Whistler

By the time I got to Whistler, I needed to be wowed. And I don’t even ski. But with Skiing Magazine’s ranking of Whistler as North America’s number one ski destination for the eleventh year running, it has been framed as both the perfect winter and summer getaway. And its fame will only grow: Whistler will host all the alpine events of next winter’s Vancouver Olympics. This ain’t Lutsen, people.

But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Is Whistler the de facto mountain destination for everyone? The answer is mostly yes, but a little no.

Mountain ski towns come in two varieties: organic and developer-created. Telluride is (or perhaps was) an example of the former, Beaver Creek would be the latter. Both can be great, but they are different animals. Whistler exists very much in the Beaver Creek mold.

Whistler is a compact, walkable ski town in which nothing is more than a couple of decades old. It has great lodging, dining, and outdoor activities, as well as a bunch of intangibles that make it hard to resist even if skiing isn’t your primary interest. But the mountain’s planned nature takes the edge off the sense of discovery. Whistler lacks a certain authenticity and ends up feeling somewhat less than the sum of its parts.

That said, it’s undeniably appealing. Whistler’s trump card, in most every respect, is its proximity to Vancouver, Canada’s great Pacific Rim city, which I’ll be profiling later this year in these pages.

Whistler’s weather is unlike that of most major ski centers in North America. Whistler Village is lower (2,200 feet), and its temperatures are often above freezing (don’t expect a Currier & Ives scene), but its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means that soaking winter storms dump massive loads of snow in the high country. In town, there are no altitude issues and the climate is never unbearably wintery. But if you don’t like the idea of getting rained on during your ski vacation, think twice about Whistler.

The natural bounty of Vancouver and southwestern British Columbia is obvious in Whistler’s restaurant scene. Fresh Pacific catch is in abundance year-round, and Whistler’s and Vancouver’s chef communities intermingle, so this is no fondue-and-steak burg. Whistler’s food scene has all of Aspen’s ambitions, without its pretensions. The town also draws on Vancouver’s music and entertainment trades for top-drawer nightlife.

Finally, Whistler is easy to get in and out of. Its altitude means it’s not easily snowed in, and, under optimal conditions, it’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Vancouver airport. (Those conditions will rarely exist over the next year as a massive pre-Olympics road project will keep the Sea-to-Sky Highway 99—Whistler’s only access route—under perpetual construction.) The drive is stunningly scenic, starting out along the Pacific Coast at Howe Sound and boasting some stretches of amazing mountain views.

But Whistler isn’t for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend it as an alternative to the Canadian Rocky Mountain parks. For hikers, Whistler, though surrounded by mountains, is too low and it takes a long time to get out of the forest. Though speedy gondolas rise up Whistler Peak year-round and views from the top are stunning and a little scary, the topography is marred by ski runs and mechanical infrastructure.

Whistler is not for the hippie ski bum. There’s nothing organic about this meticulously planned place.

Finally, Whistler is not for those looking for a bargain. The recent runup in the Canadian dollar, combined with the heavy load of taxes on airfares to Canada, means that Whistler is no longer inexpensive compared to Vail or Park City. The Canadian government has also discontinued its visitor tax rebate program. At current rates, I’d estimate the day-to-day cost of living in Whistler for tourists at about 20 percent more than in the United States. Not bad, but shocking relative to a few years ago.

Here’s a thumbnail guide to my top picks for Whistler visitors, summer and winter.

When to Go
Like most mountain towns, Whistler has two very distinct high seasons and two quasi-dormant low seasons. Ski season gets rolling by late November and continues well into spring. The Pacific Northwest summer is June through September, but much of Whistler’s tourism infrastructure seems to shut down after Labor Day. Good luck finding a rafting trip or guided hike then. Hotel rates plummet from Easter through Memorial Day and from Labor Day through November, but weather is iffy and there are a lot of seasonal closures. You’re much more likely to find sunny and warm spring/fall weather in Colorado than Whistler.

