Pemberton, BC. Whistler without steroids

Situated only 25 minutes North of Whistler, Pemberton is a world apart. It is a quiet valley surrounded by the most magnificent mountains you will ever see. Nestled within lie two challenging, championship golf courses, many quaint B & B’s, and a well serviced town of 3,000 with the purest drinking water on the planet.

Pemberton tourism is not only increasing but is doing so quickly and sensibly. A far cry from when it was named after Joseph Despard Pemberton, a land surveyor of the Hudson Bay Company back in the 1850s. Back then the gold rush was just getting underway as news of discoveries reached San Francisco. Some of the miners followed the route from Vancouver up the Harrison River and Lake and into Lillooet Lake. Seeing the beauty of Pemberton, they settled in the area of Mount Currie.

Here are five very exciting activities waiting for your arrival:

Trail rides. Delight in a slow gait up through the magnificent cedar and pine forest, emerging above the tree-line where you will marvel at the beauty of the gorgeous array of wild flowers. View the wild and magnificent Coast Mountain Range stretching out before you for miles in every direction. Take a breather alongside a pristine mountain lake where your guide provides you with a stick to your gut lunch. Your friendly horse will take you home safely.

Jet-boat rides. The specially designed jet-boats are incredibly stable craft. They are able to carry their passengers safely over the roughest of white water. No propellers to foul, the propulsion system is simply a very high capacity pump which creates a jet of water to push the boat through the water. Excellent for river cruising. Variety is the keyword with Pemberton Adventure ranch river tours. From the fairly quite Green and Lillooet rivers to the gold rusher action of the lower Lillooet rapids there is excitement for every taste.

Mountain snowmobiling in the Whistler area is a whole new deal. First of all the area is unbelievably huge. Mountains rise up to over 8,000 feet. Glaciers can be 1,000 feet thick with an annual snowfall of over 30 feet. And the beauty of it is you have an amazing choice of areas to explore. You could snowmobile for an entire winter and never hit the same area twice. Mountain snowmobiling is such fun. You have the urge to tell anyone who will listen about your fantastic adventure.

Glider Soaring. Imagine yourself seated in the cockpit of this glider as your experienced pilot guides you to within mere feet of the ruggedly spectacular mountains of the coast range. See the ski slopes of Whistler, the fertile Pemberton Valley and the emerald green glacial lakes dotting the landscape. Ride the thermals like the Bald Eagles do as you soar over the majestic mountains and valleys unfolding before your eyes. No engine noise to disturb your thoughts, only the stillness of the scene keeps you in the reality of the moment.

River Rafting Whistler waterways is a lot of great fun. When the snow melts in the mountains and the rivers flow fast it’s time to don the helmets and floatation devices and climb aboard. It’s called rafting or whitewater rafting but it all means that it’s a recreational activity using a rubber raft to navigate a river or lake. No matter how you may try to describe it, it all comes down to a fantastic ride and a lot of Great Fun!

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website Whistler-Outdoors.com/ is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.