Moon Vancouver

by Carolyn B. Heller

  Lift-Accessed Hiking

  Whistler-Blackcomb has lots of hiking trails, from short easy strolls to all-day adventures, that you can access from the lifts or gondolas.

  From the top of the Whistler Gondola or the Whistler side of the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola near the Roundhouse Lodge, you can access the moderate Harmony Lake Trail and Loop, a 1.6-mile (2.5-kilometer) round-trip circuit through the forest to pretty Harmony Lake. You can extend this hike on the steeper 0.7-mile (1.1-kilometer) Harmony Meadows Trail, which connects to the Harmony Lake route.

  For a more challenging hike with panoramic views, take the Peak Express chair (a short walk from the Roundhouse Lodge) to the start of the 5.8-mile (9.4-kilometer) High Note Trail. This trail follows the mountain ridges, with great views of the Black Tusk peak in Garibaldi Provincial Park and Cheakamus Lake far below. You can circle back on the trail and ride the lift down, or for an all-day adventure, hike back down to the village; the latter route is about 14 miles (22 kilometers).

  Pick up a trail map showing these and other hiking routes at the Whistler Visitor Centre (4230 Gateway Dr.) or get one online at the website of Whistler-Blackcomb (www.whistlerblackcomb.com).

  Lift-Accessed Mountain Biking

  Have you seen those cyclists, suited up in knee pads, elbow pads, helmets, and other protective gear, flying down the mountain trails? At Whistler-Blackcomb, you can join them, whether you’re learning to mountain bike or whizzing down those trails yourself at North America’s largest mountain bike park.

  From mid-May through mid-October, 70 trails across three different areas are open to mountain bikers, who take their bikes up the lifts.

  You can choose a package including lift tickets and lessons (one-day $129-149) or, if you know what you’re doing, buy a lift ticket (one-day adults $69) and hit the trails on your own. Bike rentals are available at shops around the village.

  Winter Sports

  In winter, Whistler-Blackcomb has 37 lifts providing access to more than 200 trails across 8,171 acres (3,300 hectares), so you can ski or snowboard here for days and still discover new terrain.

  Whistler Village is at an elevation of 2,214 feet (675 meters), while the highest lift takes you up to nearly 7,500 feet (2,284 meters), so the weather can be very different at the base than it is in the alpine regions. Even when there’s no snow in the village, the mountains are typically covered in the white stuff from late November into April.

  Lift tickets (one-day adults $129) are most expensive when you walk up to the ticket window and purchase a single-day, same-day ticket. Discounts are available when you buy tickets online in advance, purchase multiday tickets or passes, or sometimes when you buy your tickets as part of a package with your lodging. The Edge Card program offers discounts to residents of British Columbia, Washington State, and Oregon, with larger savings for advance purchases. Explore all the pricing options and details at Whistler-Blackcomb (604/967-8950 or 800/766-0449, www.whistlerblackcomb.com).

  S SQUAMISH LIL’WAT CULTURAL CENTRE

  For centuries before Whistler was an outdoor holiday destination, aboriginal communities called the region home. Discover this heritage at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (4584 Blackcomb Way, 604/964-0999 or 866/441-7522, www.slcc.ca; 10am-5pm Tues.-Sun.; adults $18, seniors and ages 13-18 $13.50, ages 6-12 $8), a fascinating multimedia exploration of the two First Nations whose traditional territory encompasses the Whistler region.

  Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

  After rhythmic beats of a drum and a traditional First Nations welcome song greet you, watch a short film about the history and present-day culture of these two communities. Then check out the exhibits, from hand-carved canoes to woven baskets to information about aboriginal languages. You can often try out a native craft or chat with “cultural ambassadors,” museum staff who come from the Squamish or Lil’wat communities. The center’s Thunderbird Café uses local ingredients in dishes like Squamish salmon chowder, Lil’wat venison chili, and bannock (a biscuit-like bread), and the gift shop sells locally made crafts.

  WHISTLER MUSEUM

  Like many ski “villages” with their alpine facades and purpose-built pedestrian strolls, Whistler can seem like a manufactured community. The Whistler Museum (4333 Main St., 604/932-2019, www.whistlermuseum.org; 11am-5pm Fri.-Wed., 11am-9pm Thurs.; suggested donation $5) tells the history of how the present-day Whistler-Blackcomb resort came to be and the stories of the entrepreneurs and innovators who made it happen.

