Sea to Sky Adventures in Squamish, BC

I have to be honest.  When I first heard of the proposal to build the Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish, I was a doubter and really not thrilled with the thought of paving paradise to put in a parking lot.  Sometimes in life you have to earn the view, and to me hiking is one of those activities that rewards hard work and perseverance.  I also believe strongly in no impact camping and preserving nature for future generations.

Sea to Sky Gondola Parking Area - Squamish, BC

However, I was convinced to try the Sea to Sky gondola to see for myself.  Opened in 2014, the Gondola transports visitors from the parking lot adjacent to the Sea to Sky highway to the lodge at 885 meters.

Base Facilities - Sea to Sky Gondola - Squamish BC

We purchased our tickets, hopped in line and joined a young family in the Gondola car.  We were quickly whisked up the mountain.  The views from the Gondola were absolutely spectacular!  Unfortunately, we missed most of them, as we were completely taken with the young 'uns who shared our Gondola.  The kids were ages 2 and 4, and mom was pregnant with her 3rd baby.  They were dressed in muddy buddies, boots and toques and their excitement was contagious!  Hurrah for a young family connecting their kids to nature!  The little man, excitedly exclaimed GABOLA every time we passed another Gondola car.....it's the small things in life isn't it?

Summit Lodge - Sea to Sky Gondola - Squamish, BC

We soon arrived at the top, bid farewell to our newest "favourite" family and stopped in at the lodge.  Magnificent!  The Summit Lodge featured a restaurant, bar, tea house, gift shop and a sheltered place to take in the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.  After reviewing the trail maps, we began our hike by crossing the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.  This bridge is 100 metres long and a definite crowd favourite. Having said that, we were surprised at how many people were truly fearful of crossing the suspension bridge.  It seemed a shame for them to miss out on the trails that beckoned from the other side.

Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge - Sea to Sky Gondola - Squamish, BC

Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge - Sea to Sky Gondola - Squamish, BC

The area is extremely well maintained.  In fact, we both commented that if felt a bit like visiting Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland.  The trails and viewing platforms are well planned, well marked and feature signage highlighting the natural features along the way.

View of Sky Pilot - Squamish, BC

We enjoyed the views, and then decided to follow the trail leading out to the back country access.  We chose the Skyline Pilot trail hoping to take in views of Pilot and Copilot along the way.  It was an easy hike, with relatively little elevation gain and before we knew it, we were feasting on a picnic lunch at the end of the marked trail.  We joked that although the sign said end of the trail, we felt like it was only the beginning.  Despite the lodge and gondola being very busy, we did not encounter a single soul on the back country access trail.  I must confess...that is how we like it.

End of the line...Sky Pilot Valley Trail

We made our way back to the Lodge and decided to pop in for a coffee.  The lodge is a fantastic place to people watch.  It is a strange mixture of seasoned hikers (the ones covered in mud who refused to take the gondola up, and instead climbed and grunted their way to the top), tourists from all over the world and some of the best dressed hikers I have ever seen.  I could barely believe my eyes as a group of ladies in high heels made their way to the bar, purchased a couple of bottles of wine and settled in on the outdoor deck beside the roaring fire.  In truth, I still can't quite believe there was a bar up there!  Time passed quickly as we enjoyed the views...both those of nature and the people!

I left with mixed emotions.  We had definitely passed many people who physically would not have been able to visit this area had they been required to hike up on their own.  The demands of the hike would have been too much.  The Gondola has opened up an area of the mountain that many would not have the opportunity to visit.  Sea to Sky adventures appears to be attempting to blend education into the mountain experience and have created a wonderful opportunity for many to learn more about the mountain vegetation, wildlife and natural history.  Additionally, easy access to the back country provides hikers opportunities for expanded hiking options in the area.  Admittedly, we enjoyed a great day of hiking and yet there still is a part of me worried that we paved paradise to put in a parking lot.

Selfie Props - Sea to Sky Gondola - Squamish, BC

Giggle of the day:

We had the pleasure of riding the Gondola down the mountain with a couple of Aussies (it seems every fun story also begins with a couple of Aussies ) and a couple of gentlemen from Israel.  One of the Israelis was valiantly trying to share a story with us in English when his cell phone rang.  His ring tone was the theme song from the old western "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly".  We all broke out into laughter and then Rob asked the question we were all thinking....which one are you?  Without missing a beat, he replied, in perfect English...I am good.  It left us pondering which gondola the bad and ugly might be on.


Map and route tips

Fees

Gondola download is available for those hardy souls who hike up and want to relax on the way down.  There is a charge to download.

Trail maps available at the kiosk.

Interactive Map

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