The View from the top of the Chief

Growing up I always had a huge respect for the Chief. A mountain peak outside of Squamish. As a young child the sheer face seemed colossal. My martial arts instructor got into rock climbing and talked about climbing the face. I was like good luck with that. Then a few years ago someone said you know there is a trail to the top you can hike up around back. I had no idea so I decided to check it out. It's awesome. Second peak is a bit better then first peak. The hike is short and steep like the Grouse Grind and the view is indeed awesome. This is where I hiked again today.



When I first heard they were building a gondola at the Chief I thought it was going to suck. Instead of having to hike up you just take the gondola. However, the new Sea to Sky gondola doesn't take you to the top of the Chief. It goes beside it and far above it. So if you want all the breath taking views without the physical exertion, the new gondola is the way to go. It was packed on the long weekend though. If you take the gondola up there are still lots of hiking you can do. Sky Pilot is a good hike that is accessible from the top of the gondola. However several people have died doing it recently slipping on the steep snow pack. Even when there is no snow the summit looks pretty steep. Nevertheless, there are lots of scenic safe hiking trails from the top of the gondola.