In November 2017, we thought about skiing at Whistler/Blackcomb but realized that the cost was too high. However, while drinking coffee at our favorite Philz Coffee, I was perusing a message from NorCal Snowboarders and noticed a planned Whistler ski trip - which was really inexpensive. How did NorCal manage such low prices?
Inna and I looked into it further and discovered we could book an Airbnb at Whistler at a significant discount from the prices charged at our favorite Pan-Pacific Whistler Mountainside hotel. Further research revealed respectable airline tickets to Seattle on Alaska Airlines and an inexpensive car rental at Alamo (for the long drive from Seattle to Whistler, BC) using Costco.com. (I considered using Turo but could not find any respectable cars at a lower price)
To save money on Whistler's lift tickets, I purchased the Epic Local pass, including tickets to Kirkwood, Northstar, Heavenly, and Whistler! To save money on snowboard rentals, I brought all our gear (saving $400+ for a week's rental for 2 people). Fortunately, Alaska Airlines only charged me $25 each way for the heavy snowboard bag (which included 2 boards and 2 sets of boots).
We woke up early on Sunday, February 18, for our flight from San Jose to Seattle. Once awake, I ordered Uber to take us to the airport. Arriving on time (around 5:30 am), we dropped off our heavy luggage and boarded our 90-minute flight from Alaska #321 to Seattle. Once there (around 8:45am), we quickly picked up our luggage and took our rental car shuttle to pick up our Alamo car rental. I chose a silver Nissan Rogue AWD, and we quickly departed for the long drive to Canada.
It was freezing in Seattle, with some snow visible, and we stopped by for a lunch break at the Cosmo Bistro in Bellingham. It was so hard outside! We ran from the car to the cafe to avoid freezing!
After a delicious lunch, we resumed our long drive to Whistler.
Thankfully, the roads were clear, and we made good time - except for the 45-minute US/Canada border wait.
We arrived at Whistler at 3:30pm - about 30 minutes ahead of our standard check-in time at our Airbnb on 4360 Lorimer Road in Upper Whistler Village. I walked around the area while Inna and Alex waited in the car to hear from the owner that the apartment was ready.
Before 4:00pm, we could check into our Airbnb rental, and we unpacked all of our gear. I had to attach bindings to Alex's Morrow snowboard (which were disassembled for transport). We then decided to explore the village and get some dinner.
We decided to have dinner at our favorite Earl's Restaurant. It's one of our favorite spots (despite lower ratings on Yelp) because it has excellent entrees at very reasonable prices, lots of TVs showing multiple sporting events (usually ice hockey!), and a great vibe.
I selected "Jeera Chicken Curry" for my main entree and really enjoyed it. After dinner, we explored Whistler Village, stopping by the local IGA grocery store to pick up a few breakfast items (eggs, oatmeal, snacks).
We woke up early on Monday morning but were concerned about the plunging temperatures. I still had some remnants of a lingering cold and did not want to get sick again.
Alex and I dressed warmly for our first day of snowboarding at Whistler. Meanwhile, Inna decided to try her hand at cross-country skiing.
We had a fantastic first day of snowboarding Whistler, stopping by frequently at various lodges for hot chocolate!
Here is a GoPro Hero 6 video (in 4K 30fps mode) of some of our snowboarding exploits. I used a Feiyu G5 V2 gimbal to record some of the footage to see if it could improve my unsteady camera footage. It worked well but was a pain to use and required a lot of practice.
I have a link for a full 1080p high-definition video here.
Alex was interested in trying out various snowboards. At the top of Whistler is a small Igloo containing a Demo Center. Alex was able to try out the following snowboards:
On Wednesday, February 21, I snowboarded only half the day as I developed a mind-numbing headache around noon. When I returned to our apartment around 1:00pm, Inna convinced me to rest and visit the Scandinave Spa nearby. We decided to go there on Thursday while Alex took snowboarding lessons at Whistler.
The time in the spa was fantastic, as I could enjoy the steam, sauna, and cold water plunges in the peaceful Whistler surroundings.
Alex enjoyed his snowboarding on Thursday, where he learned about different stances.
On Friday, February 23, it was Inna's birthday, and I reserved a special dinner for Inna at the well-regarded Araxi Restaurant. Unfortunately, I erroneously made a reservation for March 23 instead of February 23! Thankfully, Araxi staff were kind and accommodating and let us enjoy Inna's birthday dinner as previously planned.
The birthday girl was in great spirits and enjoyed her small present.
We had a delicious birthday dinner, starting with a "Tuna Tataki" appetizer.
The other entrees followed our appetizer.
I selected the "Red Tuna Main" - a rare Ahi tuna entree. It was small but delicious!
Araxi staff were kind enough to create a delicious Birthday creation for Inna. The cake was highly decadent (and Inna had to part from her usual sugar-free diet) to enjoy the delightful Valrhona chocolate oozing out of the cake.
After dinner, we strolled through a beautifully lit Whistler village, marveling at the beautiful decorations, window shopping, and observing ice skating and Olympic events (shown on the big screen in the village center).
On Saturday, February 24, we decided to try snowboarding at Whistler Bowl/Glacier - since we had a fresh snowfall and Blackcomb Glacier was temporarily closed.
Snowboarding down Whistler Bowl required waiting a very long time (in the morning) to get to the top - as the Peak Express chairlift was overloaded with skiers. Eventually, we made it to the top, but snowboarding down Whistler Bowl was a bit treacherous - as there was an immediate drop-off.
Alex and I snowboarded fine over freshly fallen snow - but it was not as pleasant as Blackcomb Glacier. However, we still enjoyed gliding over newly fallen powder.
