120km (74 miles) N of Vancouver
The premier ski resort in North America, according to Ski, Snow Country, and Condé Nast Traveler magazines, the Whistler/Blackcomb complex boasts more vertical feet, more lifts, and more ski terrain than any other ski resort in North America. And it isn't all just downhill skiing: There's also backcountry, cross-country, snowboarding, snowmobiling, heli-skiing, and sleigh riding. In summer, there's mountain biking, rafting, hiking, golfing, and horseback riding. The area got the ultimate seal of approval from the International Olympic Committee in 2003 when it landed the opportunity to stage many of the alpine events for the 2010 Winter Games. So come now to test yourself on the same slopes that tomorrow's champions will ski on.
And then there's Whistler itself, a full-service resort town with a year-round population of 10,000 plus 125 hotels and lodgings.
The towns north of Whistler, Pemberton and Mount Currie, are refreshment stops for cyclists and hikers and gateways to the icy alpine waters of Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park and the majestic Cayoosh Valley, which winds through the glacier-topped mountains to the Cariboo town of Lillooet.
