whistler, BC.

Will rides the Peak to Peak

Absolutely, was our reply! We’ve been half a dozen times to Whistler, most recently during the 2010 Winter Olympics but never visited during the summer.

During our long weekend above Whistler Creek Side, the phenomenal summer weather continued as we experienced sunny skies and daily high temperatures in the low 80s and, clear nights drowning in an endless amount of stars. (If you’ve ever been to Whistler you know the weather is always a gamble.)

The only negative experience took place when Will tried to climb aboard the Whistler Peak chairlift. Missed the size requirement by just a few inches. Dang bear.

The highlight was our Peak to Peak Gondola ride. It holds world records for the longest free span between ropeway towers—3.03 kilometres (1.88 miles) and highest point above the ground—436 metres ^[1](1,430 feet).

High above Whistler Village

With our clear weather, the panoramic views were stunning.

We are fortunate that Will travels so well. Just load him in his car seat with a few books, etch-a-sketch, airplanes, snacks and he is good to go. Oh, and Will LOVED walking around inside Dave’s mini van.

I did get in one run from the house. The only problem was the rental was HIGH up Whistler Mt. And I didn’t really know how far up until after the run when my watch recorded the elevation gain as 800 feet in 2 miles of climbing.

Yeah, I felt that one the next day…

Finally, a few more pics from Whistler:

Lost Lake

No caption needed

Shooting 5 for 5 at the Biathlon range

Can’t do this in an Outback