Pixmin

We left Revelstoke in the evening and reached Golden quickly. We decided to go and check out the hills and ask around about the snow conditions but all the shops we just closing so we spent the night near the hills. This time I added many more layers and the night outside wasn’t too cold.

We went to ask the ski patrols about the snow conditions, on the runs, but also in the backcountry, and it wasn’t much better than what we found yesterday in Revelstoke since they didn’t get any snow for 2 weeks. So we decided to head to Lake Louise.

(arriving at Revelstoke)

I decided to take the short way by the mountains instead of going back by Vancouver to get to Revelstoke. The small mountains roads are fun to drive and offer us plenty of great views.

After a few hours I’ll stop by Chase where we’ll spend the night, as it’s already close to midnight. The next morning we’re back on the road by 6am and will get to Revelstoke with enough time to have breakfast just before it opens. Revelstoke Mountain Resort has been kind enough to sponsor us so our tickets are waiting for us in the guest services.

My first impressions as I arrive, everything is brand new. The resort has just opened last December. The runs look pretty long on the map but it’s time to go and check it out. A “magic carpet” will bring us to the feet of the 8 passengers high speed Gondola, saving us the walk. All the staff we meet is smiling and seems happy to be working here. The view from the Gondola is pretty nice and I understand what people meant when they said there was a lot of space for Revelstoke to expand. We get off the Gondola and ride a few hundred meters to get to the high-speed quad chair lift which will bring us to the top of the mountain (almost). We’ll try a few combination of the 27 runs, going down all the way to the bottom is a fairly long run (1,443 meters vertical) which I doubt many will do without a stop. One doesn’t have to take the black or even blue runs, there is also a 13km green run.

Unfortunately there is no fresh snow, but still, the hard snow we ride on is much better than what we had the previous day in Whistler. I’m assuming it is because the weather is colder here and it didn’t melt as much (as freeze during the night). We soon decide to sharpen our edges though because the black runs are steep and we need good grip. Once again, the staff is extremely helpful and we grab a coffee (and some delicious sweet things) while are edges our being sharpened.

After a nice lunch in the restaurant, we decide to join a group of riders who are going to check out the backside of the mountain. We start with the Gondola, then the chairlift, and finally a hike to the top of the mountain. The hike was worth it as we find some powder of the way down.

In the afternoon, the snow has softened up and the long wide steep black runs are much more fun to ride, being able to curve from one side to the other.

Unfortunately, the restaurant hasn’t any wifi yet, so I can’t update the blog from there, but I hope it is something that will be added very soon.

All in all, we’re really thankful to Revelstoke Mountain Resort for sponsoring us as we had a great day riding the mountain even though there was no fresh snow.

We’re now back on the road, direction Kicking Horse in Golden.

After spending a cold night à la belle étoile I wake up with the birds just before the sun and start another fire to warm up. And once we’re both warmed up, we pack and drive back to Whistler.

Parking the car really near the ski lifts is really easy, there are many spots. It really doesn’t have the same feeling as the big crowded resorts I’ve been to in France. Getting the ticket is a different story though. $83. Now that’s much more than what I’ve been paying in France, although prices might have gone up since I last went, but I really don’t think it’s that expensive.

Unfortunately the snow conditions are not great (no powder) so the riding won’t be all that good. The runs are really well groomed but not near as long or wide as I thought. Also, the resort being at a lower altitude than the ones in France the snow is softer and not very good even at the top.

So I assume it’s a great place to come when there is fresh snow, it’s way bigger than Mount Washington, but I can’t say it compares to the French ski resorts I’ve been to. The town itself is small and quiet and has a village soul rather than a big city, which is for the better.

We’re now back on the road, direction RevelStoke, where we’ll spend our day tomorrow.

It’s nice to be in Whistler, but we need to find a place to spend the night. So we get back in the car and drive in direction of the Lake. I assume that there must be a place where we can park the car and put the tent for the night. Not only we don’t find any, but all the small roads going in the mountains are closed so we end up driving about 30km and arrive in Pemberton.

The sun is going down and we don’t have much time before it gets dark, so when I see a sign indicating “Properties Lots for sale” I immediately pull off the main road. I have a good feeling about it. After driving around in a maze of little roads, all going to houses, we finally found one that goes “nowhere”. Which is exactly what we want. And we’ll find a perfect spot to spend the night (photo above) with a view on the mountains.

