Escaping the city

Skiing, Canadian style

The Real Chicago enjoyed a long weekend of skiing and nightlife in Whistler, British Columbia

Travel location: Whistler Ski Resort, British Columbia, Canada.

The travelers: Trent Modglin and a crew of Mark Schwalenberg, Matt Mohrlang, Brian Sesterhenn, Scott Graham and Mike Florczak.

Where you stayed: Blackcomb Lodge, right in the heart of Whistler Village. We had two adjacent hotel rooms, one of which had a loft area for sleeping as well as a kitchen. The kitchen was quite helpful, as we were able to fix a bagel or quick snack on the way out the door in the morning, thus saving us valuable sleep and ski time. There is something to be said about having a short five-minute walk to your hotel after a hard day of skiing. I don’t know if I can do it any other way from now on.

The people, the culture: The Vancouver area in general, much like Seattle, is very diverse, especially when it comes to the Asian population. And Whistler, being roughly two hours north and like most large ski resorts, brings people in from all over the globe. We estimated that the majority of the people working in the village and on the mountain were not Canadians. Most, in fact, were 20-something Australians. All told, I’m guessing I heard at least seven different languages in four days, and that doesn’t include our garbled speak on the way home from the bars. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, and you really got a sense that everyone is enjoying what they’re doing in Whistler — whether it’s work or play.

Activities of note: Uh, skiing. That’s what we went there for. Priority No. 1. We arrived Wednesday night after landing in Vancouver and skied Thursday, Friday and Saturday, hitting a combination of runs that involved bowls, tree skiing, sharp inclines, slower, meandering routes, moguls and even a few jumps (with me admittedly serving as the least adventurous of the group). There are two separate mountains at Whistler — one called Whistler Mountain, the other named Blackcomb. While impressively similar, they do have some unique qualities, and we split our time between the two. With the slopes closing at 3:30, the bars, restaurants and coffee shops fill up quickly in the late afternoon. After a shower or a dip in the pool or hot tub, we hit the town every night, exploring all three villages. Pubs such as Amsterdam’s, the Crystal Lounge, Merlin’s, Dusty’s and the Dubh Linn Gate were our favorites, and every stop seemed unique in a way. There are no cookie-cutter bars here. The Dubh Linn Gate is an authentic Irish bar with great pictures, a fireplace and live music. Our best meal of the week by far came from The Keg, where steaks and seafood are the specialties. We also spent as much time as six men should in perusing a few of the stores ... which wasn’t much.

What makes you want to go back: Everything. It’s secluded, so it feels like a quaint village, but it’s also got an active nightlife, and with everything within such a close proximity, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. The skiing, we felt, was comparable to the best resorts in Colorado, as long as you stayed on top of the mountain, where the snow was better. The scenic drive to and from Vancouver is enough to want to go back.

The costs: Those who didn’t use frequent flier miles doled out around $430 for a non-stop flight to Vancouver on United Airlines. The rental of the two rooms that slept more than six went for $200 per person for four nights. Lift tickets normally run $78 per day, but when ordered online at Whistler’s website, the price is discounted a bit. Ski rentals are also noticeably cheaper online, as we saved about 20 percent off the normal rates of $40 per day. Insurance on the skis is optional, but for $4 a day to cover some pricey skis on uneven terrain, it’s well worth the cost of a beer. Food and drink were generally on the mildly expensive side, but nothing to scare you away. A couple slices of pizza, a breadbowl with soup or a burger, along with a drink at lunch on the slopes would cost you between $10 and $15. Pitchers of beer were generally $12-18. A nice dinner at The Keg averaged from $30-$40 for ribs and steaks.

What you’d do differently: There isn’t much, as we all came home with smiles on our faces and feeling like we got our money’s worth, both physically and socially. I would like to visit the area in the summer, as I felt cheated based on what I had heard about how beautiful British Columbia is when not under a steady winter drizzle of rain. It also might be worth going in January, or at least earlier February, to maximize the snow conditions. It rained nearly every day in the village. With a much lower altitude than Colorado, the bottom of the slopes was often covered in wet snow, which isn’t all that fun to ski on at the end of the day when your legs are burning. I also wouldn’t let Scott do any jumps, as his vacation was cut short by two days due to a second-degree shoulder separation that left him in a sling.

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