Here is another GoPro Hero6 1080p video of our February 24th session:
To save money on Whistler's lift tickets, I purchased the Epic Local pass, including tickets to Kirkwood, Northstar, Heavenly, and Whistler! To save money on snowboard rentals, I brought all our gear (saving $400+ for a week's rental for 2 people). Fortunately, Alaska Airlines only charged me $25 each way for the heavy snowboard bag (which included 2 boards and 2 sets of boots).
We woke up early on Sunday, February 18, for our flight from San Jose to Seattle. Once awake, I ordered Uber to take us to the airport. Arriving on time (around 5:30 am), we dropped off our heavy luggage and boarded our 90-minute flight from Alaska #321 to Seattle. Once there (around 8:45am), we quickly picked up our luggage and took our rental car shuttle to pick up our Alamo car rental. I chose a silver Nissan Rogue AWD, and we quickly departed for the long drive to Canada.
It was freezing in Seattle, with some snow visible, and we stopped by for a lunch break at the Cosmo Bistro in Bellingham. It was so hard outside! We ran from the car to the cafe to avoid freezing!
After a delicious lunch, we resumed our long drive to Whistler.
Thankfully, the roads were clear, and we made good time - except for the 45-minute US/Canada border wait.
We arrived at Whistler at 3:30pm - about 30 minutes ahead of our standard check-in time at our Airbnb on 4360 Lorimer Road in Upper Whistler Village. I walked around the area while Inna and Alex waited in the car to hear from the owner that the apartment was ready.
Before 4:00pm, we could check into our Airbnb rental, and we unpacked all of our gear. I had to attach bindings to Alex's Morrow snowboard (which were disassembled for transport). We then decided to explore the village and get some dinner.
We decided to have dinner at our favorite Earl's Restaurant. It's one of our favorite spots (despite lower ratings on Yelp) because it has excellent entrees at very reasonable prices, lots of TVs showing multiple sporting events (usually ice hockey!), and a great vibe.
I selected "Jeera Chicken Curry" for my main entree and really enjoyed it. After dinner, we explored Whistler Village, stopping by the local IGA grocery store to pick up a few breakfast items (eggs, oatmeal, snacks).
We woke up early on Monday morning but were concerned about the plunging temperatures. I still had some remnants of a lingering cold and did not want to get sick again.
Alex and I dressed warmly for our first day of snowboarding at Whistler. Meanwhile, Inna decided to try her hand at cross-country skiing.
We had a fantastic first day of snowboarding Whistler, stopping by frequently at various lodges for hot chocolate!
Here is a GoPro Hero 6 video (in 4K 30fps mode) of some of our snowboarding exploits. I used a Feiyu G5 V2 gimbal to record some of the footage to see if it could improve my unsteady camera footage. It worked well but was a pain to use and required a lot of practice.
I have a link for a full 1080p high-definition video here.
Alex was interested in trying out various snowboards. At the top of Whistler is a small Igloo containing a Demo Center. Alex was able to try out the following snowboards:
- Burton Custom Process
- Ride Warpig
- Jones Ultra Mountain Twin (157cm)
- Libtech E Jack Knife
Alex liked all the snowboards except for the Ride Warpig, which he found too stiff. His favorite was the Burton Custom Process and the Jones Ultra Mountain Twin 157.
One of our favorite experiences occurred on Tuesday, February 20, when we decided to try snowboarding Blackcomb. Once we got there, Alex convinced me to try the Blackcomb Glacier. Getting there took some effort, requiring multiple chairlifts and a short hike up the mountain. However, the view from the top of the Blackcomb Glacier was magnificent, and the virgin snow was primarily intact.
We had a splendid time riding on top of fresh powder down the Blackcomb glacier in gorgeous, freezing weather. It was an unforgettable experience.
On Wednesday, February 21, I snowboarded only half the day as I developed a mind-numbing headache around noon. When I returned to our apartment around 1:00pm, Inna convinced me to rest and visit the Scandinave Spa nearby. We decided to go there on Thursday while Alex took snowboarding lessons at Whistler.
The time in the spa was fantastic, as I could enjoy the steam, sauna, and cold water plunges in the peaceful Whistler surroundings.
We tried snowboarding at Blackcomb Glacier on Friday, February 23, but the blizzard conditions made photography difficult.
On Friday, February 23, it was Inna's birthday, and I reserved a special dinner for Inna at the well-regarded Araxi Restaurant. Unfortunately, I erroneously made a reservation for March 23 instead of February 23! Thankfully, Araxi staff were kind and accommodating and let us enjoy Inna's birthday dinner as previously planned.
The birthday girl was in great spirits and enjoyed her small present.
We had a delicious birthday dinner, starting with a "Tuna Tataki" appetizer.
The other entrees followed our appetizer.
I selected the "Red Tuna Main" - a rare Ahi tuna entree. It was small but delicious!
Araxi staff were kind enough to create a delicious Birthday creation for Inna. The cake was highly decadent (and Inna had to part from her usual sugar-free diet) to enjoy the delightful Valrhona chocolate oozing out of the cake.
After dinner, we strolled through a beautifully lit Whistler village, marveling at the beautiful decorations, window shopping, and observing ice skating and Olympic events (shown on the big screen in the village center).
Snowboarding down Whistler Bowl required waiting a very long time (in the morning) to get to the top - as the Peak Express chairlift was overloaded with skiers. Eventually, we made it to the top, but snowboarding down Whistler Bowl was a bit treacherous - as there was an immediate drop-off.
Alex and I snowboarded fine over freshly fallen snow - but it was not as pleasant as Blackcomb Glacier. However, we still enjoyed gliding over newly fallen powder.
Here is another GoPro Hero6 1080p video of our February 24th session:
We had a fantastic time at Whistler and hope to be back again soon!
