"The Peak 2 Peak Gondola that connectsWhistler and Blackcomb mountains was considered a glitzy and expensive PR move when it opened in 2007. Today the 1.9-mile span, the longest unsupported span in the world, ferrieshikers, bikers, and of course, skiers and snowboarders tothe slopesthey seek. Best of all, the Peak 2 Peak provides access to alpine wilderness usually reserved exclusively for the athletically inclined. (This is the adventure I take my 83-year-old mother onin Whistler, and she is blown away, as is her 8-year-old grandson.) Flying through the air, 1,431 feet up with hardly a support tower in sight, is a thrill. The 11-minute ride soarsabovesnow walls, wildflower meadows, Fitzsimmons Creek, and several trails down, around, and behind the Whistler peaks."

"Whistler Blackcomb receives lots of press aboutits big-mountain features, but theresort offersplenty of terrain for every family member and skill level. The Whistler Blackcomb Snow School, among the bestin North America, is great for both seasoned skiers and kids as young as toddlers. Even tweens and teens can enjoy small-group lessons, which offer equal parts socializing and instruction in the terrain parks and beyond. Welcome on the Whistler and Peak 2 Peak gondolas, non-skiers will have the village to themselves during the day. When back with their group, they can hang at one of the more than 25 on-mountain restaurants."

"There is no Winter Olympic legacy quite like the bobsled run, simply because you can get in on the fun, winter or summer. The Whistler Sliding Centre track remains the fastest in the world, and careening downthe track at 78miles per hour (56 mph in summer) will definitely test your own mettle. Treat your teenagers to a luge class, surely to become a much-liked social media share. Adults can takea skeleton runduring the winter, because who doesn’t want to zip face-first around six serious corners at 62mph on a sheet of ice? Don’t miss a ride at the sliding center, whether your sled is on winter blades or summer wheels."

"Alta Lake. Whistler There are a fewways to paddleAlta Lake—you can head to Wayside Park and rent a kayak or you can head to Lakeside Park and rent a canoe or a stand-up paddleboard.Either way, driftingaround amid this scenery makes a memorable afternoon. Both parks have picnic tables, barbecue grills, and beaches—perfect for a day out in the sun. If you prefer a more intense and guided water experience, Whistler Eco Tours offers a variety oftours via paddleboard, kayak, orcanoe, on both Alta and Green lakes."

"It takes a serious zip line to gain notice in Whistler. Ziptrek launched itslines above Fitzsimmons Creek long before the bobsleds started rumbling down the Sliding Centre or the Peak 2 Peak Gondola began soaring overhead. Though zip lines are as familiar as breakfast buffets in resorts today, the Bear and Eagle lines here were the first in North America. Ziptrek hasrecently strung together the continent’s longest line, the Sasquatch, which is 1.25 miles. Sasquatch zip linerscan reach 75mph while sailing from Blackcomb Mountain to Whistler Mountain. As part of your experience, you'llstart witha comprehensive interpretive nature tour ofthe Coast Mountains rain forest. You can then review your notes while cruising among the eagles high above the treeline."

"Whistler Blackcomb doesn’t do anything small, so it was no surprise thatWhistler Bike Park quickly emerged as the global go-to, lift-access, downhill-biking destination. The parkeven hasits own massive festival, Crankworx, a 10-day rock-hopping frenzy every August. Walkingamong the armored throngs rollingtheir studded-tired bikestoward the lifts, youcouldforget that it snows here at all. Any thoughts of summer being the off-season have vanished. You don’t have to be a millennial—though it helps—to get dirty here; there are more than enough green and blue runs to providea serious rush for youngsters and boomers. Sign up for the park's outdoor clinics forcritical insights into your technique."

"Brandywine is just one of half-a-dozen provincial parks that surroundthe Sea to Sky Highway like a fir wrap. A trailhead located just 12 miles south of Whistlerleads to a 15-minute walk through themixed hemlock forest to a 200-foot cascade. The falls overview is merely a picturesque appetizer for the fantastic wildernessbeyond. The Lava Lake trail provides a marvelous meander through the forest, and if it's a hot day, you might want to hike all the wayto Swim Lake. You can also access the Sea to Sky Trail and head north to the Whistler Train Wreck then hike to the Valley Trail through Whistler and beyond. The park tripled in size in 2010 to fully enclose the habitat of the endangered red-legged frog, so keep an eye peeledfor peepers."

"The River of Golden Dreams that connectsAlta and Green lakes isa calm, meandering stream that gently conveys your kayak or canoe with hardly a riffle in sight. The self-paced three-mile voyage, typically about three hours, takes youunderwillow branches and between the second growth alder forests. Thisrare alpine riparian zone is a habitat for breeding yellowthroat warblers, great blue herons, and all manner of amphibians and reptiles, as well as wildflowers likefoxglove andIndian paintbrush. Most rivers in the Coast Range have whitewater passages and require guides, but on thisrun between Whistler’s largest lakes, a novice will feel comfortable behind the paddle. Vessel rentals, guides, and return shuttle services run throughout the summer."

