As a resident, business owner and frequent skiier at Whistler, I have realized that there are “secrets”, things to see and do that the average visitor to Whistler has NO idea about. I’ll try to pass along a local’s knowledge, but know that Whistler is a paradise all of its own – these secrets merely add to the magic!

Hotels can be $300 a night and up during ski season, and peak summer season – but three ideas have saved me money on accommodation. First, there is a condo booking agency called ResortQuest that can offer off season specials – I stayed in a gorgeous townhouse a block from the village square, with hot tub, fireplace, kitchen, sleeping 4-6 people for $100 in the early fall – ask about any deals like that!

If you are sociable, and willing to both ENJOY and put up with the common areas of a bed and breakfast – Chalet Beau Sejour had bed and breakfast in a spectacular chalet looking out on the mountains for $90-125. Very social hosts, and a dining table looking out on the mountains with double sided fireplace and mulled wine while visitors from around the world discuss snow and ski conditions simply can’t be beat!

Lastly, there are two hostels – the venerable Shoestring Lodge, just north of Whistler maybe ten blocks distance, and slated to be “developed” into townhouses before the Olympics, has beds for $25, as does the hostel across the Lake from Whistler – you may share a room with some interesting strangers, but that price leaves plenty of money for food and entertainment!

Whistler has an incredible array of high end restaurants, but one I found outstanding was the Edgewater Lodge, just north of Whistler a few miles. Check the picture in the website, combined with the Zagat quote “venison to die for” (they have their own venison farm) and you’ll be on your way!

At the other end of the spectrum, the mall beside the Whistler Conference Center hosts Shakespeare’s Pies – Australian meat pies for under $4 that you will come back for over and over, especially after visiting Whistler’s bars and nightclubs!

Three bars stand out as amongst Whistler’s best, and offer a unique experience. Tommy Africa’s will attract the early 20s crowd, with glass DJ booth, the best local DJs and a zebra striped door! The Savage Beagle is a two level bar on the main walkway, with a crowded dance floor downstairs, and a “belly up to the bar” section upstairs. The “cougar bar” for 30s and up is Buffalo Bills, at the other end of the main walkway – live bands, great DJs and comedians have offered many great nights over the years.

Ski lift passes are often available at the 7-11 in Squamish or Vancouver on your way to Whistler for a discount that can be $10-20 per lift ticket. Lift lines are shortest at the Whistler Creekside lift, if you want to get going quickly, but I prefer the skiing at Blackcomb, the other mountain (they are joined at Whistler Village)

The best kept secrets about Whistler are the summer activities – there are a group of pristine lakes to swim or canoe, mountain bikes with full protection gear are rocketed to the top of the mountain for rapid or tricky, descents, and the ski hill has a glacier at the top that is kept open until August!

Oh yeah, some guys named Palmer and Nicholas have golf courses, and there are ski camps, tennis camps, zip trek lines, heli hiking, white water rafting, fishing, horseback riding, ATVs – there are a LOT of great things to do, but bring money!!

Enjoy it now, before the Olympics – because 2 weeks of staring at this on TV is going to make the world go crazy for Whistler!

Author: Andrew Larder
Whistler BC Canada – Greatest Skiing In North America!
 

Situated only 25 minutes North of Whistler, Pemberton is a world apart. It is a quiet valley surrounded by the most magnificent mountains you will ever see. Nestled within lie two challenging, championship golf courses, many quaint B & B’s, and a well serviced town of 3,000 with the purest drinking water on the planet.

Pemberton tourism is not only increasing but is doing so quickly and sensibly. A far cry from when it was named after Joseph Despard Pemberton, a land surveyor of the Hudson Bay Company back in the 1850s. Back then the gold rush was just getting underway as news of discoveries reached San Francisco. Some of the miners followed the route from Vancouver up the Harrison River and Lake and into Lillooet Lake. Seeing the beauty of Pemberton, they settled in the area of Mount Currie.

Here are five very exciting activities waiting for your arrival:

Trail rides. Delight in a slow gait up through the magnificent cedar and pine forest, emerging above the tree-line where you will marvel at the beauty of the gorgeous array of wild flowers. View the wild and magnificent Coast Mountain Range stretching out before you for miles in every direction. Take a breather alongside a pristine mountain lake where your guide provides you with a stick to your gut lunch. Your friendly horse will take you home safely.

