Hello and welcome to this week’s update of the mrlukeniktravels blog. It has been quite a busy week in the Squamish Valley. I have said goodbye to the family and headed north again to Whistler Valley. Officially Whistler-Blackcomb, this area is a magnet for skiers, snowboarders and, at this time of year, mountain-bikers and hikers.
September sits between the end of the summer season and the start of the ski season here. This means that it is pretty quiet around at the moment. Unfortunately, the temperate rain-forest climate in this area has meant plenty of rain rather than snow. Plenty of rain makes the trees grow nice and tall. However, the weather has been improving during the past two days, so there is hope for days to come!
Autumn colours in the slopes around Whistler, not everything here is evergreen.
This week I shall give run-down of what a typical day looks like when I’m in the mountains. These days are full of fresh air and great views, the antithesis of beer, hangovers and Aspirin.
7am
The alarm sounds and its the start of the day. Time to get breakfast in (usually porridge oats, fruit and coffee).
8am
Finish sorting and packing the backpack for the day. This includes a lunch of bagels, fruit and a couple of snacks. A hydration pack filled with water, some waterproofs and some warm clothes. After this I leave the hostel and catch a bus to get closer to the hiking trails.
9am
I reach the trail head and head up the mountain-side. There’s plenty of time to take pictures, watch the local wildlife and take in the views. A hike usually takes around 6 hours, with varied levels of pace and elevation. I have a preference for going uphill rather than down, so progress is greater in the morning.
1pm
I stop for lunch, usually somewhere with a view, and take a break. Today lunch was in the presence of the Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain. With the low cloud, cutting breeze and snow around, it wasn’t perhaps the most scenic environment!
3pm
Heading back down to the valley, it’s time for a short break. Descending the ski runs is quite a challenge. It is steep for hiking, which is great for skiing in the winter!
4pm
I arrive back in the valley and find a dock by a lake to relax on if the sun is out. Today was especially sunny which helped counteract the inclement weather earlier in the day. This is a great time to listen to a podcast and look through the day’s photos.
6pm
Shower and dinner time back at the hostel, I need to keep those energy levels up. A meal containing pasta, rice or potatoes in some format usually hits the spot. Today, the after-dinner activity is writing the blog you are reading now!
10pm
Time for lights out! Visions of mountains fill my dreams until the next morning when it all begins again.
The summit of Whistler Mountain from the Roundhouse. Great to see snow, although the area is closed at the moment because of it.
During today’s hike I had my first encounter with a bear in the wild in Canada. There are only black bears here, but it was still very special. The bears here must be pretty used to humans as it didn’t seem to worried. After all the warning signs and videos, the encounter was much less scary than I thought it might be. As I hiked down the bear carried on munching on berries and then ambled up the slope in search of more bushes. There are no pictures to record this meeting, but sometimes life is just for experiencing.
I decided to title this post ‘Manageable Wilderness’ because although out in the natural beauty of Canada, the area around Whistler is quite manageable. There are plenty of roads, places to stay and ski lifts to make it feel not too much like a wilderness. Perhaps on another trip I will be able to travel further north in British Columbia where things get a lot more ‘wild’.
That is about all for this week, my next post will be my last in Canada before heading to pastures new. For more regular updates, there is my Twitter account @mrlukeniktravel. For pictures there is my Instagram account @mrlukeniktravels. From now until then, stay safe and keep travelling!
A nice relax after a full day’s hiking in the mountains.