Planning for 1st Whistler Trip -- Please help!

[LaBelle23]

Hubby and I turn 30 this year and decided that a Whistler trip is in order to celebrate We're thinking a north shore/whistler combo and have ~12 days for the trip (we'll be driving from Colorado). Follow Me got us stoked to ride Silver Star, but it looks like most of the resorts are quite a distance away from Whistler. Driving a lot once we get there doesn't sound too appealing. I've been doing a lot of searching and know this thread has been done before, but most of the info I found is pretty old now so I'm hoping for some recent recs.

In Whistler we want to stay at a condo with a hot tub/pool (just 2 of us). We want to be able to grab lunch there during the day so it needs to be close to the lifts. What area/lodges/condos should we be looking at? Nightlife isn't as crucial -- we're more into hard riding and beers afterward and going to bed early to do it all again the next day. We want a central, but quiet location if possible. I've been looking at alluredirect.com, but don't know exactly what areas to look at other than Whistler Village.

Also, what is the deal with bringing bikes into the condo/room? This is a necessity for us -- we will have 4 bikes with us. The underground bike storage places advertise doesn't sound too great. Do people just bring bikes into rooms anyway or do they crack down?

Does anyone know of lift ticket/condo deals? It might be too early to know for this year, but I remember for the 2008 maggot trip that was a possibility.

On the north shore it looks like the Laurelwood and the Holiday Inn are the choices. Has anything changed with that?

Thanks for the help!

[GordonShumway]

We've been going to Whistler for years and have never had an issue with bringing our bikes into our rooms. Technically you're not supposed to, but as long as you're relatively discrete about it and are respectful about banging things up inside the room you should be ok. Like I said, we've never once had an issue with this.

Where to stay is really a personal choice, but I've always liked the North Village area. It's quieter at night than the main village, but it's still part of the 'village stroll' so its not dead and a quick walk to the lifts. I wouldn't worry too much about specific buildings/hotels, but I'd focus more on price and amenities, and general 'niceness' of the place. I've found after staying in about 15 different places the biggest factors are location and space. Try looking on vrbo.com too.

For deals, we always go with the triple play, which is basically just a 3 day pass bundled together. You can add days for the same discounted rate.

Have fun, it's a blast up there. Don't forget about all the good riding outside of the park as well.

[toast2266]

Agreed with ^^^. no problem bringing bikes in the room. North village works well. Last summer, I just went for the cheapest condo that I could find online that was within 1/2 mile of the village stroll. I don't remember the name of the condo we stayed in, but it was in the complex on the NE corner of Lorimer and Northlands.

[oftpiste]

Pretty much all the village lodging at whistler is within spitting distance of the lifts. Just look for the best deal. The bike storage are we used was fine. Secure, only accessible with hotel staff, better than having it in your room.

[TheMessenger]

You are going to resign youself to the fact that you are not going to be able to see it all. For me 10 days of riding is the minimum for whistler. That's just me though. On the north shore there are three mountains, cypress, fromme and Seymour. you will want a minimum of 1day a each to scratch the surface. Seymour is the easiest to shuttle. The riding on the north shore is more technical and difficult than whistler, so what I would do is spend a night In north van hit the shore for a day, like the CBC on Seymour or something like that, then go to whistler, get your skills up and then spend more time at the shore on the way back down. Plan on having a few days of bad weather also.
There are also more than worthy riding areas in Bellingham vicinty that you might want to check out.

[kidwoo]

When are you guys going?

[LaBelle23]

Late July

[toast2266]

Crankworx is July 16-24. Personally, I wouldn't go during that time.

[kidwoo]

Crankworx is July 16-24. Personally, I wouldn't go during that time.

Yeah if you're into spectating as much or more than riding, crankworx is a good time to go.

The amount of people there on the trails though gets a little old.

[LaBelle23]

We won't be getting there until the 26th (in N Van riding the short the 24/25). Do a lot of people stay on to ride the following week? We're definitely going for the riding.

[toast2266]

I was there in the week after CW a couple years ago, and it wasn't too bad. Busy for the first day after, but then tapered off back to normal over the next couple days.

[shirk]

After CW the crowd dies down, but the trails have taken a beating.

Later is when things get real good, trail crew usually buff's something out and finally opens whatever that summers new project has been. Sept is the best time to visit.

I have no idea what I'll be up to around those dates, but should be able to get out and show you a few trails here in North Van. You bringing DH and AM bikes?

[LaBelle23]

I think we've got the condo figured out, but now we may have to play with dates. We were trying to hit up a friend's wedding in MT on the way which is why we had picked out the dates we did.

The other reason we thought that late July/Aug would work well was to ensure as many sunny (or just non-raining) riding days as possible in our 9 days we'll have to ride in BC. Plus, we've had a lot of seasons with injury and want to get the trip done earlier in the season as opposed to later. Given our CO dh spots don't really 'open' until mid-June that still gives us 6 weeks to prepare for the trip.

