Whistler has been on my wish list of places to ski since I came to the States (ed. from England) in 1996 and after a fabulous week with NSC it is now on my list of places to return.
The trip started with our sad farewell to Joel, our group leader and president who dutifully turned up to see us off at SFO. Our hopes were high that Joel would join us later in the week after he had supported his family through a bereavement. We were now in the caring hands of Curtis Otaguro and were comforted to know that he was well seasoned on club adventures.
At the Vancouver airport we embarked on a small bus for our transport to Whistler. Traveling through Vancouver we saw much evidence of the imminent 2010 Winter Olympics and we even caught a glimpse of the BC Place– the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies. Olympic banners, Canadian banners and informational signs were everywhere, all adding to the festive spirit.
Traveling along Highway the coastal road 99 from Vancouver to Whistler, we had breathtaking views and even though the visibility was not brilliant you certainly could appreciate the splendor of the area. A quick stop was made at Squamish Visitor Centre where many folks befriended a local character – a guy not to mess with!
About two and a half hours after leaving Vancouver we arrived at Creekside, our home for the week and venue for the Alpine skiing events of the Olympics. “Legends” was a marvelous condo complex with many good facilities. Many of our members frequented the heated pool and spas and a few even experienced iced water thrown from the heavens above. I blame my condo leader Charles Akers for negotiating a room change to a marvelous location that overlooked these facilities and which even had a view of the Creekside gondola. From this location the temptation to play a few pranks was too great but I hope I have been forgiven?
After an informational meeting, the week got off to a great start with a pizza-and-beer get together hosted at Debbie and Angie Fong’s. condo When I walked into the condo I was not only greeted by about two dozen smiling faces but what also looked like two dozen boxes of pizza that had toppings of all imaginable cuisines and the beer was good too! I left the party feeling that apart from Joel’s family tragedy the ski week had started really well and after a quick shop for grocery provisions at Creekside I couldn’t wait to get out onto the slopes.
It is said that, “Whistler is an alpine paradise full of adventure,” and as the week progressed I certainly found this to be true. Everyday the skiing experiences, the stunning views and adventures were simply amazing. I decided to take two mountain courtesy tours, one on Whistler mountain and later, one on Blackcomb mountain. The guides were brilliant, not only did they know the mountain inside out but they were able to supply interesting pieces of information about the terrain, and the environment. I even learnt that Whistler got its name from the local animals, the marmots who whistle to each other to communicate danger.
The weather conditions varied throughout the week and it was the weather that often dictated where you decided to ski for the day. In our favor we had about three days where the weather was glorious with blue skies and mild conditions so getting to the top of the peaks was no problem. It was on one of these days that after leaving the Blackcomb tour I decided to ski the glacier with my condo buddies Tom Iwamura, Charles Akers and Mike, my hubby. This was quite an athletic feat as you had to hike up quite a hill to get to the glacier ridge before you could enter the bowl and ski down the glacier. We threw our skis over our shoulders and began the climb. I was panting and puffing and I looked back towards Tom who was taking everything in his stride. I knew at this point that in twenty years time I wanted to be like him, still enjoying the skiing and the adventures of the mountains. I trudged on, reached the top and got myself ready for the descent. The athletic workout to reach the top was definitely worth it as the long ski down was out of this world. A combination of powder, moguls and groomed trails all contributed to another exciting alpine experience but to know that I was skiing on a glacier was something else
When talking of alpine experiences Whistler has it all and the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola is yet another alpine experience not to be missed. The PEAK 2 PEAK is a breathtaking gondola journey between the two mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb. This piece of marvelous engineering breaks three world records; it’s the longest unsupported span of 3.024 kilometers, it’s the highest lift of its kind at 436 meters above the valley floor and it completes the longest continuous lift system on the globe. These statistics are impressive but nothing beats the experience of the journey that it provides—360 degree views of the Whistler/Blackcomb’s alpine environment. This experience is even more impressive if you happen to have one of the gondolas all to yourself. This was an adventure that I experienced one afternoon whilst making my way back to Creekside from Blackcomb after Mike had had enough of his wife getting him lost in the forest and decided to trek back to the condo on his own.
Yes, getting us lost in the trees was another adventure but one that eventually had its bonuses. After spending some time on a cat track and thirsting for something more exciting I decided to take a short ski run off to my right, but instead of it taking us down the piste it lead us to a forest! I felt confident that by going through the trees we would meet up with the piste and continue to make our descent down the mountain. After some time trying to negotiate a way through the trees we did eventually end up on the piste but it was not without a few concerns. At one point I asked Mike what he wanted to do as I didn’t want to go back up and he didn’t want to travel any further down into the trees. His reply was to “Call for Help!” This indeed was an option as we always carry radios but I was convinced that we could get clear of the trees and with a little persuasion and encouragement we did exactly that. Once back on the piste Mike had made up his mind that he had had enough adventure for the day so he took off back to Creekside to spend a quiet afternoon to read his book and enjoy a beer. Sensible I thought, but I was wanting more alpine adventure. The rest of the afternoon I skied in areas that I recognized and eventually I took the Peak 2 Peak back to Whistler and after skiing various runs finally got the gondola back to Creekside. When entering the condo I was greeted by a beaming hubby who was relieved to see his wife back, safe and in one piece. Needless to say much celebration took place that night with a trip to Whistler Village.
