Bike or Drive BC’s Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

June 29, 2010

The Sea to Sky Highway, aka Highway 99, is an incredibly scenic, cliff hugging road that takes you from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay to Whistler, home of the 2010 winter Olympics. After three plus years of highway improvements including the addition of lanes and wider shoulders, bikers can now cycle this road with some degree of safety all the way through to Whistler. Before the improvements it was unthinkable – in fact it was a death defying feat. You still need to exercise caution and don’t try cycling it on a busy holiday weekend.

Sea to Sky Hwy Corridor 005 Bike or Drive BCs Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

View to Anvil Island from Porteau Cove

There are a number of small communities to explore as you head north to Whistler from Horseshoe Bay. Lions Bay is the first community you encounter, only 12 kms away. Look for a cafe serving excellent smoothies and check out the gallery featuring local artists. Next discover Porteau Cove, 13 kms north. It’s a small provincial park, popular with weekend campers. Excellent views across to Anvil Island and nice beaches beckon you to stop and picnic.

IMG 0756 Bike or Drive BCs Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

View of the Sea to Sky Highway looking south from the top of the Chief in Squamish

Exercise extreme caution as you leave Porteau Cove on your bike. The next kilometer boasts a narrow shoulder and it’s not where you want to be if a bus goes by. The Furry Creek Golf Course soon appears on your right. It has an enviable location but I have never seen a human being around.

Brittannia Beach is the next stop, 8.5  kms away. Part of that distance is up a monster hill – and down it. Just before the town look for the Galileo Coffee Shop. It’s here I saw offered for the first time ever a Canadiano – an  Americano coffee with maple syrup. Brittania Beach is a small community of 300. It owes its origins to a copper discovery. By the early 1900′s the Britannia Mine had opened and in 1929  it was the largest producer of copper in the British Commonwealth. Underground tours are available seven days a week and you can even pan for gold.

1349416026 e924f547e0 Bike or Drive BCs Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

Nine kilometers after Brittania Beach, Shannon Falls appears. It’s the third highest waterfall in British Columbia and an especially impressive sight after a storm. The big hunk of granite known as Stawamus Chief is next. It’s an internationally famous slab of rock to climb.  Hikers also get a great workout hiking one of the trails to the top of the Chief’s three summits. The first peak is the shortest route.

3293965511 88327d2f39 Bike or Drive BCs Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

It’s only a short 3-4 kilometers to reach Squamish from The Chief but unfortunately this section of road is a challenge for cyclists. The wide shoulder disappears and doesn’t reappear until you get through the town. Exercise extreme caution is you elect to continue through here. Squamish bills itself as the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.

It’s another 59 kms to reach Whistler from Squamish. Along the way there are many opportunities to hike and even swim in the summer. Alice Lake is a very popular destination as is Brandywine Falls, 34 kms north of Squamish. Stunning views of the Tantalus Range greet you as you get closer to Whistler. There are a number of pullouts along the highway so you can fully appreciate the view.

36950537 5adf94dc10 Bike or Drive BCs Gorgeous Sea to Sky Highway

It’s a total of 85 kms from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler. I don’t know what the elevation gain is but I do know it’s up there – somewhere around 5500 feet. Go prepared – with food, water and some warmer clothes. If you’re driving count on 75 minutes from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler without stops.

As an aside, the first ever Gran Fondo cycling event will be held in September beginning  in Stanley Park and ending in Whistler – a distance of 120 kms with approximately 7000 feet of elevation gain. One highway lane will be closed for the event.

Other posts related to this area you might find helpful:

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Biking, Canada, Miscellaneous travel tips | 4 Comments 

Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

June 28, 2010

I’m off to Great Britain tomorrow with a girlfriend to hike the 70 mile Cumbria Way which bisects the Lake District in England and the 95 mile West Highland Way in western Scotland. I’m a bit smarter than last year when I hiked the Dingle Way and the Kerry Way in Ireland with a fully loaded backpack. This time I’ve organized a baggage service to move my big backpack every night at a cost of £ 7 per bag. I’ll carry a daypack and that’s it.

Here’s a full list of what I’m bringing.

Packing for long distance walks 020 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Backpack (Osprey) + a Daypack (Mountain Equipment Co-op)

  • One large backpack
  • A daypack (will bring as carryon)
  • An oversized bag that holds a wallet, book and electronics (carryon)

Footwear

  • Broken in leather hiking boots (consider orthotics too)
  • Lightweight trail shoe (with extra laces)
  • Chaco scandals

I am not taking any good shoes.

Clothing

  • 5-6 pairs of underwear
  • Sleeping attire
  • 2 liner socks and 2 hiking socks ***I hike as much as I can in my Chacos despite the looks I get! You may want more socks.
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 pair quick dry long pants that zip into shorts
  • 1 pair capris
  • 1 pair stretchy type capris – Lululemon in Canada (they may get tossed at the last minute)
  • 1 down vest that stuffs into nothing
Packing for long distance walks 015 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Cold weather clothing

  • 1 windproof fleece
  • 4 hiking t-shirts (I bring old ones I can pitch after a number of days)
  • Arm warmers – buy at a biking store – HIGHLY RECOMMEND – no need for long sleeve tshirts then. You could also bring leg warmers.
Packing for long distance walks 026 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Arm warmers.. buy at a bike shop

  • 1 dressier shirt
  • 1 scarf
  • 1 dressier sweater
  • 2-3 tshirts for the evening
  • Rain pants, rain jacket
  • Ball cap
  • Warm hat, gloves
  • Bandana
  • Bathing suit – am I dreaming? Perhaps it won’t come.

