Spring break for east coasters means a tradition of heading to the sunshine. By the time you hit South of the Border, it’s traffic jams the rest of the way down I95 until you pile into crowded beaches and overflowing theme parks. For some real adventure, avoid the mouse and head for the moose. Journey to the Great White North for a skiing and snowboarding Spring break at Whistler Blackcomb.
This legendary Canadian destination is west coast, almost to the Pacific. You will fly into Vancouver and then drive north 83 miles (134 km Eh!). That route will be the Sea to Sky Highway, one of the most scenic roads you will ever travel.
Amazing views aside, Whistler wasn’t the easiest place to get to from the U.S. east coast: 3 am alarm on daylight savings morning to commence an 18 hr trek. Throw in a lost snowboard courtesy of Westjet and one may arrive a bit frazzled. The good news is this ol boy is too savvy to pack his clean undies in the snowboard bag and things quickly trended upwards.
Whistler Village
The first criteria for a great ski resort is base camp and Whistler Village is perfect. Everything is easy walking distance including the lifts and plenty of bars and restaurants.
There are other areas to stay such as Whistler Creekside but stick with the Village if you can. That’s where the most activity is.
whistler blackcomb spring break trip.
I don’t think we encountered anyone who wasn’t super friendly and genuine. Lots of Aussies and Kiwis, along with Canadians, working the resort areas and they were all as hospitable as can be. No language barriers either. I could understand everything through those lovely accents and they seemed to comprehend at least half of mine
World class skiing and bar crawling. I didn’t place in the former but I earned the gold in the latter.
Whistler and Blackcomb spring break adventure.
whistler blackcomb spring break snowboard.
The Mountains
Whistler is really Whistler and Blackcomb, two adjacent mountains and resorts. They merged some years back so you can access both massive territories from the village. No shuttles necessary, though free ones are offered so skiers don’t have to hobble around in their boots. Snowboarders need not apply.
Peak to Peak Gondola will take you between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. This ain’t the sky ride at your local amusement park. A Guinness World Record holder for gondolas at 1427 ft high.
Whistler and Blackcomb stand as the most extreme mountains I’ve been to.
Steepness is hard to grasp in photos…but very easy when you’re tumbling
As discovered in a previous trip to Banff, slopes must be graded on a curve in Canada compared to back East.
Green = East blue
Blue = East black
Black = East double black
Double black = East cliff
Whistler Blackcomb Canada Spring break
Speaking of cliffs, this is how you are alerted not to fly off them to certain death. A couple little signs that simply state cliff. In the states there would be permanent barricades set up. Maybe an electric fence. At Whistler, it’s just an advisory… like speed bump ahead. Crazy thing is you are welcome to try it if you wish. Some do.
This sign states Cornice. Not much help to me since I didn’t know what that meant. Websters says it an overhanging mass of hardened snow at the edge of a mountain precipice. Never heard of that either. Turns out a precipice is a very steep cliff. Ah. Of course.
Bottom line, it’s highly recommended to stay clear of all the lil orange lollipop signs. My comment for the suggestion box is to change the warning to a more internationally understood “Stay the F Away”!
The Whistler Blackcomb spring break vacation.
Whistler Blackcomb spring break fun.
Canucks have an extra chromosome that provides the vision and internal gyroscope needed to ski through whiteouts. I found snowboarding blind a challenge. Mainly I just tried to stay clear of the orange signs.
Ski Whistler Blackcomb at spring break.
Squamish
Squamish is a town at the base of the mountains. They have the Sea to Sky Gondola which is pretty remarkable. It’s a bit of a thrill too, especially after a shuttle driver told us some environmental nut has been cutting cables as a protest.
Whistler Blackcomb is considered one of the top ski destinations in the world for good reason. Find a way to make the journey, regardless of whether you seek excitement at the top of a mountain or the bottom. Just bring your A Game for both.
Wisdom of The 'Fool
Traveler’s Tips for Whistler Blackcomb Spring Break
- Be alert if you venture to the top of those mountains. Going out of bounds here can be vastly different than most slopes.
- Car rental vs shuttle from the airport is a tough call. It’s a 2 hr drive from Vancouver. Then again icy roads or an accident can change that. The good news is Rt 99 (Sea to Sky Hwy) is a gorgeous drive and a safe, well maintained road. No crazy twists or inclines.
- We took a shuttle bus (Skylynx) from the airport. Cost effective and relaxing after a long day of flights. Going back to the airport we rented a one way car through Avis, just steps from our village hotel. That allowed us to see some sights on the return.
- Yes the Peak to Peak gondola is included in your lift ticket.
- Vancouver is a cool city. Spend some time there if you have an evening flight home.
- At the time of this blog the US dollar was 1.35 CA dollar. Everything is 25% off! Winning!!
- Related to the above, food and drink is quite reasonable in the village. Better than anticipated actually. Overall a good value at Whistler or Blackcomb.
