Day 3 of BC! Where I spent the day doing all sorts of things on my own. I started this day really early and came home when the sun was setting. I somehow managed to fit in lots of physical activity but also lots of time to just sit and enjoy the views.

First Stop - Stewamus Chief

I decided since the weather was nice and dry I should climb the Chief this day. At this point this would be my third day of uphill hiking so I was reluctant at first but I surprisingly wasn’t sore when I woke up so I continued with the plans. I ate my emergency cup noodle as breakfast and packed my snacks and I was out of my AirBnB pretty early. The Chief is located back in Squamish was only about 45 minutes away. I got to the parking lot around 8:30am. The view of the water and mountains just next to it was already really pretty from ground level. I had a banana as another snack and headed to the hiking trail.

NOTE: I am not an avid climber or anything. I am an active person and mainly just hike while on trips. They also say not to hike alone, but the solo trails I did are all popular hikes that are well marked with lots of foot traffic.

There’s a campground just before the start of the trail that you walk through and then you hit the stairs. The start has lots and lots of stairs. There is a waterfall at the beginning which you can watch as you take breaks which you will likely require. If there wasn’t an actual stair way built with wooden planks there were just rocks that you climbed up. It was practically stair master but more fun and in nature.

The Chief has 3 peaks to it and there are different routes you would split off into to take each one. My goal was only to climb to the first peak so when I his the the split to head to the first or second peak I chose one and it was another 30 mins to the top from that split. Along the way there was a lookout area with a big rock sitting on the mountain. I took a snack break here and was welcomed by a chipmunk and a Stellar’s Jay. It looked just like a blue jay but with a black coloured head.

Towards the summit the steps got extra steep and then the manmade steps disappeared. You only had the rocky surface of the mountain to work with. This was my favourite part though! At one point the rock was so steep with a small canyon between that they installed a metal chain and ladder for you to use to help you get up and down the mountain. From there you scramble on the rocks up until you finally hit the peak and things plateau. The view of Howe Sound and the neighbouring mountains was a lovely sight. It was quite windy at the top so my sweater came in handy. You can also see the second and third peak from here. Going to each peak from another would take about another hour to move from each one but I decided i wanted to explore more.

It took me about 1.5 hours to get tot the top. I finished my snacks and befriended another chipmunk who climbed all over me (I did not feed it). After spending 30 mins enjoying the view I started my scramble back down. This is when i really felt it in my knees since each step down was so steep. After another hour and 10 mins i made it back to my car. My legs were quite shaky at this point.

Second Stop - Sea to Sky Gondola

Views of Howe Sound from the Sea to Sky Gondola viewpoint

Probably one the top tourist attractions in Vancouver area. The gondola is located just before the Stawamus Chief lot so I actually had to drive back and loop around to get to that lot. I also passed by Shannon Falls, a large waterfall off the side of the mountain right next to the gondola. Most tourist check out both while in Squamish. I maybe should’ve gave myself a longer break, because even driving to the lot over made my legs shake. I made it to the gondola lot and paid my parking using the PayByPhone Parking app. I used this throughout most of my trip.

I purchased my gondola ticket online via Perkopolis (yay work perks) which saved me 25%, so if you’re a member definitely look into what you can use it on. Otherwise tickets are 10% cheaper online than at the gate.

They board people by party, so I actually got a gondola car to myself! I got to enjoy the view from the gondola and even saw people climbing the Sea to Summit Trail on the mountain side (I debated on doing this one or the Chief). As I got higher I even saw the first peak of the Chief where I had been about 2 hours before.

At the top I was greeted with a vast lookout of Howe Sound and neighbouring mountains. There is a beautiful suspension bridge at the top that you cross to further explore the top of the mountain.

The top of the mountain has walking and hiking trails but at this point I was done hiking for the day so I just took their Panoramic walking trail around the mountain to different lookouts and enjoyed the different POVs. At one point of the trail there is a overlooking platform with a clear view of Howe Sound and the Chief.

