Canada Day 5, The Mountain

The morning started cloudy and looking like rain again. But as lunch time approached on our last day in Whistler we decided to go for it.

We left Whistler village right after lunch and rode the gondola as far as it went. About a 20 minute ride up to 6,000 feet.

The Goal!

As you can see there's a ski lift to the top of Whistler Mountain. It wasn't an enclosed gondola this time but an open ski chair. Amanda thought it was too scary to ride. I believe her words we NO WAY! This photo was taken after we got off the gondola.
We decided to walk up the trail a ways just for the exercise and to see the view, which was stunning. Cheryl and I, along with Alex and Andrew, had been up here about 8 years ago. It's amazing how much more developed it is. They are almost ready for the 2010 Winter Olympics.




When we saw the sign to the Harmony Hut Tea House the girls thought it was a cool name. I told them that if we could make it that far I'd buy them whatever they wanted to eat and drink. Ah... the power of bribery.



It was a lot farther than we thought. But we made it!


After cokes and cookies we decided to go for the top of the mountain.

How much farther could it be?












Everyone we saw was walking down the mountain - not up.








It was still a long ways up.
But after almost 2 miles and an elevation rise of 1300 feet we made it. On top of Whistler Mountain. We decided the ski lift ride down to the gondola wasn't so scary after all.

This is a picture on the gondola back down to Whistler village and our condo. When we started this vacation Amanda assured up she could not walk an entire mile. By the end of the trip 3 miles was nothing at all and not once during the climb up the mountain did anyone complain of being tired.... except Grandpa and he's still tired.

What a fun vacation. We came back to Portland today and will meet Anita in Eugene to return Sarah and Amanda. Life in Coos Bay won't be the same after seeing Canada. Amanda told Cheryl tonight that she wants our next vacation to be in China so she can see where all the stuff she buys comes from.