Done in a Day: Whistler
Sample of one of the Ten Premier Hikes
Trip 1 — high note / musical bumps
| location | Garibaldi Provincial Park, immediately south of Whistler Village |
| distance | short loop: 8.9 km (5.5 mi), long circuit: 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| elevation change | short loop: 542 m (1778 ft) loss, 160 m (525 ft) gain long circuit: 977 m (3205 ft) gain, 545 m (1788 ft) gain |
| key elevations | gondola base 675 m (2214 ft) top of Peak Chairlift 2160 m (7087 ft) lowpoint 1855 m (6086 ft) Musical Bumps trail junction 1880 m (6166 ft) Flute Summit highpoint 2012 m (6601 ft) |
| hiking time | 2 to 6 hours |
| difficulty | easy to moderate |
| available | late June through early September |
| maps | Green Trails Whistler |
opinion
Despite its lustrous, hard-candy appearance, Whistler is a simple, pantheist village at heart. What draws people here from all over the world is nature worship. They come to kneel at her altar in a setting where she's clearly omnipresent and omnipotent.
Some do it on skis. Others on mountain bikes. But the truly reverent, those most intent on expressing their devotion to nature, do it on foot, by hiking the trails that spin off from Whistler in all directions, like mantras from a prayer wheel.
And the trail they're keenest to hike-the shrine of Whistler footpaths-traverses the northwest end of the Fitzsimmons Range, from Whistler Mtn to Singing Pass. Actually it's two connecting trails: the High Note, and the Musical Bumps.
Both of these ridge-riding, meadow-cleaving trails are in the alpine zone, high above Whistler Village. And that's where you'll spend the entire day, because a gondola and chairlift spare you the sweaty ascent and tedious descent. It's like heli-hiking, but at a fraction of the cost.
The neck-craning view from far below in the village, while impressive, only hints at the magnificence surrounding you on this sustained, high-altitude hike. "Supernatural British Columbia" was how the province once billed itself. As you'll see here, it was no brag, just fact.
Highlights of the peak-and-glacier panorama include.
- the sprawling Pemberton Icefield
- the nearby Spearhead Range
- glacier-sheathed Overlord Mtn
- turquoise Cheakamus Lake
- the Cheakamus Glacier on Castle Towers Mtn
- the glacier-globbed Tantalus Range
You'll also see the entire Whistler Valley and the immense wilderness surrounding it. Surveying the village in context like this is sure to magnify your appreciation of it. Later, you'll stare even more longingly at the local surreal-estate ads.
Such a rare combination of effortless access and surpassing beauty ensures you won't be alone on the High Note and Musical Bumps trails. Coming midweek helps, but not like it does in more remote settings, because tourists flock to Whistler all summer.
Don't worry about it. Crowded or not, it's a transcendent experience you shouldn't miss. Besides, what might be a bothersome crowd elsewhere is more tolerable here, because everyone's ecstatic, tripping out, just like you.
Of course, if the weather gets nasty, this could quickly turn into a bad trip. You'll be totally exposed to whatever the sky throws at you. Wind. Rain. Hail. Lightning. So time it right. You want a gorgeous day when the only protection necessary is sunblock, and when you won't regret paying for the gondola and chairlift. Still, pack all the gear you think you won't need.
If you want to hike only two to three hours, follow the High Note trail to the 4.2-km (2.6-mi) junction beneath Flute summit, then return to Round House Lodge via Symphony Lake. Total distance: 8.9 km (5.5 mi).
To hike as far as possible, proceed on the Musical Bumps trail to Flute or Oboe summits. Most people turn around at Flute. But beyond, on the far slope of Oboe, the meadows are lusher, the lupine more prolific, and you'll be closer to icy Overlord Mtn.
To reach Oboe and return to Round House Lodge while the gondola is still running, you'll have to watch the time and keep up your speed. The distance is only 14 km (8.7 mi), which most hikers can cover in six hours or less. But you'll be constrained by the gondola schedule.
Allow yourself maximal time on high by arriving at Whistler Village Plaza before they fire up the gondola: probably 10 a.m. To ensure you ride down the mountain rather than walk the whole way, return to Round House Lodge before the gondola stops: probably 5 p.m.
fact
before your trip
Check the dates and hours of operation for the gondola and chairlift. Visit whistlerblackcomb.com. Phone (604) 932-3434 or (800)-766-0449.
Pack all the water you'll need for the entire day: three full water bottles per person. There are no water sources along the trail.
by vehicle
From Hwy 99 in Whistler, turn east onto Village Gate Blvd. Proceed through the Whistler Way intersection. In 0.4 km (0.25 mi) reach Blackcomb Way at a T-junction. Turn left, then immediately turn right. Enter the first of several unpaved parking lots. Bear right and continue to the far south lot. Park there, or as close to that end as possible.
on foot
From the far south parking lot, walk west across Blackcomb Way. Follow the sidewalk left (south). Near the bus stop, turn right (west). Descend the stairs into Whistler Village Plaza. Curve left (south) to the gondola base, at 675 m (2214 ft), where you'll purchase your ticket and board the Whistler Express Gondola.
Upon disembarking the Peak Chairlift, ignore the gravel road gently descending left (southeast). Go right (west) about 30 m/yd to the inukshuk (stone man) and an aerial view of Whistler Valley.
Brandywine Mtn (Trip 5) is visible west-northwest. The Black Tusk, Helm Lake, and Panorama Ridge (Trip 9) are south-southwest.
From the inukshuk, follow the signed High Note trail. It drops and curves right (north) one minute to a saddle beneath a rocky knob. It then goes left (west), over the knob, before descending left (north) among boulders.
The trail swings southwest, crosses a road at 1960 m (6430 ft), and continues south. Do not follow the road. After a two-minute descent, contour left (southeast) at 1940 m (6363 ft). The Cheakamus River Valley is visible right (south).
Reach the trail's lowpoint at 1855 m (6086 ft). Cheakamus Lake is visible ahead (south-southeast), 881 m (2890 ft) below.
Ascend to 1970 m (6462 ft) then drop to a 1910 m (6266 ft) saddle between Piccolo Summit (southeast) and Little Whistler Peak (northwest).
From the saddle, the trail continues generally southeast, traversing the southwest slope of Piccolo Summit, dropping no lower than 1855 m (6086 ft).
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