When our summer lap through Canada’s National Parks was canceled, we had to replan quickly. Our new plan was to return to Whistler and enjoy the mountains. Whistler fit the bill, and luckily, we could get a place to park the RV and visit. Whistler is the ski area that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics for Alpine and Nordic skiing, including ski jumping, bobsled, and luge events. In the last twelve years, the town had been completely rebuilt.
Our summer 2024 full-time journey goal was to go to Jasper and south along the Icefields Parkway to Banff. That part of our route had to be changed due to fires and smoke in British Columbia. This spring, we worked our way west through Idaho and Oregon and had a great time, especially at Silver Falls State Park. Someday, I will tell you about our stay at Silver Falls State Park and share some photos of the beautiful waterfalls. But that will have to wait.
So far, this summer was our Cruise from Seattle to Alaska. We had a wonderful time, and visiting Alaska two years in a row was great. As expected, the coastline of Alaska is rugged, and the weather is wet. Overall, it was just like we expected, but since we were on a cruise ship, unlike our 2023 visit, we couldn’t wait for the weather to clear. Still, the beauty again wowed us, especially at Glacier Bay National Park. In case you missed it, here is a link to our Alaska blog posts. Alaska
Dodging wildfires in Canada
This year, while we were on our way north through British Columbia, we were uncertain about our routes due to our previous year’s trip. In 2023, wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta rerouted and caused heavy smoke several times. This year, we stayed at Nairn Falls (about a hundred miles north of Vancouver) and passed through Whistler on our way north. If you missed the story about Nairn Falls, here is a quick link. Our 2024 Canada Trip cut was cut short.
While staying at Nairn Falls, we learned that a fire had ripped through our campground at Jasper. The campground, the entire town, was closed and evacuated. The word evacuated was enough to impress me that we needed a new plan. When our trip to Jasper didn’t work out, Whistler was an obvious choice, even though it is not similar to Jasper. We then picked up a few possible campgrounds in Whistler and got in the car to see the new campground candidates. Whistler is only about 20 miles south of Nairn Falls, and when we can, it is always best to know the campground before we commit.
Choosing campsites
Our choice of campground was about 10 miles south of town and was a flat spot carved into the side of a mountain. The driveway up to the campground was occasionally steep and had two switchbacks. These two things gave me enough context that I wanted to see it before committing. The only reassuring part of the description was that the campground was open all year. Comments about the amenities, including a dishwashing station, made me believe it might be a little rustic. Overall, it was great. Here is a link to where we stayed for our visit to Whistler. Whistler RV Park and Campgrounds
About Whistler
Native North Americans (called First Nations in Canada) were first to visit and then live in Whistler. It was called Sḵwiḵw by the Squamish people who lived in pit houses for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years, before discovery by the British Navy in about 1860. The British called it Whistler because of the sound made by the Hory Marmot, which alerted them that danger was present. At that time (and also when I was a youth), the Marmont was known by the alternate name of a whistle pig. Marmots are a large groundhog related to Punxsutawney Phil of groundhog fame.
Called Alta Lake
Until about 1966, the Whistler Ski Area was known as Alta Lake. Alta Lake opened its first ski lift in 1966. During the next ten years, Alta Lake became very popular with skiers from Vancouver. Each year, it grew, and Whistler Valley saw new construction each summer. Ten years after it opened its first lift, Alta Lake changed its name to Whistler, and later, it was known as Whistler/Blackcomb when Whistler Mountain was connected by ski lifts to Blackcomb Mountain, making visits to both mountains easy without ever taking off your skis.
Whistler/Blackcomb
The Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort is in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. By many measures, it is the largest ski resort in North America and has a large lift capacity. It features a gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Because it is shielded by the Pacific Range (mountain range) to the west, it is sheltered from the most brutal storms from the Pacific Ocean.
Whistler/Blackcomb are actually on the Garibaldi Mountain Range to the east of the Pacific Mountain Range. Moisture carried by storm winds climbs up the Pacific Mountian Range, and rainwater condenses into the snow, dumping large quantities of snow on Whistler. Because of the low elevation, Whistler is generally warmer than most Rocky Mountain Ski resorts. The warmer weather, however, means that the ample snowpack carries a high water content and quickly melts in the spring, especially during spring rains.
Whistler in the summer
In the summer, riding the gondolas on Whistler and to Blackcomb mountains would be spectacular on a day with perfect weather. However, we had cloudy days during our visit and didn’t care to ride a gondola up the mountain to see the inside of a cloud. I have plenty of time riding ski lifts into clouds and have plenty of experience flying through clouds. Earlier in my life, I was both a ski patroller and a pilot, and I did both in abysmal weather. Perhaps we should have scheduled a ride in the evening if the lifts were still running. At about dinner time, the clouds broke each day, giving us beautiful views from our RV of the high country.
We also observed many people riding mountain bikes and using the ski lifts for upward transportation. Bicycle rentals were common in town, and full-size helmets were standard. The huge helmets seemed out of place on the streets, but given the nearby mountains and the possible speed of a downhill ride on a mountain bike, the big helmets were very understandable.
What we did
Instead of riding ski lifts into the clouds, we both drove around looking for photos and went on hikes looking for photos. Most of the hikes in the area didn’t involve the Whistler Mountains or the ski lifts, and we enjoyed each day looking like and acting like tourists in a beautiful mountain town.
Getting to Whistler
Whistler is located north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Canada Highway 99. Canada 99 is a westward extension of Canada Highway 1 and follows the east side of Howe Sound, making most of the trip along the edge of the sound very pretty. The road is known as the Sea to Sky Highway, past the city of Squamish and the historic mining town (sometimes called a ghost town) of Garibaldi. North of Garibaldi is the Brandywine Provincial Park. Once in Whistler, Alta Lake is to the west of the road, and Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains are to the east.
Given its location, we will probably return to Whistler multiple times on every visit to British Columbia, and we look forward to seeing it again.
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About our links
As you know, our blog income is zero, which allows us to be independent and tell the truth. We do not get income or commissions. No, we don’t make paid endorsements. We don’t make recommendations; instead, we will tell you what we like (or dislike). The links are only provided as a quick reference to help our readers.
Links
Whistler RV Park and Campgrounds
Jasper National Park and the Whistlers Campground Fire
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Love the color of those Glacier fed Lakes. Bummer about Jasper. We are hoping to get up into BC next summer so we will have to check out Whistler. Thanks for sharing.
Ahoy…I also had reservations @ jasper & Banff. Sad. However, I did discover Vancouver Island, so all was good.
I’m still jealous of all the awesome travels. Even if you did get turned away, life is an adventure in that way.