"Of all the reasons to hike in B.C.’s Coast Range, visiting a train wreck would not rank high elsewhere. This is Whistler, though, where a train derailment becomes a canvas for artists and a must-see novelty that remains well off the beaten track (sorry!), even for many locals.A new bridge spanning the Cheakamus River makes the hike legal and considerably less treacherous.Thetrail's steel-meets-seedlings design isreminiscent of New York City’s High Line, and among the manyspurs are aboardwalk into the coastal rain forest anda longer trek that leads to the Sea to Sky Trail. Once a hush-hush locale for graffiti artists and mountain bikers, the Train Wreck hike and suspension bridge route are now well-marked at the Sea to Sky trailhead, just outside of Function Junction."

"The 25-mileValley Trail provides anoptimal circuit for anyone wanting to get in adaily run while on vacation or traveling. The locals'preferred route starts at the entrance of the Valley Trail beside Whistler Golf Club and follows the perimeter of the course. This almost-5K route is runnable in most weather and varies between hills and flats withstunning views of the surrounding mountains as well as the golf course. After completing the circuit you can continue on through the village and grab a coffee and breakfast to refuel for the remainder of the day."

"Located just an axe toss from Coast Mountain Brewing in the heart of Function Junction, Forged Axe Throwing might be the most perfect representationof the "lumbersexual" aesthetic, if you judge by the groomed beards in the crowd. Participants laugh as they hurlhatchetsattimber bull’s-eyesat the end of each ofthree lanes separated by chain-link fences. AZen-like technique of gently releasing the axe rather than chuckingit seems toproduce the best results, though a tight grip when handling a hatchet is obviously key. After taking your Paul Bunyan star turn, follow theparade of the flannel-clad to one of thenearby breweries."

"Notmerely anothershowcase for a wealthy patron’s personal collection, the Audain Art Museum isarguably Canada’s most important cultural installation to open recently and a significantresource for scholars and fans of Canadian and First Nationsart. The works include a rangeof aboriginal masks and several seminalcanvasesby Canadian artist Emily Carr. Photographs by members of the Vancouver School, along withthe works of many other regional artists, are well represented in theglass-lined galleries of the museum. Only one tree was removed from the heavily wooded site, and the building, on stilts, seems practically to lift off from the forest floor andhoveramong the dense conifers."

"The 34,400-square-foot Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre engagesvisitors on many levels.Socially, it is the first joint cultural project between two separate native nations in North America. The center is also a stunning architectural addition to the community. The design of the concrete, cedar, and fir structure melds the longhouse of the coastal Squamish people with the traditional Lil’wat pit house.Permanent displays of carvings, dugouts, and implements used by the coastal fishermen and hunters are supplementedby temporary exhibitions, including a presentation aboutCanada’s infamous residential schools. The SLCC also anchors one of Whistler’s most exciting new projects, the Cultural Connector—a path that links six local arts institutions—which is another indication of Whistler’s rising status as a fine arts destination."

"Before the Audain Art Museum opened in 2016, art lovers often visited Mountain Galleries at the Fairmont to immerse themselves in the Coast Mountain aesthetic. One hundred artists, including more than a dozen Inuit artists, exhibittheir work here. A stroll through the Mountain Galleries, after time spent amid the remarkable Whistlerscenery, can revealthings you couldn't see yourself: Dizzying artistic interpretations of the regionincludephotorealisticpaintings of hemlock forests, close-up portraits of imaginativelycolored bears, and a nearly abstract drawing of a rock peekingabove high tide in the Howe Sound. The collective frequently hosts artists-in-residence and rotates visiting exhibitions."

"You can’t miss the Stawamus Chief Mountain when you travel to Whistler via the Sea to Sky Highway. The granite edifice, the tallest monolith north of Yosemite, provides afine introduction tohowstone shapes and defines thislandscape. Fathom Stone Art is a gallery dedicated to artists' work in the local granite as well as marble, jade, quartz, and many other minerals. The grizzlies on display here, carved by founding sculptor Jon Geoffrey Fathom, are particularly popular. Examples of iconic inuksuit, thetall stone markers used by peoples of the Arctic region, are displayed alongsidecontemporary sculptures from leading stone artists across the region. Many of these sculptors began their careers as Fathom apprentices. You can, too, by signing up for a soapstone art carving class."

"Much of theindigenous artwork for salein the Pacific Northwest is, unfortunately, counterfeit. It's difficult to tell ifthe masks and other artwork carved and painted in Salish styles of gentle curving lines, depicting animal icons such as the raven, wolf, and orca, are actually the workof Coast Mountains First Nations artists. Black Tusk Gallery, in the heart of Whistler Village, is a cooperative founded torepresent indigenous artists. You can commission an artist to carve a totem that tells the story ofyour family. The gallery supports emerging teen artists ofthe British Columbia and Yukon First Nations people through an annual aspiring artists award."

"Scandinave Spa, at the edgeof the forest beside Lost Lake, is a Nordic–inspired spa that recommendsalternating dips in the hot and cold pools, steam rooms, and brisk waterfall rinses. There are myriad ways to stitch together arejuvenation regimen: Breathe deeply in the eucalyptus steam bath, then followup with a series of hot baths before a shocking plunge under a chilly cascade, followed by a series of cold, colder, and almost freezing baths, or go the other direction. You canfinish the treatments in around 90 minutes, but some choose tomake a day out of a visit to Scandinave, tossing in a massage or facial, hanging out in the solarium to read or snooze, or even napping in one of thehammocks strung aroundthe large property. The spa’s café, an open timber-paneled spacewith floor-to-ceiling windows, serves freshly prepared soups, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies."