With my heart pounding out of my chest and little pools of sweat forming on my palms and forehead, I was keen to heed the advice of a 10-year-old boy from Atlanta that it was “better to go first” in such circumstances.
A few minutes later, the same 10-year-old had slipped ahead of me to the front of the line of the world’s longest and, to me at least, most terrifying zipline.
If I was scared before, then worse was to come, as I had to watch said boy and his dad “walk the plank” before me onto Whistler’s terrifying (yes, I’ve used that word already) new two-kilometre long Sasquatch zip that hurtles you high across the gaping valley between Blackcomb and Whistler mountains.
Harnessed up to their ears, the pair ventured carefully out of their respective gates and down three agonizing steps before the steel gate slammed shut behind them.
“Three, two, one, GO!” The second they placed their weight on the zip handles above them, they were sent whizzing across the top of the tree line and out over the valley.
Now I was petrified. Could I plead temporary insanity? No, wait. I think I ticked that box on the waiver.
It was my turn. I sheepishly walked into the safety check area before getting the rundown on what to and what not to hold onto during the zip.
My gate opened and there it was — the plank, or three very steep steps down with nothing before you but a high tree line shooting down over the precipice.
With a chilling clang, the gate slammed shut behind me. There was no turning back.
As my grip of the apparently tiny handlebars now loosening due to the aforementioned sweat, the “executioner” screamed his countdown.
I lifted up my feet, put my full weight on the handles and I was gone. Whoosh!
As I was catapulted beyond the tree line and out over the valley at speeds of around 120 kph, I opened my eyes as the rush of the wind forced me sideways.
For a few seconds, I felt like an eagle soaring across the valley and I finally started to relax my grip and “enjoy” the ride.
It had taken about 60 seconds and, with a slight jolt, the brake had been applied and it was over. I had survived my first ever zipline.
Staying Creekside:
It may not have the bustle and buzz of the Village, but the original Whistler destination of Creekside still has a lot of offer, especially for those wanting a change in pace from the main tourist drag.
Creekside retains much of Whistler’s old school charm, with a new school undercurrent, aided by a small collection of very pleasant bars and restaurants and a plethora of luxury lodges, all while Whistler Creek tumbles and fumbles fresh off the glacier into the valley, feeding one of the many nearby, pristine lakes.
You won’t hear too many live concerts in Creekside, but you can, at least, hear yourself think and be disturbed only by the noise of the creek itself.
Evolution, by Lodging Ovations, is recommended for those that prefer a little luxury on vacation. It’s described as having a “modern take on mountain lodging.”
And with our sumptuous two-bedroomed suite — complete with gourmet kitchen, rainforest showers and sunken bathtubs — leading out to an expansive, pine-scented, Whistler Mountain view balcony, complete with massive, wooden beams on our fourth floor balcony, I can’t argue with the brochure.
Even our dog had the pleasure of a king-sized pet bed and complimentary bowls and treats. Downstairs was a very well stocked games room, hosting a pool table, giant Wii screens and a mini movie theatre.
Outside is a small, but very clean pool, accompanied by a small and large hot tub, which became very social at night with tourists and regular vacationing owners mingling over a glass of something interesting.
There’s also a eucalyptus steam room, outdoor sauna and a large communal barbecue that was getting good use.
Whistler is Barking mad:
Our dog, Hershey, being a big part of the family, travels with us and Whistler is one of the best vacation spots we’ve been to in B.C. for welcoming pets.
Almost every lake in the area has a designated off-leash area. And not just one of those sorry little mud traps either that you find masquerading as a “dog beach.”
Alpha Lake Park in Creekside has the closest off-leash park to Lodging Ovations and is just a 10-minute stroll across Highway 99 from Creekside. In the morning, the sun rolls over Whistler Mountain and lights up a stunning, glacier-fed lake.
If you’re prepared to stretch your legs a little more, the off-leash beach park at Rainbow Park on Alta Lake — beautifully named “Barking Bay” — is heaven for dogs and their owners. It’s a good 35-minute walk, some along lakeside paths, some on the road-side, but it’s worth the effort.