  Another way to learn more about the town and its heritage is to take the museum’s one-hour Valley of Dreams Walking Tour (1pm daily June-Aug.; donations accepted), starting at the Whistler Visitor Centre (4230 Gateway Dr.). You’ll hear tales of the community’s entrepreneurial women, the year of the naked skiers, and much more.

  WHISTLER OLYMPIC PLAZA

  Whistler joined Vancouver in hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. One legacy of the Games is now a popular photo stop: in front of the colorful Olympic rings that adorn Whistler Olympic Plaza in the village. Also in the plaza is an outdoor amphitheater, where concerts, festivals, and other special events take place.

  AUDAIN ART MUSEUM

  Whistler scored an art-world coup when Vancouver businessman and philanthropist Michael Audain decided to build a 56,000-square-foot (5,200-square-meter) gallery in this mountain town to house much of his extensive art collection. Focusing on British Columbia artists from the region’s earliest eras to the present, the Audain Art Museum (4350 Blackcomb Way, www.audainartmuseum.com; 10am-5pm Wed.-Mon.; adults $18, ages 16 and under free) has one of Canada’s largest collections of work by early-20th-century artist Emily Carr; other highlights include 19th-century Northwest Coast masks and Vancouver photography.

  WHISTLER ON A BUDGET

  Whistler is one of those destinations where there are more things to do than you could pack into a summer-long stay, but many of those activities can be budget-blowing adventures. If you’re watching your loonies but still want to enjoy the best of what Whistler has to offer, follow these tips for organizing your Whistler stay.

  • Come off-season. If you can schedule your Whistler visit for the spring (May-early June) or fall (Sept.-Oct.), you’ll often find lower rates for accommodations and occasional deals for tours and activities.

  • Look for free or low-cost activities. You can hike or cycle many trails around Whistler without purchasing a lift ticket to go up on the mountain. Go for a swim in area lakes or visit the Whistler Museum (by donation). Window-shopping in the village and walking the Valley Trail are both free, too.

  • Maximize your spending. If you do buy a lift ticket for sightseeing or hiking, get an early start and spend as much time as you’d like up on the mountain. You can stay on the mountain all day on your single ticket.

  • Pack a lunch. Look for accommodations with kitchen facilities, so you can prepare some of your own meals, even if it’s just fruit and yogurt for breakfast or a sandwich for the trail. Another option is to have your big meal out at lunch when restaurant prices are a little lower than in the evenings.

  • Go easy on the booze. Many of Whistler’s bars and après-ski hangouts have free live music for the price of a drink. But you don’t have to spend the money for several drinks to enjoy the tunes.

  S SCANDINAVE SPA

  To unwind after a day on the mountains, head for Scandinave Spa Whistler (8010 Mons Rd., 604/935-2424 or 888/935-2423, www.scandinave.com; 10am-9pm daily; adults $65, minimum age 19), a Scandinavian-style bath experience set among the trees. You alternate between heat—in a series of hot pools, saunas, and steam baths—and brief cold plunges in a chilled pool or shower, following each sequence with a period of relaxation in the lounges or in a hammock in the forest. To make the experience even more tranquil, the spa has a “silence” policy; you can’t talk in the bath area.

  Bring your own bathing suit. The spa provides towels and lockers. Several types of massage treatments are available for an additional fee.

>   Scandinave Spa is located two miles (3.5 kilometers) north of Whistler Village, along Highway 99.

  TRAIN WRECK SITE AND SUSPENSION BRIDGE

  After a freight train derailed near Whistler in 1956, a logging company towed the mangled railcars into the woods nearby, where they were abandoned. Over the years, local graffiti artists began using the train cars as their canvas, and today, Whistler’s train wreck site (off Jane Lakes Rd., www.whistler.ca; dawn-dusk; free), located south of town near Cheakamus Crossing, is an unusual outdoor art gallery, with the train cars tagged and retagged with vivid designs.

  In 2016, the town of Whistler built a new suspension bridge over the Cheakamus River, making it easier to access the train wreck site. From Jane Lakes Road, you can follow a section of the Sea-to-Sky Trail that leads to the bridge and the train site. It’s about a 30-minute walk through the woods.

  ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS

  NIGHTLIFE

  One of Whistler’s most popular pastimes is “après” (aka après-ski, literally “after skiing”), and what do you do after a day in the mountains but hit the pub? Here are several places where the party starts when the lifts close.