It’s getting dark and cold so we start a fire and wait for the stars to appear. Adrian will spend the night in the car while I will sleep à la belle étoile. I only remember seeing so many stars in the sky in Argentina. It’s beautiful. Cold but beautiful. So beautiful that I won’t even bother to pitch the tent.

My first surprise as we arrive in Whistler is its size. I heard so much about it that I expected something really big and buzzing. I drive through the town so quickly that I have to turn around and go back. I’m already out thinking it was just entering. I expected something big, what a surprise. I park the car and walk in town to check it out.

Second surprise, the size of the ski resort (Whistler and Blackcomb). Coming from Mount Washington, I can understand why this may seem like a big resort, but coming from Europe, and after hearing so much about it, the first word that comes to my mind is “small”.

On the positive side, being famous and all I expected Whistler to be crowded, not at all. Of course, it would probably be different during a WE and after a few days of snow, but today I find it rather quiet, which is great to stroll in the streets.

After a night in Vancouver (thank you again Valérie and Hugues for receiving us!!) we get back on the road, direction Whistler. Our first stop will be at Squamish where we’ll buy some food for the trip. And then, after a few kilometres and we stop to have breakfast with a great view on the mountains.

Everything worked out perfectly and after dropping off the car, we left Nanaimo on the 8h30 ferry, direction Vancouver, just as we hoped to. This will give us extra time to go riding to Cypress in the afternoon.

From the back of the ferry, I watch Vancouver Island getting smaller and smaller with a little bit of sadness. I somehow got attached to the pretty island. I’m also looking forward to starting the part 2 of our Rocky Road trip: the ski resorts.

But first, as soon as we get off the ferry, I need to get to Vancouver to get the car. And here starts my nightmare. My french credit card won’t work, and they won’t accept debit cards. We try to call the bank to get the problem fixed but 1. they won’t let me call France from their phone, 2. the bank is closed. Then they tell me I can’t go to Yukon nor to Alaska. And there’s a huge fee to pay to go to the Rockies (and I can’t pretend I’m not going and go as they’re tracking the position of the car via GPS and would charge me when I return the car).

Then, when everything seems to finally be solved, just as I am about to sign the rental agreement, they tell me they don’t have a car for me (it took us a few hours to get around all the problems and the car I had booked is gone). Fortunately, someone is just returning the car we need and I should be able to drive away with it in a few minutes.

Shared between the sadness of having my trip shortened and the excitement of going to the Rockies, I go back to pick Adrian and all our stuff to the ferry terminal and we head direction Cypress. Let’s forget about all those problems and let’s go riding.

PS: Thank you so much to Valérie and Hugues for receiving us in Vancouver and being so kind to us. We had a nice dinner and a really great evening. Thank you so much!

Today I wake up before the sun, which is good as it will make up for all the time I’m about to waste. Finding the road to Mount Arrowsmith isn’t an easy task and I’ll drive past it a couple of times, going back and forth between Coombs and Port Alberni. All the directions I’ll be able to get are that it’s right after the top of the mountain (when coming from Coombs) and there’s a wooden sign, but it doesn’t say “Mount Arrowsmith”. That’s it.

But I’ll finally find it:

Then it will be lots of small dirt roads. I’m not sure how I did but I ended up taking all the right turns amongst the maze of smalls logging roads. The road is getting steeper and I have to stop near a car parked on the side. I ask them if it’s the way to Mount Arrowsmith, which they confirm. They also let me know that they just tried to continue on the road but the hill is too steep and they started going sideways. I ask if they have four-wheel drive, thinking that they don’t and that I’ll be able to continue since I do. They smile and say they do, but without chains there is no way I’ll be able to go up. I slowly go down, half sliding half in control, park the car in a spot where it shouldn’t be in anyone’s way, get changed and start hiking up.

The fresh snow is deep and I regret not having snowshoes. But the view is great and I’m getting once more fantastic sunshine so I keep walking to finally arrive to a point where the snow is so deep that I cannot continue. So I look for a nice spot to have a break and get my thermos out for some welcomed hot tea. And what a great view.

I’ll spend a little while, resting and sun tanning, and just as I decide to walk down, clouds will appear.

Next stop is Courtenay to pick Adrian with whom I’m going to do the second part of the trip. Direction Nanaimo where we’ll spend the night before taking the early ferry to Vancouver Monday morning.

PS: Michelle, thank you so much for receiving us, thanks for the soup and thanks for the lovely breakfast!

