Whistler 2013

We've been in Whistler this past week.  I am exhausted and almost thankful for the rain today.  Almost because both Luke and Randy are up on the mountain in downhill mountain bike class.  I got a little choked up watching him walk him bike into the gondola house.  He has on a full face helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads.  The other 2 boys in his class are about 11 and already friends.  Knowing him he'll latch on to the instructor and talk his ear off.

It started to rain just after Luke got on the gondola then stopped and now it's really coming down.  I feel bad that we didn't sign him up for class earlier in the week.  We thought he had to rent a bike (turns out he doesn't) and that swayed him to say no.  He likes his bike and wants to ride it.  I feel bad that we didn't pack rain gear for all of us.  Last year it was in the 80's the entire week.  This year, same week, we could have left the sunscreen and swimsuits home and packed long pants.

Even though it's been overcast for the most part we've still had a great time.  We've spent 3 days doing long bikes rides mostly on paved trails.  Last night we were looking for bears so rode out to an the Fountain of Youth, an artesian well at Green Lake, to fill all our water bottles.  If Luke talks about glacier water this is what he is talking about.  On the way home we went up, up, up into the hills on the trails around Lost Lake.  No bear sightings but very tired legs.  Randy is used to such things, Luke and I were struggling.

One day we kayaked.  We did the self guided tour on the River of Golden Dreams.  You start at one end of Alta Lake, paddle all the way across then up into a narrow waterway that eventually joins the river.  I only use the term river because that's what they call it.  It was very narrow and very slow moving.  Several times we had to get out and pull ourselves over beaver dams and shallow spots.  At one point we had to pull the boats out to go around a fish wheel.  There are lots of sightings of beavers, bear and deer on this ride but you have to do it close to dawn or dusk.  The river finally comes out at Green Lake which is an entirely glacial fed lake.  If they tell you up here the water is "refreshing" that means it's glacial fed and cold as hell.

We've been to 2 farmer's markets in the Upper Village.  Luke has spent quite a bit of time in the kid's adventure zone up there going on go carts, bungee trampoline things, rope climbs, bounce houses, etc.  We still have 2 more ride tickets left so hoping it dries up enough for us to hit the luge up there.

Tomorrow we have to head home.  It will be interesting to see if Luke and Randy lobby for a second day of bike camp.  That would get us home quite late but oh well it would be worth it.  I don't know when we'll come to Whistler again.  I think we're doing a road trip next summer and heading south.