I have skied Whistler Blackcomb before, but, if I am to consider the possibility of living in a ski resort for a skiing retirement, I need to see what Summer is like at a ski resort.
Again, with an afternoon checkin, I broke up the drive with some stops along the way, the most enjoyable being Shannon Falls. Limited parking here, but, once parked, it’s easy access to the nearby falls, so a nice quick stretch of the legs before venturing on.
Whistler is huge, a main village with 2 satellite villages servicing 2 mountains, less than 2hrs drive north of Vancouver. So you would expect plenty of activity. Before walking the village, I stopped off at Alpha Lake, Alta Lake and then Lost Lake.
Each picturesque spaces, but Alpha & Alta Lake offered canoe hires and more activity. I checked in and my airbnb host Mehdi, kindly drove me to the main village to give me an orientation. Most of the shops and restaurants were open for summer, looking after the visitors attending the various experiences, however people are mostly there for mountain biking.
With a dry summer and wildfires smoke blanketing the area, the final trails to the village bowl were a dust cloud mixing with the smoke, not the most appealing for sightseeing, but evidently great surface conditions for mountain biking.
Whistler is more of a township than a resort. First impression before visiting about 10 more.
