VA2007 - Day Trips - Whistler

Winter in Whistler is, in a word, huge. More than 8,000 skiable acres encompass groomed schusses, snowboard pipes, brutally steep mogul fields and some of the world's best bowl skiing. This last category got a boost in 2005 with the opening of Flute Bowl, formerly the sole turf of avalanche-taunting locals, along with a new lift to the amphitheatre-like terrain in Symphony. For those who prefer not to mix gravity and low-friction surfaces, there's another way to spend your time besides shopping the village and drinking consecutive Irish coffees: work up a sweat on a guided snowshoe trek through forests of hemlock and old-growth cedar.

Whistler broke new ground and aroused the envy of resort operators worldwide in 2001 with its summer Mountain Bike Park. Open May to October, the terrain park gets bigger every season; everyone from green beginners to log-jumping experts can improve their trail-riding skills and put the vertical to good use. Wildlife tours, five golf courses and nearby flyfishing and river kayaking round out the warmweather action. Be careful of the après-ski nightclub culture, though: it's seductive in a whole other way.

Getting there: Drive north on Highway 99, the scenic "Sea to Sky Highway," or bus it with Perimeter's Whistler Express (877-317-7788).
Contact Tourism Whistler at 877-991-9988 or tourism whistler.com for more info.
Whistler-Blackcomb, 866-218-9690.
Guided snowshoe trek: Outdoor Adventures, 604-932-0647.
Horseback riding: Adventure Ranch, Pemberton, 604-932-5078.

Insider Secret

Touted as "the third mountain," Cougar Mountain in the Soo Valley, just north of Whistler, holds a number of backcountry possibilities for life beyond the groomed runs. Snowshoeing is one alternative, but perhaps more gratifying (and easier on the legs) is dog sledding, which harnesses the power of Alaskan huskies to pull you through the wilderness. Snow is optional, as sleds trade runners for wheels in the summer for dry-land training. Cougar Mountain Adventures, 4314 Main St., Eagle Lodge, Whistler, 888-297-2222. — M.T.