Help with route to Whistler

[Dui]

Leaving for Whistler bc Saturday from Whitby Ontario . Going through Jasper provincial park. Taking hwy 16 to hwy 5 to Kamloops...west on 97 to 99 south to whistler. Pulling my 3580. Any experience with this route would be appreciated.

Will return through Vancouver through hwy 1 to Banff and onto Calgary.

Never been through the mountains....any advice on the route selected please.

Truck is Sierra Hd Duramax Diesel.

[Parts Ed]

The Sea to Sky road to Whistler from Vancouver was all redone for the Olympics a couple of years ago they were supposed to make it two-way each way. The highway was know as one of the most dangerous roads in BC. Plenty of beautiful scenery along the way and Whistler Village is a blast. Can't remember if Highway 1 turns into the Cocahala (sp?) I have driven that with truck and trailer and it is quite the climb at times.
Not sure if helps or not... But sounds like a neat drive none the less.

[sapest]

Hiway 1 - Hope to Cache Creek is a winding sometime only 2 lane road that follows the Fraser River. It is very scenic - but you will not make any time. If you like nice broad multi lane hiways, take Hiway 5 Hope to Kamloops.Highway 5 (the Coquihalla) no longer has tolls, but has some pretty steep grades up to 8.5%.
Cache Creek to Lillooet (Hiway 97 & 99) is pretty good, still it's another winding road. Lillooet to Whistler (Hiway 99 Duffy Lake Road)is not great pavement, but you cant beat the view out the window. Be sure to stop at Duffy Lake pullout (it will be on your side of the road) Note that this road started life as logging truck road, & some portions look & feel like all that's been changed is that it's now paved. Lillooet to Pemberton is still considered one of the best motorcycle roads in BC, & there are no services on this part of the highway.
HTH's
-Steve

[Dui]

Thank you. Any other thoughts on the 99 highway north of Whistler to Kamloops?

[sapest]

Sorry - not sure I understand the question - all this =
Cache Creek to Lillooet (Hiway 97 & 99) is pretty good, still it's another winding road. Lillooet to Whistler (Hiway 99 Duffy Lake Road)is not great pavement, but you cant beat the view out the window. Be sure to stop at Duffy Lake pullout (it will be on your side of the road) Note that this road started life as logging truck road, & some portions look & feel like all that's been changed is that it's now paved. Lillooet to Pemberton is still considered one of the best motorcycle roads in BC, & there are no services on this part of the highway.
- is about the hiway between Kamloops & Whistler. About 5 hrs-ish.
Kamloops, Savona, Cache Creek, Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler are the communities in the order you would encounter them.
-Steve

[Sinterior]

Personally I would follow your route to Kamloops, then take Hwy 5, the Coquihalla (coke-a-halla) (it's no longer a toll road and the hills are not as bad as some would have you believe, the steepest being the Great Bear Snowshed hill about 2/3rds of the way between Merritt and Hope, downhill Southbound and it's freeway as is all the Coke as it's locally called) to Hope, then Hwy 1 through Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, where one of the Vancouver Island ferries to Nanaimo are. There the Hwy becomes 99 (Sea to Sky) on through Squamish to Whistler. It's this section that was rebuilt and rerouted for the Olympics.
There are no stop signs or traffic lights from Kamloops to well past Horseshoe Bay.

Or, Kamloops to Cache Creek on Hwy 1/97 then South on Hwy 1 through the Fraser Canyon to Hope, much more scenic then the Hwy 5 but much longer and twisty.
If you go these routes, avoid the morning and afternoon rush hours near Vancouver as the highways get really backed up.
I wouldn't tow my fiver South on 99 to Whistler unless I had to, just my opinion.
I hope this helps somewhat.

ps we live in Kamloops and have driven these routes many many times, both towing the fiver and not.

[Dui]

Steve Pete thank you for your responses. Steve from your experience how long would it take me to go from Jasper national Park to Whistler taking Highway 5 and 97 to 99. I'm thinking 10 hrs from mapquest but would love to know from someone with real experiences. Pete, why wouldn't you take your fiver down Highway 99 , any particular reason is the road not in good condition? Thanks again guys For your responses . I really appreciate it and getting excited about this trip. Meeting my son in whistler so I need to do this in one day if possible. Am I pushing it?

[sapest]

Town of Jasper to Tete Jaun Cache is Hiway 16. Dont forget to try for a photo of the top of Mt Robson, highest mountain in the Can. Rockies. I have been by there at least 8 times & have only seen the top once! Also be ready for sticker shock, everything in Jasper is spendy, & maybe traffic, depending on when you are there. And lots of wildlife on the roads & in town, they ALWAYS have the right of way. If you can time it, I suggest fueling in Alberta before you cross into BC & then in Valemount, which is after Tete Jaun Cache, for the rest of the journey to Kamloops. After Valemount, few services till Kamloops.
Call it 6 hours from town of Jasper to Kamloops, another 5-ish from Kamloops to Whistler.
Check www.drivebc.ca for construction/road conditions etc.

That's going to be a very long day, even if traffic & construction dont get in your way. Once you past Cache Creek, you are on a very winding road with lots of elevation changes, few pull outs or places to be passed. If you can add the day, stop over in Kamloops for the night & ponder if you really want another day thru mountains on a lesser road.
Enjoy BC - make sure your camera battery is fully charged!
-Steve

[Dui]

Thank you. Any other thoughts on the 99 highway north of Whistler to Kamloops?

[Sinterior]

Dui, it's just personal preference I wouldn't take 99, no other reason really, other than very few places to pull over on some sections and it's rough and narrow on some stretches.

If you go via 99, Sapest has given you good info, and I would suggest doing it in 2 days as well. Kamloops doesn't have easy to get to RV parks or campgrounds on your route, so I would suggest Pinegrove Campground near McLure, North of Kamloops right on Hwy 5 on your right, or Brookside Campsite just east of cache Creek on Hwy 1/97 also on your right.
Both are ok for bigger rigs with 30amp power, Brookside having some full hookup sites.

Have a great trip.

[Dui]

Thanks for your help folks. I will take your advice under consideration. Will let you know as we make our way across Canada. 3 kids. Dog and Dw along for the ride. Should be interesting. Done east coast twice...now its time for the west. Feel free to let me know any other interesting places to visit on the route. Thanks in advance. Dui

[Dui]

We're leaving for jasper this morning. Will be finalizing my route once there. Beautiful drive across this great country so far. Thank you for your support.
Dui

[Dui]

Well we're here. That 99 route south from Cache Creek was breathtaking but extremely challenging at a couple of locations. There was two locations that were 13 percent for 11 km and 15 percent for 5 km. i was not expecting that. Nice and steady and we made it through. We saw at least 2 stranded motorists with trailers. Was in first gear and still pumped brakes...little smokey so i parked and rested them on the second slope. Will not be going to Kamloops via the same route,,, will go around. Thanks to all for the feedback. BC is beautiful.