After walking the trail it was well after lunch time so it was time to go find food. I decided to find somewhere back in Metro Vancouver.

Third Stop - Tom Sushi

I love sushi and since I was right by the Pacific I searched up some places on TikTok (honestly, a good place for food reviews). I found a place called Tom Sushi in a downtown neighbourhood towards the beaches. It gave me Yonge & Wellesley vibes if you know Toronto. The restaurant was peaceful and relatively quiet. The servers were really nice and sat me at my own booth. This was probably the first time I ever ate at a seated restaurant by myself. It ended up not being as anxiety inducing as I thought it would be and I really enjoyed it.

I ordered their Aburi Deluxe set which consisted of different types of torched fish sushi, some chu-toro bluefin sashimi, and shima-aji and hamachi nigiri. I enjoyed all of it, especially the sashimi and shima-aji. When you order the bluefin sushi they give you real fresh wasabi on the side and this was my first time trying it. It tasted very different from the artificial tube wasabi I was used to. Not as potent when it comes to burning your nasal passage with a fresh taste.

I definitely prefer sashimi over torched sushi, so if I were to come back I would like to try more of their raw fish. I would recommend Tom Sushi for a good a la carte sushi place.

Fourth Stop - Beaches & Ice Cream

Walking the streets and enjoying the beaches. After lunch I wanted to head to the beach. I was going to walk since parking on this street was so cheap but I ended up walking the wrong way for a good 15 mins… While walking back to the car I stopped by a Caffe Mira, a cafe I had looked up earlier. I got a matcha tea latte and a sandwich that I figured I would eat later as a late dinner when I got hungry.

I ended up driving my car down towards the water and found free parking for a couple hours (I was quite surprised at how easy and cheap parking was in this area). I walked along Sunset Beach and ended up sitting at English Bay Beach and watched the ocean and the ships. It was a super nice and sunny day out so there were lots of people out on the beach sun tanning and playing volleyball. While here came across the Rain or Shine Ice Cream Truck and got their London Fog ice cream. This was one of the ice cream shops I got recommended to try while in Vancouver. At this point it was about 4pm and I didn’t really plan anything else to do for the day. I was still in my hiking shoes and clothes and wondered if I should go home to change and come back to the beach to sit in the sun.

After spending more time on the beach I saw Stanley Park in the distance and decided that would be where my next stop would be.

Fifth Stop - Biking & Sunset at Stanley Park

Lions Gate Bridge from the sea wall below

I wanted to catch the sunset while at Stanley Park so I looked up the beaches and chose to park by Third Beach. Parking fees here seemed more of what I would expect from popular places by the water. In the lot I saw a Mobi Bike stop which was perfect since one of the things on my To Do List was to bike at Stanley Park! I downloaded the app and rented a bike where I rode around the Stanley Park Seawall. What I didn’t know was that the Sea Wall is one way so this meant I couldn’t bike back the way I came. I didn’t know how to get back around but I was sure I would figure it out and find my way back.

Biking through Stanley Park was a really healing experience for me. I haven’t gone bike riding in a long time but I do enjoy leisure biking. I just love the feeling of the air and wind blowing against you as you get from one place to another. The trail eventually brings you right by the Lions Gate Bridge and the views of the Sea Wall while the sun was setting was beautiful.

It took me about an hour to make my way around Stanley park and back to the Third Beach where I parked my car. I docked my bike then found a log on the beach where I sat as the sun set. I face-timed my friend Ashna at this point just to share about my day. I reflected on all the things I did this day, which was a lot! But in the end it was all things I enjoyed and I felt really thankful to be able to do all these things on my own.

I ended up driving home once the sun set behind a big cloud. I was greeted by the house cat when I got home and winded down for my next day.

Vancouver Solo Trip - Day 3 | June 10, 2024

Vancouver Solo Trip - Day 2 | June 9, 2024