PEMBERTON

At only 159 Km ( 100 miles) north of Vancouver, lies a winter ( and summer) wonderland right in the backyard of the world famous Whistler/ Blackcomb Resort. Pemberton, which is loosely translated from old english to ‘settlement’ was only accessible by train up until 1960. Since then highway connectivity brought the population from a mere 200 to 2500
permanent residences. But this population is not to fool you! It swells in both in the winter and summer with its many festivals and adventure activities drawing up the curious.

The terrain in the valley, leading up the through the coast mountains to the jaw dropping Mount Currie located within a birds eye view of the town, make it a stunning destination and a winter paradise! Without the crowds of a Whistler, it is a snowy and yet exotic destination. Like many Canadian communities, the Hudson Bay Company (HBC) established the town. Located in the coast mountains, it was a mid-way point and station for the fur trade. In 1827 the first men landed on the valley taking knee trembling journeys through the Mount Currie area to try to establish a route for the trade. Pemberton was in fact named for one such surveyor for the HBC, even though he never set foot there! Oddly, the village was never used by the HBC company but their discoveries were very important for the gold rush during the 1850’s when in 1858 over 30,000 miners penetrated the area.

The native American Lil’et nation, on whom’s traditional lands Pemberton lies, has a large influence on the activities within the region. Great outdoors people, anglers, hunters and farmers, the local museum (which opens in May) boasts amazing Native American relics. It houses historical artifacts from the fur trade, the gold rush, the native arts and crafts and food of the area.

On this journey, we started with our skidoos ( or sledding as it is affectionately known in Canada) and took the back road hydro trails to the top of Mount Miller – from the valley floor this is a 5000 ft. elevation. Hair pin turns and a few avalanche areas later….. we were on the top of the mountain sitting a drift on a frozen meadow with nothing but diamond glistening snow and trees that looked like iced cupcakes for as far as the eye could see. Snowshoes enabled us to traverse to the middle of the lake and take in the silence. All the time knowing that quite literally we were surrounded in the mountains by hundreds of hibernating black bears asleep their dens! The beauty of mountain life (with the right gear, safety equipment and training) is you can explore areas most will never see. We found an abandoned hunters cabin. The tale is, the now passed away trapper built several cabins in the area that are used by hikers and hunters. Submerged in about 10 feet of snow and with a clear view down to a glacier lake, the remnants of a previous visitor remained. There were cups and coffee and old fire stove next to a sleeping cot.

There are many local lakes and provincial parks. Ice skating, hiking, mountain biking and snowshoeing trails are easy to find and for all skill levels. Of particular beauty is Nairn Falls. Doing the ‘ice hike’ up to the pristine falls, a short 1.5 km (or 1 mile) hike takes to you to one of the most spectacular glacier run-offs. Like crystals, giant icicles hang off the sides of the falls as brilliant green glacier waters pound down to the volcanic formed pot holes below. Over 1500 years before, the volcanic eruptions prior to the ice age formed this natural wonder. An interesting insight into  Pemberton is that for all of the majesty of the surrounding mountains, the area is best known for its farm land. The vitamin rich soil is a hot bed for growing potatoes. Many producers are not adapting to new products such as a local vodka called ‘ Schramm’. The entire valley hosts an extremely popular “Slow Food Cycle” every summer. Participants ride street bikes from farm to farm eating everything from vegetables, to beef and chicken and full course dinners, with lots of refreshments. It actually hits almost 40 degrees every August ( 104 Fahrenheit!), so fluids are key!

Another summer treat is the outdoor music festival. The Pemberton Music Festival is in July. With over 40,000 attendees last year, it is the ‘it’s who and bit of a mini Woodstock. Big name acts such as Pearl Jam, the Killers, Snoop Dogg.……have performed in the past and it is truly a unique musical experience. With the advantage of some small hotels and great inns and its close proximity to Whistler Backcomb Mountain resort ( 20 minutes), this is an ideal adventure so close to Vancouver.