Some 45 years ago, four Vancouver businessmen had what be considered a dream of Olympian proportions. They envisioned the sleepy summer resort region that is now Whistler as the site for a future Winter Olympic Games. This might have seemed pie-in-the-sky dreaming, because it had no road, electricity or sewer system (those came in 1962), let alone ski lifts (those came three years later).
Whistler (tel. 800/WHISTLER for lodging reservations, 877/991-9988 or 604/938-2769 for activities information; www.tourismwhistler.com) is now a huge year-round resort community with three village centers, North America's two mightiest ski mountains, abundant summer recreational opportunities and city-quality dining, nightlife and lodging. And yes, that long-held dream has come true. Two winters from now (February 12-28), Whistler will host the skiing and sledding events for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Before and after the Games, the spotlight continues to shine on this mega-resort. Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains (tel. 866/218-9690 or 604/904-8134; www.whistlerblackcomb.com) are North America's only ski mountains with base-to-summit verticals exceeding 5,000 feet, plus fully interchangeable lift tickets and direct lift access from Whistler Village.
With such enormous verticals, temperature and precipitation vary. Trails cut through the heavily forested lower mountains rely on snowmaking, even as cloud-light snow falls frequently into a dozen lift-served high alpine bowls and snowfields near the summits. In between are miles of cruising runs, mogul fields, tame beginner slopes and a flock of terrain parks and pipes. Blackcomb Mountain is crowned by a lift-served glacier is open for summer skiing. Whistler is also the jumping-off point for heli-skiing in the glorious backcountry with Whistler Heli-Skiing (tel. 604/932-4105; www.whistlerheliskiing.com) or Coast Range Heliskiing (tel. 604/894-1144; www.coastrangeheliskiing.com).
Beginning next winter, the jaw-dropping, 2.73-mile Peak to Peak gondola will link the two mountains, soaring high over Fitzsimmons Creek via the world's greatest unsupported span between towers of any gondola on the planet. The lower section of the Fitzsimmons Creek drainage also harbors the new Olympic bobsled/luge track and a fantastic zipline winter adventure. Ziptrek Ecotours (tel. 866/935-0001 or 604/935-0001; www.ziptrek.com) has subtly placed platforms and suspension bridges and 10 zipline cables through the old-growth temperate rainforest.
Other off-slope adventures include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating on Green Lake, bungee jumping, dog sledding, sybaritic spa treatments and, of course, shopping. Guests can enjoy a full winter vacation without ever stepping onto skis or strapping on a snowboard.
Upscale and international Whistler is being further upgraded for the Olympics. The scenic but twisting Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Squamish on the coast is being widened and somewhat tamed, and new and renovated accommodations are legion. Whistler now boasts large, serious luxurious hotels such as the Fairmont Chateau Whistler (tel. 800/606-8244 or 604/938-8000; www.fairmont.com/whistler) and the Pan Pacific Village Centre (tel. 888/905-9995 or 604/966-5500; www.panpacific.com) and also fine boutique properties such as the Adara Hotel (tel. 866/502-3272 or 604/694-2139; www.adarahotel.com) or the First Tracks Lodge (tel. 800/799-3258 or 604/938-98991; www.firsttrackslodge.com).
The bottom line is that skiers, snowboarders, thrill-seekers and those who enjoy the mountain environment are already benefiting from the fulfillment of that long-ago dream of four Vancouver businessmen -- and will continue to do so long after the Olympic flame is extinguished.
Whistler Stats
Lifts: 3 gondolas, 13 high-speed quad chairlifts, 5 triples, 1 double, 16 surface lifts
Hourly Capacity: 61,407
Trails: 200+ and 12 alpine bowls (20% easier, 55% more difficult, 25% most difficult)
Terrain Parks and Pipes: 5 terrain parks, 2 pipes
Vertical: 5,020 feet (Whistler), 5,280 feet (Blackcomb)
Longest Runs: 7 miles (one on each mountain)
Skiable Acres: 8,171
Average Annual Snowfall: 402 inches
