Die hards find a way to ski to the last remnant of snow. Snow by mid-May will have receded to the top of the mountains. Here we go, not to ski, but to sight see. We aren’t the only ones taking the gondola up to Whistler Mountain to get a better lay of the land. With a group of four the cost must be considered even if you keep your shock to yourself. When others see you turn white with your face held in a trance of unbelief, move forward and smile. You may never pass this way again.

At the top is a restaurant and building called the Roundhouse. We’re advised that it’s cloudy but the following day will be clear. But this opportunity may vanish overnight. We pay and head over to the next series of doors and entrance to the staging area to take the gondola. My credit card feels lighter somehow.

Spotted a deer on the way up; first of the road trip. Up to about 1/3 journey, stop, open doors and wait. Disembark at the top and exit the building on the rear side to great views of the mountain with the tip top covered in clouds. Skiers and snowboarders start their descent here or take the lift to the ultimate top. From here is where the Peak to Peak tram starts. Open only in the summer, the Peak to Peak travels from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Mountain. The wife wants to return to do the Peak to Peak. Our costs would double.

The Roundhouse has a coffee shop and a cafeteria style eatery. Groups around us plot their trips. We exit to an outdoor viewing area with an outdoor bar. A stonehenge monument stands sentinel. It stands or topples, it does little else. I find this stone arrangement at entrances and in the gift shops throughout Whistler.

The gondola descent brings us back into Whistler Village.