Back on the road, feeling refreshed and cleaned from the surfing, direction Ucluelet, Tofino’s sister. It’s supposed to be less touristic than Tofino, but don’t get it wrong, it’s still a surfer’s town. Houses do have their numbers written on surfboards.

I slowly drive through the town. Another place that seems to be expanding really fast, with everywhere newly built allotments taking over the forest. I’m trying to get a good spot to capture the sunset (which again is amazingly beautiful) but the tasks revels itselft rather tricky. I see signs on the road saying something like “pull of the highway to see the wildlife”. Sure, I’d love too! But each time I do pull out the ‘road’ (no way this is a highway) it’s to end up in the driveway of someone’s house. I just can’t seem to get close enough to the coast (well, unless I go to the port but I’ve already done that too many times).

As I decide to leave Ucluelet and drive to Port Alberni I see a sign “Sea View Properties”, as in, there is land to build your property on, and with that name, how could you not get a view on the sea? So I turn around and take that road which brings me where I’d never thought I could get, at least not by car, opposite Ucluelet, on the other side of the ridge. Now I can see the very spot I took the photo from, and I’m standing right where I was pointing my camera to less than an hour ago.

I continue driving and make a turn where the sign “Sea View Properties” goes. The paved road becomes a dirt road. It brings back memories from Iceland. Everything in the car starts to shake and vibrates. I am finally going find out what the Jeep is made of. Pretty good driving I must say. The direction is just perfect, not to stiff, which is tiring when driving for long periods, but stiff enough so that there’s nothing lost between the hand turning the wheel drive and the wheels. Anyway, I drive, drive, drive, and never get to see the ocean, only pine trees touching the sky.

The sun is setting down and the fuel going low. I give myself another 20m on that road and I’ll have to turn around and get back to Port Alberni. The further I go and the closer I think I’m getting to a fantastic view point, which in addition probably has yet to be seen by many. And suddenly I’m back where I started. Back on the paved road. So where is the sea view? I wonder.

And Im back on the number 4 road that connects the East side of the Island to the West side. And again, I have to repeat it, this road really is one of the best I’ve driven on.

I can see really dark clouds in front of me, so I know I have to hurry if I want to take some shots before the rain. I sometimes get to see the mountains on the other side of the lake, but by the time I stop (when I can stop) it’s gone. Or there is an horrible electric/phone/whatever cable spoiling the view. I climb rocks and sometimes manage to get high enough to get rid of the cables. And bang, the road gets white and it’s haling again. And the night comes.

I’m just starting to think that I’m now “just” driving, as in, to go from a point to another, rather than enjoying the ride, when, switching from the overheard CD to the radio, I get some really nice songs. Now you’re talking. And after a couple of really good songs, I switch the station to skip a crap one, and I end up on 105.7 (the locals from Port Alberni will now what station that is). They’re airing a concert of Jill Barber, recorded in Halifax, in the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, with the Nova Scotia Symphony Orchestra.

“A young version of Edith Piaf in english”, that the first though that comes to my mind. And songs after songs, I just love her music and can’t wait to get back home and listen to it again. Or maybe I’ll be able to get a CD in Vancouver, if there is one, and play it while driving.

I’m now a few miles from Port Alberni, where I stopped to listen to the rest of the concert, parked in the rest area where I’ll spend the night. I’ll go to Mount Arrowsmith tomorrow, enough driving for today.

My lesson is booked for 2pm. I can’t go back, no chickening out. I’m told I’m extremely lucky to have such a sunny weather, which is very unusual. The usual being yesterday’s weather (mostly raining). I decided not to trust the Tofino Time this time and let destiny drive to me Bruhwiler Surf School. I’m the only one so I get 2h of private lessons for $100.

I climb aboard what seems to be an old army truck and go to the beach. First the theory about surfing, then a bit of safety and we head for the water. Well, I would have never thought that it would be so physical. I will definitely not ever compare it to snowboarding or skateboarding. Or maybe snowboard in an avalanche, but you’d have to strap your bindings in the avalanche before riding. Anyway, I drank a lot of salty water but I loved it. What surprised me is how warm the wet suit kept me. I’ve been colder walking by the sea in England during summer time than I was in the water here.

The two hours will fly by but I have to say that I’m quite exhausted at the end of the lesson. So I’m both happy to leave the water and get dry but also looking forward for more surfing!

Time for a treat now, I need something sweet and back on the road, direction Ucluelet.