First week in Whistler
Finally, after a packing and moving ordeal that I thought would never end, I made it to Whistler BC, my home for the next while.
I checked into the Shoestring Lodge, a hostel with attached restaurant (Gaitors) and bar (the Boot Pub) which has a variety of events depending on the day of week including live music, strippers, a pool tournament, etc.
The Shoestring/Boot is a Whistler institution whose time is about to come to an end, as it has been sold and will soon be demolished to make way for something more expensive with less character. I’m glad I was able to check it out before its demise.
I shared a 4-bed dorm room with a rotating set of Americans and Europeans; the strippers shared a room a few doors down. The hallway constantly smells like weed, whether it’s 3am or 3pm.
I spent the first few days here getting oriented, trying to find coffee shops with free/cheap wireless (unsuccessful so far), and looking for places to live. I worked a few days, then bought a season pass ($1750 incl tax, ouch) and hit the slopes. I went boarding with a German dude from my hostel, which was fun though it would have been better with some fresh snow; I think the last snowfall was over two weeks ago.
I went out every night for a few nights with the guys from my room: a couple nights at the Boot Pub, then a house party in Whistler staff housing followed by some bar-hopping, including some great live reggae at Moe Joe’s. I think these late nights caught up with me, as I caught a cold or something a few days ago.
Some fun Whistler facts:
- 8100+ acres of skiable terrain
- 5000+ feet of vertical rise
- north america’s largest lift-serviced mountain bike park
- more than half the population is age 20-35
And the scenery is amazing. Whenever I walk around town or drive to/from Vancouver, I am struck by the massive snow-capped mountains all around me. I still can’t believe I’m here.