Jet-boat rides. The specially designed jet-boats are incredibly stable craft. They are able to carry their passengers safely over the roughest of white water. No propellers to foul, the propulsion system is simply a very high capacity pump which creates a jet of water to push the boat through the water. Excellent for river cruising. Variety is the keyword with Pemberton Adventure ranch river tours. From the fairly quite Green and Lillooet rivers to the gold rusher action of the lower Lillooet rapids there is excitement for every taste.

Mountain snowmobiling in the Whistler area is a whole new deal. First of all the area is unbelievably huge. Mountains rise up to over 8,000 feet. Glaciers can be 1,000 feet thick with an annual snowfall of over 30 feet. And the beauty of it is you have an amazing choice of areas to explore. You could snowmobile for an entire winter and never hit the same area twice. Mountain snowmobiling is such fun. You have the urge to tell anyone who will listen about your fantastic adventure.

Glider Soaring. Imagine yourself seated in the cockpit of this glider as your experienced pilot guides you to within mere feet of the ruggedly spectacular mountains of the coast range. See the ski slopes of Whistler, the fertile Pemberton Valley and the emerald green glacial lakes dotting the landscape. Ride the thermals like the Bald Eagles do as you soar over the majestic mountains and valleys unfolding before your eyes. No engine noise to disturb your thoughts, only the stillness of the scene keeps you in the reality of the moment.

River Rafting Whistler waterways is a lot of great fun. When the snow melts in the mountains and the rivers flow fast it’s time to don the helmets and floatation devices and climb aboard. It’s called rafting or whitewater rafting but it all means that it’s a recreational activity using a rubber raft to navigate a river or lake. No matter how you may try to describe it, it all comes down to a fantastic ride and a lot of Great Fun!

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website Whistler-Outdoors.com/ is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.

What a fantastic array of beautiful and challenging hiking trails are waiting for you at Spectacular Whistler, BC. From short little strolls to a week of backpacking in the mountains. There are trails for every taste or desire.

This one is a nice 3 hour hike, and it’s not going to pull you away from shopping or golfing in Whistler for very long as it’s nearby.

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is set up and maintained by the park system people to mainly allow for access to view Brandywine Falls. As a wonderful bonus, there have been a couple of very nice trails extending from the park falls to CalCheak Forest Recreation site. This is a loop trail of 8km (5 miles).

What you will be walking upon will be a huge lava bed. This was laid down thousands of years ago when a volcano erupted in this area. Along the way you will notice basalt columns that were pushed up by the volcano and solidified into grotesque shapes.

In fact the Brandywine falls show the effect that water, falling from a distance will, given enough time, cut through rock as it did here. This has happened in the interior of the province at Helmckem Falls as well.

Nairn Falls are formed differently. Not through a lava bed but solid granite. These falls are a short distance from Whistler and smash their way through a very narrow channel. They are tough to photograph and look and feel much better when viewed up very close. To get to these falls, drive north from whistler 16 km (10 miles) and pull in when you reach Nairn Falls Recreation Area on the right. It’s a beautiful 30 minute walk to the Falls.

Brandywine falls hike.
One of the best outdoor adventures to do is Whistler hiking trails like this one. From Whistler you will need to turn left onto the Sea to Sky highway number 99 and drive 13 km (8 miles) where on your left you will find the sign for Brandywine Provincial Park. Turn in here and park.

The main trail crosses the Brandywine Creek on the main Falls trail. Just beyond the bridge you will see a track going uphill on the left. That’s not where you want to go as that will take you to the cross country ski trail. It has a few interesting items to observe if you decide to go a little way on that trail. Not very far ahead you will come to Lava Lake and you will see some very interesting pieces of lava that look like cobblestones.

However, continue along and you will come to railroad tracks. Note the sign for Swim Lake and CalCheak trails. Cross the track and you will see the trail for another whistler hiking trail called Daisy Lake. That one goes off to the left. Shortly you will come to the falls. Note the strange lava rock formations and basalt rocks up to your left as you enjoy the walk.

After viewing Brandywine, turn back to the railroad and get to the sign for CalCheak. Walk a few paces and turn toward Swim Lake. Just before you reach the lake your trail will become obvious. The trail rises to a ridge where you are going to be viewing the lake. Here the leftovers from the volcanic action really becomes obvious with ridges of shattered columnar basalt popping up everywhere.

The trail leads through these columns and broken basalt is everywhere. Enjoy the beautiful forest canopy here especially if it is a hot day. Now and again you will see ponds of water on both sides of the whistler trail. Soon you will come to the railroad track. Note the sign for McGuire. This is all that remains of a railroad station that existed here many years before.

