Road to Whistler
 

A prior poster mentioned long construction delays on the road between Whistler and Vancouver. We were planning on driving from Williams Lake and staying in Squamish on our way to Vancouver. Should we tough it out and keep our original plans or could someone suggest a scenic alternative?

We drove most of this route last summer and it is really beautiful. We drove from Kamloops and over through Cache Creek and through Lilooet and over to Hwy 99 and down. I would gladly do it again. So I think you should tough it out! BUT, I've heard that Hwy 1 down to HOpe is beautiful too, although I won't see it til later this summer.
Hmmmm, I guess I haven't helped much , have I? But I'd say , don't let the construction stop you from doing what you want to do.

I haven't driven the stretch of highway 99 between Vancouver and Whistler for many years; perhaps other posters will be able to comment on construction delays. To answer your question about a scenic alternative, however, may I propose the route that we would (and do) take:

From Williams Lake: highway 97 to the junction of highway 99, about 15 km north of Cache Creek

Highway 99 from that junction to Lillooet

Highway 12 from Lillooet to Lytton

Highway 1 from Lytton to Hope

Highway 1 or 7 from Hope to Vancouver (Highway 7 is quieter and more scenic; if you're in a hurry, highway 1 is faster)

This will take you through a variety of beautiful and stunning scenery: mountains, farmland, the mighty Fraser Canyon, benchlands, plateaus...plus it's the "road less travelled" and (to my mind) all the more enjoyable because of that.

Sorry, Westie, But I have to jump into your post here.
Vorkuta, I have a question for you, please. We are planning on doing a day trip next month from Salmon Arm. We want to go down Highway 1 to HOpe for a day trip. (yes I know it will be a long day, but is it possible?). I've heard that the road from Lytton to HOpe is beautiful. Are there any particular areas we should plan on seeing or stopping? WE really want to enjoy the scenery and wildlife. Also how about the road north of Lytton? Should we try to see that part as well? I'd appreciate any advice.

The trip from Salmon Arm to Hope and back is about as much driving as I'd want to do in one day, but it's certainly do-able and the scenery is gorgeous.

One of my favourite stops on that route is on the Fraser Canyon, near Boston Bar. Two railway bridges cross over the Fraser River in a truly spectacular spot. Here's what I posted about this a few weeks ago. (I'll continue this in my next posting, due to constraints of length on this forum.)

"Siska (Cisco) Bridges: About 31 km north of Boston Bar, there is a pullout on the east side of the highway (Highway 1) for a view of the twin bridges: the Canadian Pacific Railway crosses from the east bank of the mighty Fraser to the west, and the Canadian National Railway crosses from the west to the east. Nowhere along the canyon is there enough room to run more than one railway on each side for any useful distance. During the Second World War, this was considered a crucial national transportation junction, and security guards watched it closely." (Quoted from the BC Travel Handbook.)

To this, I would add that a more impressive view of the bridges is not the pullout on the east side of Highway 1, but rather a small maintenance depot on the west side. Just near the pullout on the east (shortly before or after the pullout; I can't remember) you will see, on the east side of the highway, a pile of gravel. Directly across from the pile of gravel, on the west side of the highway, is an unpaved service road and a small car park for railway maintenance vehicles. Turn off the highway onto the service road and follow it across the railway tracks. The road continues for about 50 metres. At the end of the road, get out of your car, walk to the cliff (be careful!) and look north, to your right. A spectacular view of those two bridges crossing "the mighty Fraser."

You don't need to change your route if you don't want to.
Just check on the closure status via the web at www.seatoskyimprovements.ca or call the toll-free update line at 1-877-4safe99 -that will tell you when the delays will happen so you can just plot around them.

Another spot on highway one that we always stop at is Walhachin, about 15 km east of Cache Creek (between Kamloops and Cache Creek), on the south side of the highway.

Walhachin came into being in about 1908 when a group of English immigrants decided to leave everything behind in England and start a kind of middle-class Eden-like commune in which they would grow their own apples and sell the apples to Vancouver and eastern Canada. The experiment ran into difficulties of climate, equipment and the Englishmen's lack of experience. Then the First World War broke out and nearly all the men left Walhachin to fight and die in France and Belgium. Very few survived and even fewer returned to Walhachin after 1918. It's a lonely, melancholy spot nowadays: just a few clapboard bungalows and (though I've never found it) the foundations of the swimming pool and the irrigation flume. The gentle hills and the tragedy of the men's fate are a beautiful mix of evocative scenery and melancholy. You can read more about it here.

http://www.michaelkluckner.com/bciw6walhachin.html

Hope some of this helps. Let us know how your trip goes.

Vorkuta, thank you so much for all the great information. I really appreciate it.
I know it will be a long day, but we are so excited about our trip to BC and this is something I really want to do.
Only 3 weeks to go til our trip!!

Westie, good luck on your trip. BTW, I have a Westie, if indeed , that is why you have chosen WEstie as your ID.