Wednesday, January 2, 2013

come with me to the mountain top...

The other morning as the sun came up...


...this was the view to the north of our place.
It was my 'treadmill' view.

We had tentative plans for that afternoon...
but put them on the back-burner and decided to head to those mountains instead.


We crossed the Fraser River and soon we were on our way up the hill.


 In less than an hour we arrived at Hemlock Valley Ski Resort.


We arrived at the same time as the helicopter ambulance.
Someone's day on the slopes did not end as they had hoped!
 

 It seemed many young families had come to play in the snow.
The parking lots were full...
and the line-ups for the lifts were long.
 

For the record...
skiing is a spectator sport for me.
I have skiied only occasionally over the years.
I fare better on the side-lines...
with a camera!


Though Hemlock Valley is a small ski resort...
it is not lacking in beautiful scenery!


I envied the skiiers their ride up the mountain on the chair lift on this beautiful day.


Since Hemlock is quite close to home...
we brought our kids here on occasion many years ago.
 

One time we stayed in a rental cabin...
and spent a few days....
as chaperones of a youth group.


 I don't recall ever seeing so many people up there before.
 

 The last time we had been to Hemlock with the family was Christmas of 1999.
We stayed in this lodge.
The kids skiied.
We cross-country skiied.
I cooked.
We played games.
It was a good time.


 I'm not the only one who likes to observe from the sidelines!


Hemlock is a wee winter wonderland right close to home.


We so enjoyed our little trip up the mountain...


...and soon we were on our way home.
 

We couldn't have picked a nicer day to go.


It is said that Hemlock Valley is one of the best kept secrets of southern British Columbia.


It's a lovely spot on a sunny winter day.
Secrets are never safe with me!


Once safely off the mountain...
we stopped by a golf resort along the river...
for a cup of coffee and to enjoy the view.


Just 20 minutes from the ski slopes...
we could watch the golfers in action.
And we could observe the eagles swooping overhead.


The coffee needed a little something to go with it. 
Mini-cinni nachos with vanilla bean ice-cream hit the spot!


And so ended our trip up the mountains...
with a drive home along the other side of the river...
and a slightly different view of Mt. Cheam!

17 comments:

  1. What a beautiful day. I'm glad you could ditch your tentative plans and head to the hills. Such gorgeous snow! Skiing and golfing (watching) both in one day. Isn't this a wonderful part of the world.

    Your snack looks absolutely wonderful - will you be creating something similar for a recipe on MGCC?

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  2. Oh wow - so gorgeous!!! Great pictures Judy....what a well spent day!

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  3. When I see photos of your Winter wonderland it makes me want to get on the next plane and return to BC. There is nothing so beautiful as a snowy Winter landscape there.

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  4. Oh Wow. This is just gorgeous Judy! I haven't heard of Hemlock Mountain before but then I've never been to that area in winter. Stunning scenery and to think one can ski and golf in the same day! Just like the ad on tv (a car ad I believe). Thanks for sharing these photos. Oh, the view from your treadmill is gorgeous too!

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  5. Lovely to have a Winter Wonderland so close without having it in your lap. Beautiful scenes. Now you had the camera and what did Elmer do? Ski? (My daughter gave up skiing this year. She says that she's too old and doesn't enjoy it as she once did. Hmmm...) I'd love to go cross-country skiing again, but it seems unlikely for me for the same reasons.

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  6. So lovely Judy! I'm a side line skier myself. It took me a little while to admit it really wasn't a sport for me. Your winter wonderland is fun to see from your lens...

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  7. How did I live there all those years and I've never been to Hemlock! I think I'll stick to snow-shoes and tobaggans - or were those tubes I saw? Maybe I need a trip to a winter wonderland... Great photos!

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  8. Lovely... especially to a Queenslander who is sweltering in the heat at the moment.

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  9. Lucky for us that skiing is a spectator sport for you. If you'd been skiing we wouldn't find out about this secret place. It is indeed a winter wonderland.

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  10. Beautiful place and a yummy treat...that made for a nice day!

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  11. I was thinking of taking a drive up to Hemlock on Sunday but I'm afraid it never got beyond a thought. Thank you for taking me there! We too spent several very fun days on Hemlock mountain when our children were teenagers. I imagine the gorgeous weather, great snow conditions and the fact that it was one of the last days before school started up again made it so popular the day you were there.

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  12. I am going to need a snow day soon. I am so ready to walk through some drifts even for a little while. These last few days we have had such clear skies and I can see Mt Cheam from my front door! (just barely)

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  13. beautiful! I was thinking of going for a drive up there too but now we don't have too. Your pictures gave me my 'fix'.
    Patricia

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  14. Wonderful photo's Judy, thanks for sharing....and that little snack looks pretty good too :)

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  15. Wow! This is definitely my kind of place. You captured it so perfectly. It is no longer a secret to me. I put it on my bucket list. The snow makes it even prettier! The place you chose to have coffee is a great looking place too.

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  16. I am so glad you took off to Winter Wonderland, Canada style! Weren't you tempted to rent a cabin and spend a few days up there? I would be...

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  17. It's a beautiful season, great photos for a great viewers! Thanks!

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~ Ralph Waldo Emerson