Sea To Sky, BC

As an avid skier, the Sea to Sky Gondola seemed kinda corny and redundant. After all I’d been up many lifts and taken in many sights while skiing a mountain. But after visiting it turns out I was wrong. We got lucky with the blue bird day and warm weather, but have a jacket handy as 850m (2,800ft) it can get cooler. There was still snow in the shadows in May. If I had researched beforehand I would have found out that there are hiking trails at the top to explore. It’s even possible to hike up and skip the gondola fee if you are fit enough and make a day of it.

Sea to Sky

The carpark at the base is pretty big, however this is still a popular destination so can fill up in good weather. The carpark is also just a dust bowl, so keep that in mind if it’s wet. Below are the views of Howe Sound and above the view to Sky Pilot Mountain. Download the app in advance and it’ll provide details of the easy walking trails around the Gondola area, or the back country trails if you are more of an explorer. Be sure to check out The Chief Viewing Platform, not just The Summit Viewing Platform. Summit lodge has a gift store and restaurant if the views make you hungry.

Shannon Falls

Just next to the Base station is Shannon Falls, accessible by walking along the Connector Trail, or you can drive and try your luck in the small parking lot. I drove, but I don’t imagine the walking trail would take longer than 30 minutes. We ate our lunch here taking in the beauty of the falls, and I’d recommend to everyone who enjoys a picnic. To break up the drive we also stopped at Porteau Cove, while there is a view here of Howe Sound, it’s no match of the view from above at Sea to Sky Gondola. It makes a worthy stop to stretch the legs and breathe in some fresh air though.

Checkout the preceding trip at Vancouver Island, and the followup trip in Vancouver.

May, 2018