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Jasper to Vancouver
By John | September 10, 2009
Was still dogged by network connection problems last night, hence another delay in updating the site. My apologies to all. But this is what we’ve done…
WEDNESDAY
We left Jasper at about 10.0am after long discussions with a fellow Stag owner from the UK who was on holiday for two weeks. He went his way and we met a Scotsman and his wife who are touring the Rockies – and that imposed a brief but very pleasant delay. Eventually, we got on our way and headed north-west for Tete Jaune Cache at which location we then swung southwest for Valemount and the eventual link-up with John Robertson from Kamloops at Barriere. Had lunch at a pleasant diner in Blue River but the day itself was dull, overcast and not without some rain. There’s no doubt that once we’d passed Tete Jaune Cache that the scenery changed. The mountains weren’t as high as the previous day and the treeline was closer to their summits. It seemed pretty clear that we were through the Rockies – at least the high peaks that mattered, and moving into less significantly mountainous parts. It was enjoyable enough but without the ‘wow’ factor of a day earlier.
John Robertson of the English Car Club of British Columbia met us at a Petro-Canada station at Barriere and after a quick coffee, we were on our way again. Spent the night in Kamloops and had a most enjoyable meal with John and two other car club members – Tony and Don. After our meal, a visit was made to “uncle jack” in his underground garage and then it was time for goodbyes – and bed.
THURSDAY
If yesterday was lacking a little in ‘wow’ factor, we certainly made up for it today!!! Using the local knowledge of Allan Reich in Vancouver and the three new friends we made in Kamloops, we did not use Trans Canada Highway from Kamloops to Vancouver. If we had, maybe it would have made for a shorter journey but I’m willing to bet it wouldn’t have been as scenic.
We headed out along Kamloops Lake towards Cache Creek. Here we turned on to Highway 99 for Lillooett, Pemberton and Whistler. If you have never done this road, it’s an absolute “must see, must drive” and with either a camcorder or digital camera, you’ll take a lot of footage / pix. It was a truly breathtaking journey and one I’d dearly like to do by going in the opposite direction as well.
Met up with Allan Reich of British Columbia Triumph Registry and four fellow members who had all most kindly come to meet us at Pemberton. We travelled in caravan to Whistler where we paused near the ski slopes and admired a 400 metre high cable car that traverses the valley from one side to the other. We also learned from our waiter in a Pizza place that this coming winter when the Winter Olympics take place in Whistler, local landlords are offering their properties to visitors for $Cdn50,000 for just one month!!
The last part of the drive for today was along a superbly graded and engineered road into North Vancouver – and our hotel. It’s been 339 miles today with lots of bends, ups, downs, gravel roads and frequent stops for pix and road works – and I’m tired, but “uj” and I have reached the Pacific as I knew we would.
It’s been one helluva trip and I realised this morning that it’s 29 years to the very day since I did something in Iraq in 1980 from which my own PTSD was the result. Now I’m well again and what a phenomenally beautiful day it’s been.
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