  Merlin’s Bar and Grill (4553 Blackcomb Way, 604/938-7700; 11am-1am daily), located at the Blackcomb Mountain base, often has live music, as does the Garibaldi Lift Company Bar & Grill (4165 Springs Ln., 604/905-2220; 11am-1am daily), at the base of the Whistler Gondola. In the Creekside area, Dusty’s Bar & BBQ (2040 London Ln., 604/905-2171; 11am-1am daily) has been pouring pints since the 1960s.

  The laid-back Dubh Linn Gate Irish Pub (Pan Pacific Whistler Mountainside, 4320 Sundial Crescent, 604/905-4047, www.dubhlinngate.com; 8am-1am daily), steps from the Whistler Village lifts, keeps 25 varieties of beer on tap and offers a long list of single-malt scotch. They serve an authentic Irish breakfast and varied pub fare throughout the day.

  Bearfoot Bistro (4121 Village Green, 604/932-3433, http://bearfootbistro.com; 6pm-late daily) is among Whistler’s best restaurants, but it’s also a destination for drinkers: Their Ketel One Ice Room is the coldest vodka tasting room in the world. Don a heavy parka (which the restaurant provides) and venture into the frosty tasting room, with its carved ice walls and year-round temperature of -25°F (-32°C). Choose a tasting flight ($48) from their selection of 50 different vodkas, made in destinations as diverse as Poland, the Ukraine, and Pemberton, B.C.

  Several Whistler hotels have more sedate drinking scenes, more upscale lounge than rowdy party, including the Mallard Lounge at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler (4599 Chateau Blvd., 604/938-8000, www.fairmont.com; 11am-midnight Sun.-Thurs., 11am-1am Fri.-Sat.), known for its martinis and creative seasonal cocktails, and the Sidecut Bar at the Four Seasons Whistler (4591 Blackcomb Way, 604/935-3400, www.fourseasons.com; 11am-late daily). Cure Lounge at Nita Lake Lodge (2131 Lake Placid Rd., 604/966-5700, www.nitalakelodge.com; 11:30am-late daily), in the Creekside area, has a great patio overlooking the lake.

  What about a private wine-tasting at your hotel or condo? Taste Whistler (604/902-9463 or 844/470-9463, www.tastewhistler.com; from $79-99 pp) creates customized wine-tastings for groups of friends, families, or corporate events, from a Wine 101 sampler to a B.C. wine or champagne tasting, and they’ll come to you.

  THE ARTS

  The Whistler Arts Council (604/935-8410, www.artswhistler.com) hosts concerts, films, and other productions as part of their Performance Series at Maury Young Arts Centre (4335 Blackcomb Way).

  For something a little different, see what’s happening at The Point Artist-Run Centre (5678 Alta Lake Rd., www.thepointartists.com), which presents live music during July and August in the Saturdays at the Point events, as well as occasional music, film, theater, and dance performances throughout the year. The facility is south of the village on the west side of Alta Lake.

  FESTIVALS AND EVENTS

  Spring to Summer

  Plenty of special events bring visitors to Whistler in the spring and summer. There’s something on the calendar most weekends from late May through Canadian Thanksgiving in mid-October.

  Bring the kids to the annual Whistler Children’s Festival (www.whistlerchildrensfestival.com, July), a weekend of family-friendly arts, crafts, and entertainment ranging from African dancing to First Nations drumming.

  A “celebration of mindful living,” Wanderlust Whistler (www.wanderlust.com, July-Aug.) includes several days of yoga classes, meditation workshops, concerts, lectures, guided hikes, and local food.

  Crankworx Freeride Mountain Bike Festival (www.crankworx.com, Aug.) draws wild and crazy mountain bikers to town for a week of downhill and cross-country cycling, stunt riding, and plenty more two-wheeled fun.

  One of Whistler’s top restaurants hosts the Araxi Longtable Series (www.araxi.com, Aug.-Sept.), lavish alfresco dinners highlighting the region’s late-summer bounty.

  Fall to Winter

  Whistler isn’t only about sports. The town shows its artistic side during the annual Whistler Writers Festival (www.whistlerwritersfest.com, Oct.), when Canadian and international authors conduct readings, teach seminars, participate on panels, and mingle with guests to discuss their work.

