Whistler

Whistler is now a legendary British Columbia mountain town. By the numbers, Whistler it is not much to write about. Never home to more than 12,000 residents, 2,000 to 3,000 of whom are seasonal/transitional residents, over 11,000 homes in Whistler sit empty for most of the year. But it is not skyscrapers and history that draw millions of travelers to the edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park every year. It is the beautiful, expertly designed town of Whistler, and what rises from it, that draw crowds year after year. An enchanting little culture exists in the town beneath the Holtzman glacier, but it is the glacier itself, and the mountains, forests, rivers, and wildlife around it, that overwhelm.

Well, maybe all those things and some fantastic skiing and snowboarding, too. The resort mountain Whistler Blackcomb is one of North America’s best. Together the two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb (formerly opposing mountains now a single property) make up the largest ski area in North America. For the intrepid and skilled, skier or snowboarder, the Whistler backcountry is the treasure; the pitch, rock formations and abundant yearly snowfall of the Coast Mountains make the backwoods of Whistler well worth the hike it takes to get to them. Skiers and snowboarders visiting Whistler can even stretch their season into late July. Summer sessions on the Holtzman glacier usually run from mid June to late July. The terrain does not nearly equal Whistler Blackcomb’s winter offerings, but the terrain parks tend to be first rate. Plus, it is summer skiing and riding, which is a pretty cool experience.

More popular during the summers though are the gorgeous hikes and walks never more than yards away, and the scenic local golf courses. Sightseeing tours on the Whistler Blackcomb Peak2Peak gondola, a record-breaking journey between Whistler and Blackcomb peaks, are a way for everyone, no matter how fit, to take in the scenery from above.

For mountain bikers, Whistler offers almost inexhaustible trails including lift-serviced single-track downhill. There are nearby stables for horseback riding, rivers for rafting, and heli-pads for travelers wanting a bird’s-eye view. There is plenty of mountain wildlife around Whistler, too. Tag along on a bear-viewing expedition and be sure to see the best of it.

Winter or summer evenings in Whistler offer plenty, including après ski happy hours, nightlife, shopping and more restaurants then it seems the town can hold, ranging from corner pizza places to elegant fine dining.

Getting to Whistler is not simple but hardly deterring.  They best course in, for travelers from afar, is to take a commercial flight to Vancouver, the closest major municipality, and drive the Sea-to-Sky highway 76 miles into town. Alternatively, a resort shuttle can be met at the airport. Resort shuttles are best booked in advance but a stranded traveler would not have too much trouble finding a way into Whistler.

Dress for a chill in Whistler but do not expect to be cold on summer days. Thermometers in Whistler hang around the mid 70s° F. from June through August. They can fall low during the winters but never hit the sharp, frost-biting lows of other Canadian towns and cities to the north and east. Leave the raincoat at home during the summers but be prepared for snow in winter.