Day 61: Clinton to Whistler

Our destination for this day was Whistler, the famous ski area of British Columbia.  And what a ride it was!

We left Clinton, going south on Route 97, and after fewer than twenty miles, we turned onto the Sea to Sky Highway, Route 99.  The hills had been getting larger as we went, and once on Route 99, we were in a high desert area, similar to parts of the western US.  There were increasingly bigger, dry mountains on either side of a winding road, with huge rock cliffs.  There were occasional cattle ranches and some First Nation (Native American) villages along the way.  We came to a section that followed the Fraser River, and the cliffs got steeper and the river farther and farther below the road, down in a huge canyon with rocky sides.  Just before the village of Lilloet a bridge took us over the river (after a long, long downhill), and we stopped at a grocery store to stock up. 

As we left Lilloet, the road got somewhat narrower, and it started to climb again, up and up and up.  It wound along the side of the mountain with hairpin turns and stunning scenery.  Then, over the crest of the mountain, and all of a sudden there were spruce trees, and aspens, and all sorts of green plants---a great change in vegetation. 

The road, however, continued to be narrow and windy. We had lunch along a beautiful green lake with towering, snow-capped mountains in the distance.  One final long downhill stretch of about eight miles, with 11 to 15% grades and many, many curves, and we were in a valley between mountains, not far from Whistler.

Whistler is, of course, a very upscale place with lots of condos and hotels, and there was only one RV park listed in the book, so I had made reservations there, at Riverside RV Resort.  It is expensive ($53 per night) but very nice, with an office that will book various activities for you (canoeing, kayaking, ATV trips, fishing, spa services, and so forth), also a café, Laundromat, and store.  Our site is about a five minute walk up the mountain from the main building, and it is small but paved, with a gravel “patio” area and picnic table.  We’re close to neighbors on either side---the park is full---but there are small trees to give a little bit of privacy.

We pulled out the recliners and stretched out to relax in a beautiful setting. The weather is perfect, 70’s and sunny with a light breeze.  Ahhhh!

Ranger enjoyed a walk to explore the park and find our way around; then we returned to dinner and a quiet evening.