Electronics

Packing for long distance walks 028 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Electronics minus Iphone, Ipod, cords and battery charger!

  • Dell Notebook computer that weighs under 2 pounds + plugs
  • Memory stick
  • Panasonic Optio W20 – waterproof camera as a backup
  • Panasonic SDR-Sw21 Video Recorder + battery charger
  • Lumix G1 with 2 lenses + battery charger
  • Garmin Forerunner 305 + battery charger (for measuring distance)
  • Plug adaptor for Great Britain
  • Downloading cables
  • Ipod
  • Iphone – I don’t have one but my friend is bringing hers.

Miscellaneous

  • The 10 essentials
  • Rain cover for daypack
  • Reading material – 5 books in my case. I tried to bring fewer but two will be read just on planes.

Packing for long distance walks 010 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

  • Journal, maps, pens, markers
  • 2 water bottles (you could bring flavoured crystals of some sort ) ; I’m not bringing a water purifier for Britain.
  • 15 energy bars – one per day and one extra. These are hard to find overseas plus they’re much cheaper to buy at home. Buy a variety and taste them before you leave.
Packing for long distance walks 013 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Assorted Energy Bars

  • Expandable clothes line + a small container of soap
  • Whistle
  • Binoculars and bird book
  • Eye shade – for the plane
  • 2 pairs of reading glasses ($Cdn60 in London’s Heathrow last year for 1 pair!)
  • Sunglasses
  • Half gaiters
  • Sunscreen + lip balm (may not even pull it out judging by the weather forecast)
  • Toilet paper + kleenex
  • Extra ziploc bags in different sizes
  • Dirty laundry bag
  • Tripod (maybe – because it’s small)
  • Cloth for cleaning camera lenses
  • Collapsible hiking poles (optional)
  • Carabiner for the outside of a pack; it has all sorts of useful purposes including holding scandals
  • Passport, credit cards, ATM card, driver’s license, insurance papers, cash (some in smaller notes if possible). Leave unnecessary cards at home.

First Aid Kit

It’s not very big but it’s got enough if we get into trouble.

Packing for long distance walks 008 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Small First Aid Kit

  • Assorted blister aids – bandaids, moleskin, tape
  • Gauze and dressings
  • Antibiotic cream like Neosporin
  • Triangular bandage
  • Sam splint
  • Ace bandage and safety pins
  • Advil, Benadryl
  • Hand cleaner
  • Emergency blanket ( the ones that weigh 1 ounce that reflect your body heat)

Toiletries

What I’m bringing and what my friend is bringing is quite different. She has 4 types of cream alone - eye, face, body, sunscreen. I might just mooch. Don’t forget the following:

Packing for long distance walks 001 Packing List for a Long Distance Walk

Toiletry Bag with Epsom Salts!

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Small mirror
  • Contacts, glasses and eye solution
  • Earplugs – I’ve been warned by her husband
  • Makeup – depending on who you are
  • Small shampoo and conditioner bottles
  • Deodorant
  • Razor
  • Hairbrush (so obvious I usually forget it)
  • Tweezers, scissors, nail clippers, Q-tips
  • Prescriptions and/or vitamins

This list looks incredibly long but in fact I have chosen clothes that stuff into nothing and lightweight fabrics whenever possible. This trip is no beauty contest. If we do any fine dining it will be in jeans and scandals. Certainly no one needs all the electronics I’m bringing but I plan to write blogs every few days. Once I start loading my bags I may fine tune just a touch.

I don’t like Scotch but for those of you who would enjoy a wee dram add a flask to your list.

Leigh McAdam

HikeBikeTravel

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Hiking, backpacking, walking, Miscellaneous travel tips, Safety Tips | 2 Comments 

Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC – Pictures of the Week

June 26, 2010

The Broughton Archipelago is a maze of islands north of the Johnstone Strait off of Vancouver Island. Challenging water, currents and unpredictable weather keep sea kayakers away. Look for deserted campsites and beautiful shell beaches. If you’re lucky you might see a school of dolphins!

Broughtons kayaking August 2008 010 Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC Pictures of the Week

Uncommonly Calm Water near the Sedge Islands

Broughtons kayaking August 2008 029 Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC Pictures of the Week

One of the Islands in the Broughton Archipelago with a Beautiful Shell Beach

Broughtons kayaking August 2008 016 Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC Pictures of the Week

Next Stop North: Exposed Waters of Queen Charlotte Strait

Broughtons kayaking August 2008 015 Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC Pictures of the Week

Broughton Island Scenery - with Sunshine

Broughtons kayaking August 2008 042 Sea Kayaking the Broughton Archipelago, BC Pictures of the Week

Misty morning near Echo Bay

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Adventure Travel, Canada, Canoeing/kayaking/rafting | 2 Comments 

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