By Hilary Nangle on January 9, 2009
Planning a trip to this western Canadian Alpine resort? Check out these activities. Only three require you to be on skis or a snowboard, the rest are available to anyone. 1. Fresh Tracks breakfast. Get this: For a mere $17.25 per adult, $12.60 ages 7-12 Canadian (think about 20 percent discount off U.S. dollars), skiers [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Food, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada | Tagged apres ski, Blackcomb, Crystal hut, Dave Murray Downhill, Dusty's, Fairmont Chalet, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, first tracks, fondue, Fresh tracks, glacier, high tea, peak 2 peak gondola, Peak to Creek, sleigh ride, sno limo, Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Center, waffle, Whistler, Zip Trek Eco Tour, zipline |
By Hilary Nangle on January 6, 2009
It’s SO worth splurging on Whistler’s Fresh Tracks program. For $17.25 adult, $12.60 ages 6 to 12, you get to board the Whistler gondola between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m., have a full hot breakfast at the Roundhouse at the gondola summit, then hit the slopes when patrol rings the bell. That gives you about 45 [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Food, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada |
By Hilary Nangle on January 6, 2009
It just keeps coming down here at Whistler Blackcomb, B.C. For the second time, the forecast was for little more than an couple of inches, but the snow kept falling, heavy at time, and it’s still falling. Although the backcountry is closed–a guide described the base as a platform on marbles, very unstable and avalanche [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Food, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada | Tagged Dave Murray Downhill, Dusty's, Men's Olympic downhill, powder, ribs, Whistler Blackcomb |
By Hilary Nangle on January 5, 2009
Spent the better part of today shusshing through about a foot of fresh powder on Blackcomb Mountain, in Whistler, B.C., Canada. Although the base is thin, the skiing was mighty fine, for what was open. Snow instability (translated=avalanche danger) kept most of the upper mountain closed, which put quite a bit of traffic on the [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Food, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada | Tagged crstal hut, peak 2 peak gondola, powder, Skiing/Riding, waffle, Whistler Blackcomb |
By Hilary Nangle on November 17, 2008
Well, not exactly, but the slopeside Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Ski for Free package isn’t too shabby, either. On the package, a Fairmont room begins at $259 Canadian, including two daily lift tickets. That’s a decent deal, made even better by the strengthening U.S. dollar. Although a Fairmont room is the hotel standard, it’s well equipped, [...]
Posted in Activities, Beyond Maine, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada |
By Hilary Nangle on May 22, 2008
Sometimes I’m so spoiled. During my recent ski trip to Whistler, the snow Gods weren’t smiling. Hot temps, melting snow and rain meant little terrain open for spring skiing: even the glaciers were closed due to unstable conditions. So, yes, I skied in the rain, but then I made up for the misery with an [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Skiing/Riding, Spas, Western Canada | Tagged Blackcomb, Canada, Four Seasons, Skiing/Riding, Spa, Whistler |
By Hilary Nangle on May 21, 2008
Within a mere 54 hours, or two and a quarter days, I traveled from Vancouver to Whistler, B.C., round trip aboard the Whistler Mountaineer scenic train, Ziptreked across raging Fitzsimmons Creek; skied Blackcomb; shopped the village from one end to the other; and toured the soon-to-open First Nations Cultural Center. And ate BC foods, especially [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Skiing/Riding, Western Canada | Tagged Blackcomb, First Nations, Skiing/Riding, Whistler, Ziptrek |
By Hilary Nangle on March 25, 2008
BANFF, Alberta, Canada–With good reason, the Willow Stream Spa at the castle-like Fairmont Banff Springs hotel gets most of the ink when it comes to spa talk (I dished about that one previously), but for anyone seeking a soothing soak in an outdoor mineral pool with the Canadian Rockies as a backdrop, the historic Banff [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Skiing/Riding, Spas, Western Canada | Tagged Canadian Rockies, Skiing/Riding, Spa |
By Hilary Nangle on March 11, 2008
Visiting Banff or Lake Louise? The Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, those two storybook hotels, may be out of your budget for lodging, but it’s still possible to play prince or princess for the day. At the Banff Springs, spend a half day or longer in the Willow Stream Spa. Day access [...]
Posted in Beyond Maine, Spas, Western Canada | Tagged Dining, Spa, tea |