Ferry Alarms
Whistler in Spring
Sun Apr 10th
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| Rogers Arena from across far side of False Creek - on morning run |
Editorial Correction
Last week's headline "A year in BC" was not strictly accurate. Although we arrived in Toronto on April 3rd, we didn't actually get to Vancouver until April 6th. I shall put it down to artistic licence. '363 Days in BC' sounds meaningless and 'A year in BC bar a few days' strays too far from the message. So I will leave it as written. Fortunately nobody spotted the error or were too kind to point it out.
Blog Update
This last week we have started to think about packing up the house ready for movers, who are booked for May 21st. There isn't a huge amount to do, it's only the possessions we have acquired since arriving in Canada, plus the workshop machinery. Some of it is a two or three person lift so better done by professionals.
The Federal Budget caught much attention, even reported on BBC News. No home sales to foreigners for two years. We knew it was coming and were glad we had completed on our purchase when we did. In fact we need not have worried as it excluded purchases where it was the primary residence, which it is in our case.
Reaction in Canada is that it is a meaningless new piece of legislation when less than 1% of property sales fall in to this category. Increasing annual property taxes for non-residents and bringing in a CGT tax where values increase beyond RPI for non-residents would have been far more effective.
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| False Creek looking back to Granville Island |
We met friends for lunch on Thursday at our favourite local brewery Tapworks in Gibsons and it was warm enough to sit outside on the top deck. Good beer, food and service in a delightful setting looking across Gibsons harbour, Keats Island and West Howe Sound.
Friday we headed to Vancouver catching the 3.15pm ferry, to see Nick and Lizzie for a couple of days. We had the ski box on top as we were heading straight up to Whistler directly afterwards for a final few days of skiing.
Arriving at the Langdale check-in kiosk, we were quizzed why we'd booked a standard height vehicle as we had set off his height alarm! Mmmm this was new! 'We'd travelled on the upper deck for standard vehicles, since we'd had the box', we told him. Our car's height is on the limit of BC ferries standard height of 2.13m (maybe plus or minus a cm or two) and we have had a 10cm clearance in the past. After some discussion he waved us through.
As we drove up the loading ramp to the top deck an alarm bell sounded (also new) and a fella from BC ferries stopped us while another operator checked our height with a measuring stick. How embarrassing. A queue of cars behind us and we were the centre of their attention, and probably frustration and ire. The truck in the adjoining lane was also stopped while this was going on, the driver then proceeding to share his view of things with the ferry fella! Further discussion ensued until we were allowed to proceed at a snail's pace while they 'watched' us in. Needless to say the car, ski box and ferry were unscathed, but in future I shall book an over-height vehicle to avoid the hassle! The joys of technology.
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| The beached barge - remains in situ |
We have stayed at the Granville Island Hotel a few times and love it for its city views over the water, its amazing food and bar area and its easy location. This was the first time we'd stayed here with Jack in tow and weren't sure how he was going to respond to being left on his own in a strange hotel room. As a precaution we'd installed an iPhone to iPhone 'baby' monitor, so we could keep an eye on him. Tired from his walk we enjoyed an uninterrupted couple of hours at the bar that evening, and breakfast the following morning. Good news indeed as we were out
to dinner with N&L for Fred's birthday on Saturday evening.
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| Giraffe tree |
to dinner with N&L for Fred's birthday on Saturday evening.
Saturday afternoon we met N&L down at Pacific Spirit Park, a large forest between metro Vancouver and the University. Virgin forest next to urban cityscape. There were quite a few other walkers, but it was still beautifully quiet. No bears in this forest apparently. Urban Vancouver provides a barrier from their normal habitat.
The highlight of the walk was watching a Pileated Woodpecker about 3m up a dead tree hammering away at the wood, oblivious to the small crowd gathered around the tree. Even Jack's active interest at the bottom of the trunk was ignored. I'd got photos of them before, but never this close.
On many walks we have seen new trees grow out of old stumps. On this walk the stump had largely rotted away, leaving a giraffe like tree structure.
Evening dinner was at a small restaurant about a five minute drive from the hotel called the Farmer's Apprentice. We went for the family style menu, which was small portions of everything. As we munched our way through the explosion of flavours in each course, those of us who'd checked the menu out in advance, agreed that we hadn't been overwhelmed by the menu choice. But, it has to be said, we were all blown away by what was put in front of us. It was quirky. It was not fine dining, but an inspirational mix of dishes in what felt like a homely living/dining room. We'd definitely go back.
Jack, despite trying to tire him out during the day, decided on serenading our meal on a few occasions. The 'talkback' function on the iPhone worked well, I managed to calm him and it avoided phone calls from the hotel to return and deal with an out-of-tune spaniel!
Sunday morning we headed off to Whistler and enjoyed a traffic-free drive all the way. Anybody going to Whistler needs a car and should drive Highway 99 and stop off at the various view points, waterfalls, trails, and just take in the scenery. We have a list. Majestic snow-capped mountains and the waters of Howe Sound, at least as far as Squamish, make it a stunning drive. If you can resist the urge to hit the slopes, lunch at Function Junction in the Whistler Brewery and stocking up on fresh sourdough and cakes from the bakery (and beer from the Brewery) are worth the delay.
It's definitely spring in Whistler. The roads and paths are clear of snow. A chill in the air remains and fresh snowfall has kept the slopes in good shape. The majority of lifts and runs are open, but avalanche risks have closed much of the out of boundary skiing, not that it will affect us! Sadly avalanches have claimed casualties this week. The lakes, which two months ago were being walked on, now have barely any ice. How quickly the seasons change.
Early afternoon, we headed off to Lost Lake, which we have walked in Summer, deep Winter snow and now in Spring. The trails around Lost Lake which comprise some 50+km of cross-country skiing, were no longer skiable and walking on the snow that resembled wet granulated sugar was hard work, but worth the walk. The lake is now no longer safe to walk on as the ice is has thinned and melted in places.
There was a brief flurry of snow as we walked the loop, but it came to nothing. Jack rolled in the snow, paddled in the snow-melt creeks and generally had a ball.
Tomorrow the slopes!
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| Car Park 5 in Whistler and the winter's pile of snow and road grit Half a football pitch and 5m high |
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| Lost Lake with ski slopes in the background - the ice is melting |
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| Lost Lake Loop and Jack having a final winter roll in the snow |
I didn't want to say anything about your arithmetic.......
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