Today, I went for somewhat a short (~280Km) day ride to Squamish, BC, then to Whistler, BC, where I had a late lunch, then back. I had wanted to explore the three waterfalls in the Squamish area: Shannon Falls, Brandywine Falls, and Alexander Falls.
My first stop was Shannon Falls. It’s about 75Km from the city, through the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway. Considering it being Labor Day long weekend, the parking lot was packed. However, there’s always a spot somewhere for a motorcycle.
Afterwards, I headed to Brandywine Falls, which are ~45Km North. I thought there would be cops, with speed traps along the S2S highway. But no, I didn’t see any PoPos! While on the way there, at some point I had heard a loud boom. I immediately started to slow down, while looking down at my bike to see if I was the source of the noise. As I tried to pull over to the side of the highway, so I can inspect my bike, I saw in my side rear-view mirrors, a van also pulling to the shoulder. I could see that the van was not level. I realized that the loud boom, was the sound of the van’s tire blowing up. At the time the van’s tire blew-up, the van was slightly behind me to my right. No one was hurt, except the tire!
And the third stop was at Alexander Falls. Which is another ~14KM North. You’d need to get off the main highway for this one (West of Whistler,BC) , as if you’re heading to the Whistler Olympic Park.
And with that, I’ve seen all three waterfalls that I had planned for the day. The first two involved a very short (5-10 minutes) & flat hike; from the parking lot. Actually, for Alexander Falls, the viewing point is in the parking lot. Also, since Alexander Falls are more remote than the others, it was empty! There wasn’t a single soul out there. It would be a good choice if someone’s going for a day BBQ picnic, and it would seem it would be more vacant than the other two falls/parks. On my way to Whistler; for a very late lunch, I snapped a shot of the Black Tusk.
Squamish Hiatus is a good website that lists all sorts of hiking trails, camping sites, and such, that are not far off the lower mainland. It was a good source of info for me. I’m eyeing the beautiful Garibaldi Lake; for some future trip.
