Travel on Hwy 99

[hergfest]

I am going with some members of my car club up to Williams Lake, BC for Memorial Day weekend for a car show. We will take Trans Canada up the canyon then to Hwy 97. But on the way back we were hoping to take 99 through Pemberton and Whistler. Is this road OK for classic cars? Any gravel roads? I am taking either my 68 Dodge Polara ragtop or my 1970 Dodge Charger.

[Quinsam]

I think it is rather like the malahat. Should be ok.

[Ferryman]

Ahh, thinking about taking the Duffy Lake Road back eh? I've gone that way numerous times, and haven't had a problem. Between Pemberton and Lillioet, there is literally no traffic on the road, and it takes about an hour and a half to do that part (no cops either, so you could test your muscle car no problem..... ), but pack some food and extra gas, because there is absolutely nothing at that part. There is no gravelly roads, although I can't predict what the construction crews are doing, as there are, I'm guessing, about 10-15 different little constuction sites between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler now, and I don't think I've ever had to drive over any gravel roads yet. The thing is, I'm mindless when it comes to holidays, and not quite sure what time of the year, Memorial Day is. I'm assuming sometime in July-August. By then, the roads will be bare and dry, with no snow (sometimes you can see about 8 feet of snow on either side of the highway on the Duffy Lake stretch).

PS, word of advice......gear down on the 20 minute stretch near Mount Currie (10 mins North of Pemberton), as there is alot of windy hills, that will take a number on your brakes, so I'd suggest doing more gearing down than braking (obviously). But just giving you the heads up on that part, as everytime I go down that stretch of hills, there is always someone ahead of me who rode their brakes to the bottom, so it may not smell too good through there (burning rubber, not burning currie).

Hope this helps you out a bit, and if you want to take a pre-trip, check this link out. If you've never been to this site, follow the signs, and you'll have to click on a few pictures (usually at the bottom of the page) to keep going. Only problem is, it's going the opposite direction you're going.

modena.intergate.ca/personal/pl8s/BC99/hwy_99_3.htm

[Low Light Mike]

I've cooked my car-brakes, coming down the hill, westward into Mt. Currie.

Hergy, take it easy on that last hill.....you'll see a large truck-map of the hill at the brake check. The hill is well marked, so you'll know when you're coming to it.


Is the USA memorial day in May? I think it's the 3rd weekend in May, same as Canadian "Victoria Day". What the purpose of memorial day, and does the USA also recognize Nov.11th as a holiday? just wonderin...

[Dane]

If I had a classic car I wouldn't take it - there's a lot of blasting on the Sea to Sky leaving a lot of small rocks and such on the road. I got my car repianted last week and don't plan on taking it up to Squamish for awhile now.

[Ferryman]

Wow, Dane, I didn't know the damage that I made on your Beamer 2 weeks ago was that bad when I pulled up beside you at Mcdonalds.....

[Dane]

... it's never been the same since!

[hergfest]

US Memorial Day is May 29th. We hit a big section of gravel on Hwy 97 last year, will probably hit it again. But just getting the car out on the road is my favorite part of the trip for me. Here is a pic of the car:

Or I might take my ragtop:

[BrianWilliams]

Re the Duffy Lake part of Hwy 99, Chris said: "Between Pemberton and Lillooet, there is literally no traffic on the road..."

Often, yes. But if there is one slow truck -or, as in our case- a tour bus grinding up to the summit; be prepared for many slow miles. Passing opportunities are very limited.

A few 99 photos from July 2004: (this first one looks SW from the gravel Kelly Lake-Pavilion Road -not part of 99- but it shows the dramatic route 99 follows west from Lillooet. The Fraser River is right below, Lillooet town hugs the bench past the historic suspension bridge -also not part of 99. From the east: the 99 route dives into the mountains at the obvious gap, crosses the Seton River then climbs sharply up Cayoosh Creek



-- to its head at beautiful Duffey Lake.



This short, steep mountain crossing has many attractions. To me, it is best as a showpiece of SW BC's variety. On the western side, the mid-elevation rainforest is crowned by glacial peaks.

Here's lower Joffre Lake, a 10-min. walk from Hwy 99, 35 km west of Mt Currie:



At Lillooet, the Fraser River canyon is even more dramatic than the old Hwy 1 route. The scorched-dry bottom is nearly desert. Sage, tumbleweed and Ponderosa pine dominate. Even cactus hugs the ground (ouch! watch out if you kneel for a photo):



From the high gravel road above Pavilion, the Fraser River's wild canyon is a delight to see. In this pic, Hwy 99 is in view as it curves past Fountain near Lillooet:



Yes, 99 is all paved and well-maintained. But see it now, before it becomes a multi-lane tourist expressway!

A PS: Car fans, drop into the Round Up Motel at Clinton. Super-nice owners, low rates -- and see their restored 1947 Monarch:

[BrianWilliams]

Another PS to hergfest, and to other folks exploring BC:

A very useful mapbook is the BC Recreational Atlas, see www.recreationalatlas.com The general book covers all of BC at 1:600,000 in 88 large pages.

Better for local info are the Backroad Mapbooks from www.backroadmapbooks.com They are 1:150,000, with fine detail of minor roads, trails and back country features. Even if you don't venture off the highway, the accurate maps help you indentify creeks and mountains you see in passing.

[hergfest]

I guess a snow avalanche closed the highway down about a week ago, and a RCMP that loved the cars at the hotel Sunday night, both said DON'T DO IT! We did it anyways and had a blast. My brakes were cooking by the bottom of the big hill, and I was downshifted plus I put disc brakes on the ragtop. The guys with drum brakes did worse than I did...lol The top was down about 50% of the time, had to put it up when we were freezing our butts off and it started raining.