Exploring Whistler, BC
Today was a great day to explore Whistler – warm sunshine was forecast all day. I tried to get on a flightseeing trip but nothing was going so I walked around and rode the gondola up to the ski area.
I mentioned when I was in Jasper 12 days ago that that town was dead due to the fact the winter was over and summer had not yet begun. The same could well be the situation at Whistler, but although business is slow, it’s far from dead. Cultivating specific 2 markets has made the off-season economically viable – mountain bikers and conventions. On the gondola, skiers, snowboarders, bikers and sightseers were present in about equal numbers.
The gondola ride, which costs $33 off-season, takes you up to the 6,030-foot level in about 25 minutes. The views, of course, are wonderful.
About 1/3 of the way up, a brief stop is made at the station seen in this photo. This is where the mountain bikers get off.
Snow was reached at about 3,500 feet but nobody is skiing this low.
This is the view from the Roundhouse, the top gondola station. From here skiers can go off in many directions.
Riding the Emerald Express chairlift.
Headed for The Peak, which offers 1 Intermediate run down and many Advanced and Expert ones.
Back in the Village, at the Bike Park.
Let’s add a kayaker and some whitewater rafters into the colourful mix!
There are some beautiful, calm spots to relax around the Village.
Tonight, several hundred people in fancy duds were lined up at the gondola, headed for a private party up top. Part of the BC Land Summit, a conference that filled several hotels, the entry fees to this one event totaled over $80,000. That’s a pretty nice shot in the arm in the off season.
It appeared that every restaurant and pub with a patio was full tonight. Whistler is quite a contrast to the cruise ports that I’ve become more familiar with in recent years. There’s a lot of money changing hands, but there’s not a Diamonds International to be seen and the souvenir/tshirt shops can be counted on 1 hand. I haven’t tried to figure out how many upper-end clothing and gear shops there are, but the number is very large, and there are dozens of restaurants and pubs. Cathy and I are trying to imagine what Whistler is like in high season, either winter or summer – it must be a very exciting place to be.
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