Snowboarding in Whistler

I still remember when I learned to ski in the fourth grade at Hidden Valley Mountain in Pennsylvania. My instructor’s name was John, and I had an enormous crush on him. He signed my “report card” for me (yes, I received a report card from ski school) and drew a big diamond as well as a cow with a note that said “Cowabunga!”

I used to ski quite a lot when I was younger, and I started snowboarding when I was about 12or 13. Usually one of the bigger trips we would take each year was in February over President’s Week where we’d rent a little ski house at Camelback Mountain in Pennsylvania with some family friends and channel our inner snow bunnies, getting up early each morning to hit the slopes and retreating to the house for some hot chocolate around the fireplace each night.

But none of the snowboarding I’ve done in my life (that’s right, Switzerland) compares to the few days I spent snowboarding in Whistler & Blackcomb.

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I’ll be honest: I was scared, terrified really, to go snowboarding in Whistler totally alone on mountains I didn’t know from atom. Last time I went was in 2008 when made a weekend trip to Switzerland during my study abroad, and at least then I had a friend there with me. But I was determined to re-teach myself how to board, no matter how many falls I took and no matter how much my legs were shaking.

Your lift ticket grants you access to both Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, which you can travel between via the Peak 2 Peak Gondola. The Peak 2 Peak is about a 12-minute cable car ride across the sweeping valleys, blanketed in both snow and pine trees that can be used by bother skiiers/snowboarders and sightseers looking to take in the beautiful views.

Awesome views with the Peak to Peak GondolaMike Crane/Tourism Whistler

Peak to Peak
Mike Crane/Tourism Whistler

My first day, I decided to snowboard Whistler Mountain, as the Nita Lake Lodge where I was staying was located just beyond its base. Most people I asked told me to stick to the areas surrounding the Emerald Chairlift, which were mostly family-friendly green runs and wide, easy slopes to get me comfortable on my board again. What’s more is that the Emerald Chairlift is an easy offload, meaning the risk of falling flat on my face and embarrassing myself was small.

Overall, though, everyone I spoke to kept reassuring me that it would be hard to find myself alone and in a bind on the mountain, as there will always be an easy option or trail to take, with the harder options (like the black diamonds) a bit trickier to find.

Emerald chair in the early morning
Mike Crane/Tourism Whistler

Green chair with Armchair Mountain in the backgroundMike Crane/Tourism Whistler

At first, my New York mentality kicked in: These people are far too laid back and seem far too calm about sending me off on the slopes to go snowboarding in Whistler solo, and I am probably going to get lost and need to be airlifted off the mountains.

Turns out, they were right. I found Whistler Mountain to be fairly easy to navigate as a first-time visitor. The routes and trail were clearly marked, and there were also Mountain Hosts at the top of the Emerald Chairlift (and several other chairlifts on both mountains) that were always available for questions or concerns about the mountains and the conditions of the trails.

I found that loads were complaining about the conditions. One man went so far as to say this is the worst state he’s seen the mountains in since he first started going there in 1982. (Yikes.) Unfortunately, you couldn’t ski all the way to the bottom and back down to the villages, as the snow had melted and the bottom of the slopes were basically mud, with only patches of snow here and there as if they were some sort of landing strip. The lower part of the mountain was much slushier, and as a result, choppier to ski down as the trails with ridden with baby moguls all over the place.

Mid-mountain, though, and the top of the mountain were in decent condition my first few days – nothing but pillows of powder without any ice in sight. I stuck to beginner trails, including Upper Whiskey Jack, Lower Whiskey Jack, Ego Bowl, Papoose, Pony Trail, and Bear Club.

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In the beginning, I fell probably every three minutes or so. I kept telling myself: “Heel, toe, heel, toe,” but instead of shifting my weight, I stayed pressed forward on my toes for the first few runs; it felt like someone had taken a torch to my legs. My calves were basically putty, and on top of that I wore one too many layers and sweat off a solid five pounds that day.

I took a lunch break at Steeps Grill & Wine Bar, located in the Roundhouse lodge just beside the Peak 2 Peak chairlift and the Emerald Express Chairlift that I was using throughout the day. Just outside the lodge are the Olympics rings from the 2010 Vancouver Olympics when Whistler Blackcomb played host to a series of events.

Perfect late season conditions for WSSF
Mike Crane/Tourism Whistler

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Though I was tempted to give poutine, Canada’s national dish, another go (I tried it for the first time in Toronto and was seriously disappointed), I decided to be classy and order truffle fries along with some pan-roasted salmon – and I licked my plate clean. The salmon was fresh and light and served with some beautiful and locally sourced vegetables from British Columbia.

Post-lunch, I got back into my groove, and I started to pick up the confidence I needed to trust myself and my muscle memory that I wasn’t going to crack my skull open (at least not that day).

I finished off the day with success, all limbs still attached, though my legs were the more tired than they had been after I finished my first half-marathon. By the time I got back to the hotel, I felt as if I had just gotten off a round-the-world flight. I slept easy that night, ready for another day of boarding and some ziplining to keep the adventures going.

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