Stories from Whistler
Long-form writing on Whistler, the Sea to Sky corridor and British Columbia — riding the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola and climbing the Sea to Sky Gondola, hiking to Garibaldi Lake, and the practicalities of Canada travel.
More stories
Black Bears in Whistler Village: What Never to Do
Brackendale Eagle Run: The Winter Secret Few Tourists See
Crankworx Turns the Village Into a Bike Festival
Epic Pass vs. Walk-Up Lift Tickets
Garibaldi Lake vs Joffre Lakes: Which Turquoise Hike Wins?
Golden Larches in September: Whistler's Best-Kept Secret
The Highway 99 Winter Tire Rule Nobody Warns You About
Joffre Lakes: The BC Parks Pass and Its Closures
November Is Whistler's Quietest Month, and That's Good
Ride the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola in Summer
The River Locals Paddle Without Thinking Twice
Sea to Sky Gondola vs PEAK 2 PEAK: Stop Confusing These Two
Why I Stopped Renting a Car for Whistler Trips
Spring Skiing on Blackcomb: Whistler's In-Between Season
The Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre Deserves More Than Fifteen Minutes
Squamish or Whistler Village: Where I'd Actually Stay
The Stawamus Chief Hike Is Not a Casual Afternoon
Summer, Not Winter, Is Whistler's Best Season
The Real Price of a Day in Whistler
Train Wreck Trail: Whistler's Strangest Walk
Why a Whistler Lift Ticket Costs So Much: The Vail Resorts Model
Whistler Mountain vs Blackcomb Mountain: Which Side Wins
Whistler Village Has No Old Town, and That's Fine
Good to know about the Whistler blog
The blog steps back from strict planning to cover the questions that shape how a Whistler trip actually feels. An orientation piece opens with the most common misconception of all: Whistler sits in the Coast Mountains of southern British Columbia, not in the far north, and its snow comes from Pacific storms rather than an Arctic climate. A history piece follows the 2010 Winter Olympics, and how the Games turned a ski town into a year-round international resort almost overnight. Another looks at the Village Stroll, built from 1978-1980 on a former landfill, and makes the point that Whistler has no historic old town to visit.
A piece on the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre explains the shared, unceded territory of the Squamish and Lil'wat Nations and the museum they built together in 2008. A safety and etiquette piece is blunt about black bears — an everyday presence on the ski runs and along Highway 99 between May and October, never a photo opportunity to approach — and about the exposed sections on Panorama Ridge and Joffre Lakes. A piece on Crankworx follows the mountain bike festival that fills the village every August. None of this replaces the destination or guide pages; it exists for the softer context a strict itinerary doesn't cover.
Frequently asked questions about the Whistler blog
Will I see the northern lights in Whistler?
Very unlikely — Whistler sits too far south, at about 50°N, and its skies are too often overcast for the northern lights to be reliably seen.
Why did Whistler become an Olympic host?
Whistler co-hosted the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, staging alpine skiing and sliding sports at the Whistler Sliding Centre.
Can I visit the Whistler Sliding Centre?
You can walk its streets freely, but the roughly 170 wooden houses are private homes, not museum exhibits.
Does Whistler have an old town or historic monuments?
No — Whistler Village was built from scratch in 1978-1980 on a former landfill site, so there is no old town or historic monument to visit.
What is Nuart?
A mountain bike festival that fills Whistler Village every August.
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