Welcome to Whistler, a ski resort nestled between mountains and just a two hour drive out of Vancouver. Did you know this ‘ski’ town is busier in the summer than in the winter? Out of the 3 million visitors that visit Whistler annually 55% come in the summer and 45% in the winter, who would have thought.
This is also the town where Rosie is staying for one month whilst The Operator goes back to New Zealand for work for one month. You may laugh that inactive, sideline dwelling Rosie is staying in this alpine action and adventure capitol, but read on, there is something for everyone in this town.
Whistler Village sits in a lake filled valley between the Whistler and Blackcomb mountains and has a small, compact pedestrianized hub, with everything you can want within a picturesque easy walking distance. Whistler Village was established in the early 1960s in a bid to win the 1968 Winter Olympics. Although the bid failed, construction started anyway and the resort opened for the first time in 1966. Whistler finally won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in 2010 and the whole Village was then revamped and extended for this occasion.
The Village is built in a modern chalet style with over 200 shops on the ground floors of the low rise multi story buildings with apartments and hotels on the top floors that can cater for over 50,000 overnight visitors. There are also over 135 world class restaurants, cafes and bars in the Village….so Rosie knows she will not go hungry or thirsty.
Whistler has a permanent population of 12,000 which is boosted by another 2,500 seasonal workers over the winter and summer tourist seasons, so even though Whistler is a model tourist town it caters for those living here with everyday small town amenities as well.
The towns elevation is 2,881 meters and temperatures tend to stay moderate throughout the winter months of December to April rarely dropping below -10c in the village and -15c in the alpine areas. In summer, between June and September the days are consistently blue sky, wind free and top a nice warm, yet mild 25c.
Whistler is renowned however for its snow and is not only one of the largest ski resorts in North America but is consistently voted yearly, since the 90s, as one of the top resorts in North America by all the major ski magazines.
The stats are amazing with Whistler boasting one of the most consistent and best snow conditions yearly with an average snowfall of 10.5 meters. The Whistler and Blackcomb mountains have a combined total of 38 chairlifts and more than 200 marked trails on a ski-able area of 4757 acres.
In summer, those same chairlifts are used for the hoards of mountain bikers that descend on the village as the world famous Whistler Mountain Bike Park draws mountain biking enthusiasts and professional riders from all over the world to ride the mountains. The amazing hiking, lakes and unlimited outdoor pursuits in and around Whistler are also big summer draw cards. Who wouldn’t want to stay here? Everything is at your fingertips when you come back from a day of adventures in the snow or in the sun, world class restaurants, bars and entertainment are all mere steps away from your door!
Rosie however, is not into all of the above action, her knees ache just thinking about it and she gets the chills wondering how anyone can have the nerve to throw themselves down those steep slopes on the mountain…for fun! But Whistler is also for people like me. Rosie is a stroller who is not a fan of the big, wild, dirty outdoors.
Rosie though has fallen in love with her morning walks around the many trails and tracks around the village. Easy walking trails with gentle slopes and rises leading through stands of magnificent silent forests carpeted with tree needles and after a stormy night thousands of autumn leaves.
Alongside these paths run clear clean fast flowing rivers with beautiful bridges spanning them. Bright yellow chairs are strategically placed along these walks to sit and take in the beauty around you. Open your eyes and look around at the hidden artworks and beauty of nature that surrounds you.
The paths also meander past beautifully manicured golf fields that are so achingly perfect, especially with the white capped mountains looking over them for that that bit of OTT decoration. Looking over the golf fields are clumps of chalet apartments that line the walking path with trickling water running down the hillsides to ponds.
Most of the paths Rosie walks ultimately lead to The Lost Lake, about a 3km hike one way from her front door, the lake has so many faces on different days depending on the weather and it is a real pleasure walking there amongst the local friendly dog walkers and joggers that also use the tracks.
A longer loop also goes right around the lake and there are different small beaches for swimming from and platforms in the lake to swim to and jetties to jump off on warmer days. There never seems to be a breath of wind when Rosie ventures out to the lake and this is rewarded by the amazing reflections, every morning that amplifies the silent solitude and stillness of this location.
Further afield Alta Lake is a 6km stroll to its shoreline along another beautiful winding pathway through the forest, residential areas and alongside the highway. The winding path goes up and down and has some strange artistic embellishments…in the middle of nowhere.
This community is built around the lake front and it is spectacular! Each house that fronts the lake has rolling green lawn right up to the edge and each house also has a jetty stretching out into the water with a swimming ladder off the end and plenty of space to park your boat. What beautiful houses and inspiring views from your lounge windows!
Rosie was abit tuckered after this walk, so she waited at a bus stop o the highway and caught the bus back into town. She had also got a bit lost on the way to the lake…loosing the path at one stage only to be rescued and put back on track by a lovely lady who stopped her car and asked if she could help me. Gotta Love Canada!
Another beautiful stroll is the The Train Wreck Hike which starts about 8km out of the village and is easily accessible by bus if you have no transport. Once again we wound through a couple of easy strolling kilometers of bush as the early morning sunlight broke through the trees and illuminated the mossy, frozen ground in a golden light.
The loud, roaring rush of water greets your ears as you break out of the bush and there in front of you is a well worn rock canyon with rushing clear water funneling down its chute, churning white in areas along its rocky pathway.
High above, spanning the stunning roaring canyon, stretching from one tree clad side to the other is a suspension bridge, which at 0830 in the morning was still still white and slick with ice from the overnight freeze.
It was a true wobbly, creaking, shaky afar as we shuffled along it, arms outstretched holding each side of the wire of balance. On the far side, enveloped by the forest was our destination, The Whistler Train Wreck.
A series of colorful, graffiti painted, bent and twisted train carriages lying seemingly in the middle of nowhere amongst the tall trees of the forest. This giant train carriages lie pretty much where they were derailed in 1956 after failing the corner on the tracks above set into the hillside with too much speed.
The early morning shafts of light were breaking through the tree canopy and highlighting parts of the wreck making it look quite ethereal in its surroundings. We were the only ones there for the longest time and it was quite special.
Whistler is truly the place to come for a taste of pure paradise. You are literally surrounded by 360 degrees of peaceful, tranquil beauty, in the village and outside in nature…combine them both as you sit on an outdoor terrace under the wind free autumn sun, and gaze at the perfectly sculpted river running through the village surrounded by the red, orange and gold leaves of the season and see the enormous dark green clad mountain tops looming over you with the blue sky overhead, you are in Paradise. As for being able to taste it, you literally can, the air is fresh, crisp, clean and cold. As you breath it into your lungs you immediately feel invigorated and happy as you stroll around.
If you are visiting Vancouver and want to get away from the hustle, bustle and noise of the city and want to see unadulterated beauty of the Canadian mountains without having to travel too far. Take a two hour trip up the incredible Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler, at anytime of the year, it is an amazing place no matter how much or, how little you want to do there.
Tomorrow come with Rosie as she goes up the mountain and rides the Peak 2 Peak Gondola between the Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains, wow what a journey it was, you have to see it to believe it!