Getting There
Northwest Airlines offers nonstop service to Vancouver year-round. It’s tough to find a seat for under $300, and in summer when you’re competing with Alaska cruisers for seats, it can be tough to find a ticket for under $500. There’s not much need for a car in Whistler, and bus service is available from Vancouver, but most folks rent anyway. Rental surcharges at the Vancouver Airport are usurious. If you’re staying long, you’ll save a lot of money by renting when downtown.
A lot of the air service to Vancouver from the United States arrives late at night and departs at the crack of dawn. A great option in that case is the Fairmont Vancouver Airport (604-207-5200), a lovely luxury hotel built right into the terminal that serves U.S. airline passengers. It really takes the edge off those 11 p.m. arrivals or 7 a.m. departures. (Remember to arrive for your flight two-plus hours early so you can go through U.S. customs in Canada.)

Lodging
Whistler is blessed with a plethora of four-star hotel experiences, from the Westin and Pan Pacific, hard by the ski lifts downtown to the iconic Fairmont chateau in the upper village. Many of the town’s better lodgings offer all-suite layouts or larger-than-average rooms suited to long stays. They’re all worth a look.

Whistler’s top lodging bests its competitors by a wide margin. The Four Seasons Whistler Resort (604-935-3400) at the far end of the upper village is not well-situated, but that’s about the only mark against it (and free car service is available to anyplace in Whistler). It’s the only AAA five-diamond resort in Canada, and its rooms and suites are gorgeous amalgams of contemporary and classic lodge décor. Service is typical Four Seasons gracious, in a town where I found service to be friendly, but often less than professional. The adjacent Four Seasons Whistler Residences offer two- to four-bedroom apartments for long stays and larger parties.

Activities
Whistler has all the typical winter-ski-town activities, from snowshoeing to dog sledding, sleigh rides, ice skating, and snowmobiling in the backcountry. Less typical endeavors include winter bungee jumping, eagle viewing, and the increasingly popular zip-lining. Whistler’s homegrown operator, Ziptrek (866-935-0001), operates an innovative progressive series of multiple zip-line routes and a series of tree-to-tree suspension bridges in the rain forest for folks who don’t care to zip. I didn’t zip, but everyone else I talked to had, and they all loved it. Ziptrek operates year-round.

Summer activities in Whistler are more diverse. The mountain gondolas operate and there is pleasant hiking, not to mention great vistas from the summits. Bear and wildlife viewing trips are popular, and Whistler has signature mountain biking routes that attract thousands. We went on a guided family rafting trip on the Cheakamus River with Whistler River Adventures (888-932-3532) that was quite fun; the service also offers serious whitewater rafting for hardier visitors.

There is major-league hiking in nearby Garibaldi Provincial Park, as well as limited fishing, backcountry camping, and wildlife viewing. Guided hiking trips can be arranged with several operators, and anyone on a lengthy stay should not miss a trip.

The village itself is rife with the kind of shopping you’d expect in a high-end ski town. There’s plenty to buy and look at, though Whistler is not known for any particular goods or handicrafts.

Dining
It’s hard to know where to start on Whistler’s dining scene. The entire Vancouver region is immersed in the local/slow foods movement, so there’s an incredible array of interest in regional cuisine and culinary tourism. Whistler has an annual fall food festival, Cornucopia, and the nearby farm hamlet of Pemberton hosts food events all summer. Whistler’s best chefs all have connections to Pemberton growers.

Whistler’s bounty comes from the Pacific Northwest ocean waters and southern BC’s bountiful orchards and farms. The town is rich in upscale dining, so it’s hard to eat well cheaply. But it is easy to eat well. For upscale chef-driven fare, don’t miss Araxi and the wine-focused Bearfoot Bistro. Edgewater Lodge and the Rimrock Café specialize in game. We had a fine casual meal at Caramaba!, which has a Spanish/Italian focus. There’s not much atmosphere, but The Beetroot Café (604-932-1163) is a quick natural foods spot specializing in soups and salads.

It’s easy to stroll through town scanning menus and prices before you make your dining picks.

Learning More Tourism Whistler (604-932-3928) offers a host of brochures and maps to help plan your visit. Most major guidebooks offer a cursory splash at Whistler in their Vancouver sections, but Best Places Northwest is the definitive choice for lodging and restaurant tips, though it pays scant attention to things to do.