Whistler BC

Take the Peak to Peak Gondola, highest and longest in the world, scare yourself, it's 900 feet straight down, running from Whistler to Blackcomb mountains. But maybe you don't have enough time, so just walk the Village and have lunch. No beers, you're driving, you don't want to hit somebody who's texting, driving @ 130 KMH.

I see I'm late, behind on my reading. Good job, and lots of luck on the Ferries. Hope the trip was a total success!

well, it is just a regular BC Highway. Lots of other, more "hang on tight" roads in that region!

BC_Explorer wrote:

83trekker wrote:


Well i got back from doing this trip, thats quite the road i must have to say holy ****. As per the pic above i just fished coming down and the sharp very quick hair pin turns that just pop up on you were pretty freaking intense. By the time i got just to the 15 degree hill I pulled off just to the right as in the pic above where the runaway lane is and my truck brakes in the back were smoking. I didnt run the brakes alot but had to crank on them good when i hit these hairpin turns that you just dont see coming.

The 15 degree hill was not bad , i threw it into first gear threw the 4 way flashers on and crawled down, that was prob the easiest part of the whole road.

After everything was good and my brakes actually felt like they had more of a bite to them for the rest of the trip lol

Trekker.

Glad you enjoyed the trip and that you made it safely down Duffey Lake Road.

As you noted, the hairpin curves can creep up real fast. Not that I pull as long or as heavy as a trailer as you, but I have found that the top portion of the hill near Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is where I stay off the brakes and let the transmission and engine do most of the work so that the brakes stay cool for the hairpin curves. I usually drop down into 4th then 3rd when needed which will slow the truck and trailer enough that only occasional braking is required until the grade gets steeper and the hairpins start at which I time I alternate between 1st and 2nd and the brakes to safely descend.

Like any mountain road, once you drive it a few times, you slowly get to know the idiosyncrasies of it and is knowledge learned for the next time, so don't allow the naysayers and negative comments here take away from your experience. I have driven the Duffey Lake Road too many times to count and I still learn something new on every descent.

PS. Glad you enjoyed the Seton Lake campground. Can't ask for a better campground experience in that area.

Thanks! Even with my Allison transmission in first going down the 15% grade and in tow haul with my weight it still lets me go faster then i would like for that hill , so tapping the brakes here and there was needed, but my main goal for the whole road was to not use the brakes as much as possible and like you said save them for the hairpin turns, which you have no choice but to use them at that point. I wouldn't hesitate to take the road again but would still be a little on edge again lol as it is a crazy ride. Would be a blast in a car.

We had to guys behind us on bicycles coming down and when we stopped to let the brakes cool, the first guy came down the hill screaming holy ****!!!! lol it was funny

83trekker wrote:


Well i got back from doing this trip, thats quite the road i must have to say holy ****. As per the pic above i just fished coming down and the sharp very quick hair pin turns that just pop up on you were pretty freaking intense. By the time i got just to the 15 degree hill I pulled off just to the right as in the pic above where the runaway lane is and my truck brakes in the back were smoking. I didnt run the brakes alot but had to crank on them good when i hit these hairpin turns that you just dont see coming.

The 15 degree hill was not bad , i threw it into first gear threw the 4 way flashers on and crawled down, that was prob the easiest part of the whole road.

After everything was good and my brakes actually felt like they had more of a bite to them for the rest of the trip lol

Trekker.

Glad you enjoyed the trip and that you made it safely down Duffey Lake Road.

As you noted, the hairpin curves can creep up real fast. Not that I pull as long or as heavy as a trailer as you, but I have found that the top portion of the hill near Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is where I stay off the brakes and let the transmission and engine do most of the work so that the brakes stay cool for the hairpin curves. I usually drop down into 4th then 3rd when needed which will slow the truck and trailer enough that only occasional braking is required until the grade gets steeper and the hairpins start at which I time I alternate between 1st and 2nd and the brakes to safely descend.

Like any mountain road, once you drive it a few times, you slowly get to know the idiosyncrasies of it and is knowledge learned for the next time, so don't allow the naysayers and negative comments here take away from your experience. I have driven the Duffey Lake Road too many times to count and I still learn something new on every descent.

PS. Glad you enjoyed the Seton Lake campground. Can't ask for a better campground experience in that area.

garyhaupt wrote:
Trekker...if you go back over the postings to your original query..there were many references to the challenges on that hill. That you chose to either overlook them, ignore them or whatever, but..you were warned.

I dunno..people ask for advise or insight or information..they get a bunch of it, then don't allow for it..and express concern when it's all over. I get not asking...a man doesn't need to ask, for God's sake...but..when you do, and then come back talking about how bad it was? That part? I don't get.


Gary Haupt

Whoa.........take it down a level buddy........I was never in danger but some of the hair pin turns come up on ya fast and had to brake very hard even in a low gear and going very slowly, I was always in 2nd gear not 1st gear as i was waiting for the 15% degree hill for that. I was never in danger nor was anyone around me, was always in control. I used the advice in this thread to a tee but my tranny can only hold back my truck so much without getting too fast when coming to the turns and tried to avoid using my brakes as much as possible.
Its ok buddy everything's just A.O.K. thanks for your input.
Taking this road with all the knowledge beforehand and having an idea of what was coming, and doing it safely, i will still say it, it is one hell of a road regardless.

Trekker...if you go back over the postings to your original query..there were many references to the challenges on that hill. That you chose to either overlook them, ignore them or whatever, but..you were warned.

I dunno..people ask for advise or insight or information..they get a bunch of it, then don't allow for it..and express concern when it's all over. I get not asking...a man doesn't need to ask, for God's sake...but..when you do, and then come back talking about how bad it was? That part? I don't get.


Gary Haupt

GaryKH wrote:
You're welcome. They should probably sell tshirts in Pemberton saying "i survived the Duffy Lake Road" eh? That would be ok for some!

That is one hell of a road, when towing a trailer! Now that i have done it once and know what to expect i would have no problem doing it again, but would throw it down in 1st gear for the whole stretch on the hairpins..

You're welcome. They should probably sell tshirts in Pemberton saying "i survived the Duffy Lake Road" eh? That would be ok for some!

Oh and a big thanks to GaryKH and BC_Explorer for pointing out the free campground at Seton Lake, it was really nice and safe feeling place for a free stop over, thank again.

Well i got back from doing this trip, thats quite the road i must have to say holy ****. As per the pic above i just fished coming down and the sharp very quick hair pin turns that just pop up on you were pretty freaking intense. By the time i got just to the 15 degree hill I pulled off just to the right as in the pic above where the runaway lane is and my truck brakes in the back were smoking. I didnt run the brakes alot but had to crank on them good when i hit these hairpin turns that you just dont see coming.

The 15 degree hill was not bad , i threw it into first gear threw the 4 way flashers on and crawled down, that was prob the easiest part of the whole road.

After everything was good and my brakes actually felt like they had more of a bite to them for the rest of the trip lol