The Village is usually the hub of activity but during a couple of our evening visits the village was actually very quiet. The on-going preparations for the Olympics was evident in many areas particularly in the center at the Olympic Celebration Plaza. Everywhere you looked you could see light blue cladd people often carrying huge manuals. These folks were part of the hard working Olympic volunteer brigade attending meetings and preparing for the big event.
The Olympic store was a “must” for me and I had fun playing with the Olympic mascots and taking a ride in an Olympic sledge whilst Mike had fun pretending to actually be a mascot!
The choice of restaurants in Whistler was immense but after enjoying a wonderful steak with a sauce of oven roasted red peppers and sprinkles of goat cheese we recommended ‘The Keg’ to members of our group. On two other nights we enjoyed the cuisine and ambiance of the Irish Pub that is located in the village and opposite the Blackcomb Gondola. Mike discovered his favorite Guinness pie which was immediately recommended to other members of Nisei who we thought were brave enough to take on the challenge.
Food has always been a central focus of the club and once again this year’s potluck was no exception. With the theme ‘Hawaiian Cuisine’, members’ culinary skills were truly put to the test, resulting in a magnificent spread of delicious delights. The evening was hosted by Angie & Debbie Fong who had decorated their condo with Hawaiian regalia and who really set the scene by wearing some fabulous Hawaiian headgear. The evening was a huge success and one that was made even more so by the presence of Joel. It was wonderful to see him and to know that he would also be able to experience some of the magnificent alpine adventures that everyone was talking about.
The next day approached and another alpine and food experience was in store for Mike & I. This time we decided to seek out the infamous waffles at the waffle hut on Blackcomb mountain. One of the guides on our mountain tour had recommended this place and he told us of a funny story about the British Royal family when they were skiing in Whistler. The story goes that Charles and his two sons visited the waffle hut to taste the waffles and on route William got one of his gloves very wet. On entering the hut William asked the cook if he would dry his glove while he was eating his waffles. Well to those of you who have visited this hut, know very well that there are no facilities for such requests other than the cooking stove. Well, the cooking stove was used to dry the glove but unfortunately for both the cook and for William the Royal glove caught fire! Over the radio urgent emergency messages were relayed that there was a fire in the waffle hut with the Royal family. All emergency services went into action with the result that there were no human injuries just one embarrassed cook and one cold Royal hand until the replacement glove arrived!
Once again this culinary experience of the mountain waffles was quite something and certainly an experience that called for more skiing. What better way to work off the calories than to go for the mountain experience of Peak to Peak. This run on the west side of Whistler mountain consists of over four miles of varied intermediate terrain with over 5020 feet of vertical drop – simply a skiers paradise and a “must” for any visitor to Whistler. The views from the Peak are an experience in itself with a 360 degree view of majestic mountain peaks including Black Tusk, a volcanic rock landmark south of Whistler.
It took a while to get to the Peak and then it took quite a bit longer to get back to Creekside but the fun and exhilaration of the journey was wonderful.
For Mike and I, Friday was our final ski day and the day for the group photograph, group lunch, and farewell dinner. At the appointed hour folks started gathering at the Inukshuk, outside of the Roundhouse Lodge but it was not long before the news arrived that Joel would not be joining us for this group event. Once again it was bad news, with a report that he had experienced a skiing accident which had resulted in a visit to hospital with the possibility of a broken arm. With this news the group decided to go ahead and various group shots were taken at the Inukshuk with the mountain scenery providing a glorious backdrop.
The photograph session was followed by lunch in the Roundhouse Lodge. Every member was presented with a $20 bill to spend as they wished. I tucked into a delicious totally unhealthy cheese bacon burger and fries washed down with some exotic mineral beverage. I thought the $20 lunch idea was great, it gave the freedom to choose what you wanted for lunch with the added bonus of eating with members of the club. This was quite a novelty for Mike & I as we rarely saw other members apart from our condo pals, Charles and Tom. The mountains were so vast that to bump into other members of the club was unusual. Arriving back at Creekside we were greeted with the news that Joel was going to be OK. His skiing accident had resulted in a fracture to his humerus but with rest and care the arm should mend and at this stage no surgery was required. He was obviously in a lot of pain but like a true hero and leader he soldiered on to be at the final group event, the farewell dinner.
“Jordan’s Crossing” at Nita Lake Lodge at Creekside was the setting for our farewell dinner and once again, an opportunity for a group photograph. Joel with his arm now safely cradled in a sling, lead us through the local walk-ways to the Lodge, carefully avoiding any ice or slippery patches.
The farewell dinner was a very friendly and happy event where the food was good, the setting was fine dining and the company was excellent. Once we had consumed our three course meal Angie spoke on behalf of the group and conveyed our sincere thanks to Joel for organizing this truly magnificent week. Thanks were also conveyed to Curtis for stepping in at the last hour to take on the responsibility of our motley crew and the organizational chores. Various Whistler/Blackcomb and Olympic memorabilia were presented to Joel and Curtis as a token of the groups appreciation. I sat quietly, (a novelty for me) and thought that Joel had spent the best part of a year organizing this trip, produced a fantastic trip brochure and his skiing experience was yet so minimal. I know Joel has his own prospective on this momentous week but for me it was another wonderful alpine club experience with some great people and one that I am very grateful to have experienced. I personally thank Joel for all his hard work and dedication, and to all the NSC members who contributed to this magnificent adventure.