Past the tracks and you are in the beautiful forested trail and soon the sound of the Cheakamus River as it bustles along its path. The next thing you are going to experience is crossing Callaghan Creek on the suspension bridge. just ahead is the forest recreation site. The site is accessible from highway 99 by driving 4km (2.5 miles) past the Brandywine Park entrance if you are coming from Squamish or, you may turn onto the old logging road 9km (5.5 miles) south of Whistler. Either way you do it be prepared to find lots of pot holes on this 1.5 km (1 mile) road into the site. These roads are not maintained.

The whistler hiking trail back to the parking lot is back along the same way you came. You may wish to take the cross country hiking trail back to the lot by going right and uphill at McGuire. The trail starts out barren but soon the trees will provide shade cover. The trail may be a little wet if the weather has been heavy. Generally it’s pretty good.

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website One couples guide to the exciting Whistler-outdoors is a must for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.

What makes a golf course good may not necessarily mean it is beautiful, but it sure helps to have the perfect location. Play these five courses in Whistler Pemberton and you will be certain you have found Nirvana.

If British Columbia is a golfers Paradise, then Whistler golf clubs will get you to where heaven begins. It is a destination known around the world for its spectacular mountains, unsurpassed skiing, limitless outdoor adventures, charming alpine village and now its golf.

This picturesque valley, surrounded by immense, snow-covered peaks, pristine lakes and glacier-fed streams, is home to five of Canada’s top 100 golf courses. Your Whistler golf vacation will be played on these spectacular courses these gentlemen, Palmer, Nicklaus, Trent Jones Jr., and Robert Cupp have created. Masterpieces in this unequalled setting.

Everyone knows the amazing story of Jack Nicklaus. Apart from his on course accomplishments, his reputation as the worlds best course designer speaks for itself. With over 300 courses built world wide, Nicklaus North at Whistler is a jewel. With snow capped peaks in the distance, clean, clear air to breathe and a setting fit for royalty, Nicklaus North offers forgiving fairways and captivating greens at every turn in this incredible 18 hole layout.

Whistler Golf and Country Club owes its life to The King, Arnold Palmer. Every professional golfer today owes a debt of gratitude to Palmer. His amazing golf game and his ability to raise the financial stakes reflected in million dollar purses, have elevated him to the well deserved title, The King. Incredible views, signature Palmer design and risk/reward fairways and greens. These things aside, it is the friendly attitude that surrounds you, from the cart boy to the starter to the servers at the bar, you’ll quickly notice that Whistler Golf and Country Club is truly different.

Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club. Is this pairing class, or what? Links Magazine calls it “mountain golf at it’s finest”. It has been rated four and a half stars by Golf Digest. Opened in 1993 the championship par 72, 18 hole layout shows Mr. Jones skill as a course designer to be exemplary as he allowed nature to dictate the path without any commercial influences. Creeks, lakes, granite outcrops and huge Douglas firs all come into play. With elevation changes of four hundred feet, and the most magnificent scenery known to man, your score will be long forgotten before the memory of this scenic beauty fades from memory.

Pemberton’s Big Sky Golf and Country Club is awe inspiring. Bob Cupp was chosen to build it. Who is he, you may ask? Well, he was senior designer for Jack Nicklaus for fifteen years before setting out on his own. In designing Big Sky, he incorporated an emerald green river, seven lakes and rollicking creeks into one fascinating course. Pemberton Valley will add strokes to your handicap with it’s stupendous backdrop of snow capped mountains. It will be hard for you to stay focused while navigating this beauty.

Pemberton Valley Golf and Country Club. This semi private course may look like a push over but don’t be fooled. Like Big Sky, it’s tough to keep your mind on the game with the scenery coming into play on every turn, let alone hole. Sixty four hundred yards from the blue’s it is a great challenge. The bent grass greens are beautiful. The locals call the front nine, The Warm Up. The back nine, with it’s narrow fairways and target golf requirement will have you shaking your head as it is tougher than it looks.

About the author:
Joe and Irma Mac Millan have enjoyed the Whistler Mountain and valley area of British Columbia for many years. They have camped, hiked and skied the mountains and fished and kayaked the rivers and lakes. Their website http://www.whistler-outdoors.com/ is a must visit for anyone considering a trip to Whistler as well as the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. They invite one and all to take a look.