We're definitely bringing DH bikes and are still deciding on our AM bikes (Syren and Intense Tracer). It doesn't sound like we'll want the AM bikes except for Pemberton, Squamish, and possibly Whistler Valley trails, but I don't know how much of that we'll do once we hit the bike park. That being said, it does seem like the Syren needs to come back to her homeland for some BC schralpage

[LaBelle23]

Shirk -- when you say the trails take a beating do you mean a lot more braking bumps or lots of lunar dust? We're very used to sand/heavy dust on CO trails by July/Aug, but I have no clue what happens to dirt in your neck of the woods. That being said we do everything we can to ride the tackier trails, so I don't want to set us up for crappy conditions.

How long does it usually take for them to be in better shape again? Something tells me the answer is late Aug or Sept, once the rains come back. Is Labor Day a crowded time?

[kidwoo]

Shirk -- when you say the trails take a beating do you mean a lot more braking bumps or lots of lunar dust?

Could be either depending on rain.....brake bumps are a given though. Just gnerally speaking the trails are in their worst shape of the year right after crankworx because they get the most traffic then.


For your sake I hope it's dry just for the experience. Being from CO and having ridden the places I know you have, when whistler gets just a little bit dry, you'll see hundreds of capable canadian riders slow down, say things like 'whoa gettin' a little surfy out there eh?' and generally be scared of about a millmeter of dust and gravel. It's friggin hilarious. Especially considering these are the same guys who absolutely pin it over some of the slimiest roots and snot slick slime you'll ever see.

When it's dry, the upper trails off garbo (the dh trails, not the jumpy crap) are some of the more fun trails around to hit mach retarded on.

Let me know if you guys carry over into august. I'll be going up then and can share some things you'd be really happy to ride that aren't whistler based.

[joetron]

My wife and I went up last year the week after Crankworx, we had some work/timing constraints we couldn't get around. The trails were fairly beat up, but honestly nothing out of the ordinary when you're used to Keystone and even a super dry SV. The biggest bummer was that Dirt Merchant was closed the whole week we were there. Blue Velvet, which was the EnduroDH/SuperD/Whatever course for Crankworx, and the more mellow jumpy bermy trail off the top was beat to piss with SUperDork braking bumps. That was kind of a drag for my wife who got a bit sick of Freight Train laps off the top.
Honestly, for a first time visit, Whistler is FKNAWhistler!!!..I wouldn't sweat it too much, but if you can push it back a bit you wouldn't regret it.

[kidwoo]

Whistler is FKNAWhistler!!!..

Do I smell a rebirth?


Wanna go in august?

[beast]

Honestly, for a first time visit, Whistler is FKNAWhistler!!!..I wouldn't sweat it too much, but if you can push it back a bit you wouldn't regret it.

What this rad dude said. You guys will be so pumped on life regardless of when you go. It's that good, even when it's "bad".

[LaBelle23]

OK, we've been swayed. We will go sometime in August (maybe mid-Aug?). I know even beat up we would have a great time, but having everything open to get the real taste is important to us.

Whistlerbike.com only has 2010 events at the bike park listed. Are there any other weekends/events to avoid in August?

[shirk]

Crunkwerx is the only thing that I can think of to avoid. Nothing in August comes to mind.

[altagirl]

We're definitely bringing DH bikes and are still deciding on our AM bikes (Syren and Intense Tracer). It doesn't sound like we'll want the AM bikes except for Pemberton, Squamish, and possibly Whistler Valley trails, but I don't know how much of that we'll do once we hit the bike park. That being said, it does seem like the Syren needs to come back to her homeland for some BC schralpage

I'm the only weirdo who seems to prefer riding my Syren to my DH bikes at Whistler. Then again, I head for twisty, rooty, techy goodness and everyone else just wants to hit jump runs all day... But in any case, there's nothing wrong with bringing both bikes. It's good to have options. Hell, it's good to just have a second bike with you so you're not trying to buy parts at Whistler prices if something breaks.

[kidwoo]

Hell, it's good to just have a second bike with you so you're not trying to buy parts at Whistler prices if something breaks.

Oh yeah.....definitely this. Come prepared with derailleurs, cranks, pedals handlebars...whatever.

There are lots of shops up there but good gawd are they expensive.

[LaBelle23]

Copy that. We were planning on bringing pretty much a 5th bike worth of parts/wheels.

[kevin267]

I've never had a bad day in whistler except when I broke my collarbone. Other than cworx avoid all the long weekends and you should be good. Although (Canadian) thanksgiving weekend this year was awesome. The only time i stayed (usually day trips) was in tantalus lodge, bikes allowed in the room if they're clean, hoses in front of the hotel. If you want to add another stop, Sunshine coast (35 min ferry from west vancouver) has great riding and the ferry scares everyone away so all the loam hasn't been scraped down to the rock yet

[dfinn]

Wanna go in august?

Yes

I'm planning on heading up there sometime in the middle to end of august. When are you going?