Pemberton sits in a flat, green valley surrounded by high, jagged mountains, a short distance north of Whistler, and it feels like a different world from the resort next door. Mount Currie, a rugged peak with a grey crest, towers over the farmland, and the Lillooet River winds across the valley floor. Farmers here grow seed potatoes, which are prized for their disease-free quality, and the fields with their neat rows are the first thing you see on arrival. The town has about two thousand people, a few cafes, a brewery and a laid-back air.
The valley is the traditional territory of the Lil'wat Nation, who have lived here for thousands of years, and their cultural centre in nearby Mount Currie is worth visiting. The area was opened to settlement in the nineteenth century when a trail was built for gold seekers heading to the Cariboo, and Pemberton became a farming community. Today, outdoor recreation brings in most of the visitors: climbing, hiking, cycling and skiing.
For riders, Pemberton is the gateway to one of the best roads in British Columbia. Highway 99 north climbs steeply out of the valley, with tight bends and switchbacks, through dense forest, and over the Cayoosh Pass before dropping to the shores of Duffey Lake. The lake, a deep turquoise, sits beneath glaciated peaks, and the road continues down the dry side of the mountains toward Lillooet through a landscape that changes from wet forest to open, sunburned hills. The surface is generally good, but gradients are steep, and there are sections with rock fall and logging trucks. The pass is typically open all year, but winter conditions can be severe.
The climate on the far side is hot and dry, in contrast to the damp coast, and the temperature can rise by ten degrees in a few kilometres. Fill the tank in Pemberton, since fuel is limited on the road ahead, and carry water. A coffee and a pastry at a cafe in town are a nice way to start the morning. Spring and autumn are quieter, and summer has the best weather but also the most traffic.