The bear necesseties of golfing in Whistler:
“You won’t see too many bears at this time of year,” was the local sentiment as myself and son Ben headed out onto the first tee at the Arnold Palmer-designed Whistler Golf Club.
And after accidentally snapping (it was a good drive, promise) my driver on the second hole, the only one making a noise on the course that afternoon was me.
That was until Ben addressed the ball on the tee at the ninth. He turned around to me to proclaim he’d just “saw something moving, like a head” in the bushes and creek not 20 feet in front of him.
“It’s likely just a deer,” I said, hurrying him along as the four-ball behind us was catching up.
As he settled down a second time, out of the bushes waddled a rather large black bear. “Yogi,” thankfully, sauntered away from the tee, towards the eighth green. Off he went, strolling across the seventh, before disappearing again into the bushes.
Bear sighting aside, there are some unparalleled views of Whistler-Blackcomb Mountain while out on the course, which can be as challenging or rewarding as you want it to be, with a host of tee placements, from black to the kids’ gold tees.
No less than nine lakes and two creeks festoon this course, along with borders of ancient cedars, so, even if your golf isn’t up to par, you can lap up the surrounding nature.
From a golfing perspective, the course keeps your interest with several placement, thinking golfer holes and is good value for money compared to the more expensive Nicklaus North.
There’s also a pleasant and attentive staff, ready out on the course with ice-cold towels when you need them most in the middle of summer.
Hiking and biking for the panos:
Uploading on the gondola at the top of Whistler Village for a day of hiking and sightseeing, I thought I was fully prepared to engage the “pano” function on my iPhone. I was wrong.
After disembarking at the Rendevous Lodge, navigating a few of the easier trails and filling our phones with what we thought were the best views, we took the Whistler Summit chair further up the mountain.
For want of a more mature expression…wow.
Every corner myself and Ben turned, I basically deleted the previous pano, as incredible vista upon vista revealed itself all around us. Whenever you reach the summit of the highest peak in any particular area, be it Whistler or Grouse, it’s always a humbling experience and this was another.
Added attractions, as if you really needed them, on the summit and at the Rendezvous Lodge are a giant inuksuk, an Olympic podium and a bobsled, all commemorating the 2010 Winter Games and tailor-made for more picture opportunities, if you’ve any memory left on your phone from the panos.
And last, but no least, we took the famous Peak2Peak gondola over to Blackcomb, hiked another couple of easy trails before “gliding” back over the valley to Whistler.
Back at ground level, apparently with energy still to burn, we rented a couple of bikes at the base of Whistler Mountain.
Although there is a wealth of tracks of all levels of difficulty, we literally took the path of least resistance and followed the serene Valley Trail, meandering out of the Village, wrapping around Whistler Golf Club and all the way to Rainbow Park and Barking Bay, where we met up with my wife and our dog for a picnic.
Biking, for me, is the best way to travel in Whistler and it’s only a 15-minute ride to Creekside from the Village.
Hungry?
There’s little point in attempting to go over the wealth of dining options in the Village, but again, if you’d rather avoid waiting for a perfect patio, then head a wee bit out of the hustle, walk under Highway 99 and into Palmer’s Grill, tucked away discreetly behind the 18th green at Whistler Golf Club.
Apparently, this is where many locals come and the food was incredible value with lots of unique menu items and local produce used when possible. As well as views of nature, you can watch the golfers finishing off their rounds.
Over at Creekside, I’d highly recommend checking out CreekBread, with stone oven-fired, organic, flatbread pizzas to die for. For Creekside, this place was turning over a lot of people, mainly locals.
If you go:
Useful websites for activities are Whistler.com and WhistlerBlackcomb.com;
For Evolution Lodges, go to EvolutionWhistler.ca;
For golf, go to WhistlerGolf.com;
For the Sasquatch zipline, go to ZipTrek.com
*This featured was produced in association with Tourism Whistler
Creekside the best side:
