Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Whistler's Pioneers
Top 10 Best
Whistler Festivals
1 First Night: family-
oriented New Year's Eve
festivities. Dec 31.
2 Altitude: gay and lesbian
ski-snowboard week;
entertainment. Feb.
3 Celebration 2010: arts
and culture, cabarets,
artisan markets. Feb.
4 TELUS World Ski &
Snowboard Festival:
concerts, films, and
adventure zones. Apr.
5 Canada Day: a birthday
bash ending with color-
ful fireworks. Jul 1.
6 Whistler Arts & Music
Festival: music, enter-
tainers, comedy. Jul.
7 Crankworx Freeride
Mountain Bike Festival:
races and parties. Aug.
8 Cheakamus Challenge:
44-mi (70-km) mountain
bike race. Sep.
9 Cornucopia: a food and
wine extravaganza. Nov.
0 Whistler Film Festival:
Ski films, Canadian
films, and videos. Dec.
Before Whistler Valley became a ski destination, the
area was a magnet for explorers, miners, loggers,
and pioneer entrepreneurs such as Alex and Myrtle
Philip. The young American couple arrived in 1912,
and two years later opened a fishing lodge on Alta
Lake. Rainbow Lodge was soon BC's premiere resort
destination, with visitors arriving on the now defunct
Pacific Great Eastern Railway. The lodge burned
down in 1977, but one of Rainbow Park's original
guest log cabins and a replica of Alex's romantic
Bridge of Sighs mark where it once stood.
Rainbow Lodge
The resort's main lodge was built from handcut
and peeled logs. By its peak, 45 buildings had
been constructed. Only four original cabins remain.
Alpine Sightseeing
Snowy peaks, glaciers, and
glimpses of Whistler's namesake,
the hoary marmot, or “whistler,”
make summer hikes memorable.
Whistler's 30 mi (48 km) of marked
trails are easy to follow. Refresh
at the Roundhouse Lodge. The
open-chair ascent to Horstman
Glacier
(see p28)
is thrilling.
track snaking down the mountain.
Other activities include the climb-
ing center, bungee ride, and Spin
Cycle, an astronaut-inspired ride.
Canoeing and
Whitewater Rafting
Resort pioneer Alex Philip began
the canoeing craze on picturesque
Alta Lake. It's still a low-key way
to spend a hot summer day. Canoe
rentals and guided tours available.
For a faster pace, whitewater raft
the Green, Birkenhead, and Elaho
rivers.
d
Canoeing: Whistler Outdoor
Experience: 604 932 3389 • Whistler
River Adventures: 604 932 3532
Adventure Zone
Parents and children play
together in the exciting Blackcomb
Base Adventure Zone in the Upper
Village. Not to be missed is the
child-sized Westcoaster Luge
For details on activities at Whistler and Blackcomb, including bear
watching, call 1 800 766 0449 or visit www.whistlerblackcomb.com
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