  Why come to Whistler in November, when it’s chilly for hiking and cycling but too early to ski? Because that’s when Whistler hosts a bang-up food and wine festival. The annual Cornucopia Festival (www.whistlercornucopia.com, Nov.) draws food and wine lovers from far and wide for two weeks of wine-tastings and seminars, guest chef events, special dinners, and lots of parties.

  Whistler Film Festival (www.whistlerfilmfestival.com, Dec.) screens up to 90 movies, including world premieres, features, documentaries, and shorts during this five-day international competition. At least 50 percent of the films are Canadian. You might even spot a celebrity or two.

  Whistler hosts one of North America’s largest gay and lesbian ski weeks, the Whistler Pride and Ski Festival (www.gaywhistler.com, Jan.). It’s eight days of LGBTQ-friendly snow sports, après-ski events, parties, concerts, and more.

  SPORTS AND RECREATION

  HIKING AND BIKING

  Winding 25 miles (40 kilometers) through the Whistler area, the paved Valley Trail (www.whistler.ca) is open to both walkers and cyclists. You can follow short stretches of the trail, for example, between the Blackcomb base area and Whistler Village, or head north to Green Lake or south to the Creekside area and beyond.

  Close to Whistler Village (you can follow the Valley Trail), Lost Lake Park has several easy hiking and cycling trails. Walkers can circle the lake on the Lost Lake Loop trail, while mountain bikers can follow several single-track routes through the park.

  Whistler has several areas of old-growth forest with massive trees. A moderate five-mile (8-kilometer) loop hike takes you through one of these forests along the Ancient Cedars Trail, where the trees are up to 1,000 years old. The trailhead is north of the village; take Highway 99 north past Green Lake and turn left onto 16-Mile Forest Service Road. It’s three miles (5 kilometers) from the highway to the parking area. Bring mosquito repellent, since this area can be buggy.

  Get trail maps showing these and other trails from the Whistler Visitor Centre (4230 Gateway Dr.) or online from the Whistler municipality website (www.whistler.ca) or from www.whistler.com.

  ZIP-LINING

  Fancy a ride on the longest zip line in Canada or the United States? Ziptrek Ecotours (604/935-0001 or 866/935-0001, www.ziptrek.com) offers several different zip-line options, including The Sasquatch (daily May-mid-Oct., 1.5 hours; adults $119, seniors and ages 10-14 $99), which runs more than 7,000 feet (2 kilometers), starting on Blackcomb Mountain and zipping down to the Whistler side.

  Ziptrek also offers The Eagle (daily year-round, 2.5-3 hours; adults $139, seniors and ages 6-14 $119), which takes you down five zip lines and across four treetop bridges. If zip-lining is your passion, you can combine the Sasquatch and Eagle tours (4.5 hours; adults $209, seniors and ages 10-14 $189). Newcomers to zip-lining, or younger kids, may prefer The Bear (year-round, 2
.5-3 hours; adults $119, seniors and ages 6-14 $99), a slightly gentler combination of zip lines and bridges. Hours vary seasonally, so call or check the website for details.

  Superfly Ziplines (211-4293 Mountain Square, 604/932-0647, www.superflyziplines.com; 9am-5pm daily, 3 hours, adults $129-149, ages 7-13 $99) has a zip-line tour that includes a 0.6-mile (1 kilometer) line that’s more than 500 feet (150 meters) high.

  TREETOP ADVENTURES

  If you’re looking for an activity that’s gentler than zip-lining but still gets you high in the trees, consider a two-hour TreeTrek Canopy Walk (604/935-0001 or 866/935-0001, www.ziptrek.com; daily year-round, call or check the website for tour times; adults $39, seniors and ages 6-14 $29), which follows a series of bridges suspended among the old-growth forest on Blackcomb Mountain. The highest of the eight viewing platforms rises nearly 200 feet (60 meters) above the forest floor; the oldest trees in the area are about 800 years old. On this excursion offered by Ziptrek Ecotours, your guide will introduce you to the local ecology as you explore the woods.

  Want more of a challenge? Superfly’s Treetop Adventure Course (211-4293 Mountain Square, 604/932-0647, www.superflyziplines.com; 9am-5pm daily; $59) takes you through the treetops on a ropes course, where you navigate swaying bridges, rope swings, tightropes, and zip lines. Kids not tall enough to reach 71 inches (180 centimeters) can try the Kids Treetop Adventure Course ($29), designed for youngsters ages 7-14 who can reach to 55 inches (140 centimeters).