Whistler. Home of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

We, Canadians, are quite proud of that and the 14 gold medals.

Most people, however, know Whistler as a winter playground. Summer is actually a great time to check out Whistler Village and all that nature. Especially if you don’t ski/snowboard, or otherwise don’t like snow/cold.

Whistler-in-the-summer is like Whistler-in-the-winter’s shyer and quieter twin. And a cheaper date.

Previously called London Mountain, it was renamed Whistler in 1965. The land in this area was hunting grounds and trading routes for the Squamish and Lil’wat First Nations. The road to becoming a world-class ski resort started with the first fishing lodge on Alta Lake. Alex and Myrtle Philip were pioneers originally from Maine and were living in Vancouver. The trapper John Millar told them of “a paradise in the wilderness, fish begging to be caught, a series of lakes full of ducks and wilderness with wildlife set amid splendid scenery.” (Peterson, 2012).

Florence Peterson (1928-2012) founded the Whistler Museum & Archives Society in 1986 and wrote several books about Whistler. She lived in the Whistler Valley since 1955, when she purchased a cabin at Alta Lake with four friends. There’s a brief history of Whistler and the town Alta Lake as it was previously called on the Whistler Museum website.

Growing up in Vancouver, I also saw Whistler mostly in the winter. I remember Christmas vacations either driving down the West Coast, visiting family or hanging out at Whistler, if we did anything that is. The first time I came up in the summer was after high school graduation. We stayed at our friend’s family cabin, the group’s last hurrah before we all headed off to university.

My second summer stay in Whistler was in 2007.  On one of my admittedly rare trips home, I spent a weekend there with my sister and a friend from Victoria I had met in Bermuda. We stayed at a condo lodge with a kitchen, which was convenient. Nestled right in the village, close to everywhere including the grocery and liquor stores and a ton of restaurants.

My sister had gotten into biking and unsurprisingly, that was the first thing we did. It’s easy to rent bikes and there are trails everywhere, for all levels of skill and fitness. For real bikers and thrill-seekers – drop offs, rock faces, and definite air time.

From the village, we headed out on the Whistler Valley Trail to Alta Lake (the second largest lake in Whistler). Even though September is usually quite warm, that day was freezing cold. The beach was empty and there were no kayakers on the lake. The trails were quiet. It was perfect.

Obviously if you want more excitement, then you should head to Whistler during the actual summer holidays. Lots happening at all the beaches and parks then. There’s something for everyone – kid-friendly, dog-friendly, BBQ and beer-friendly…and even nudie-friendly. Check out the nudie-dock at Lost Lake, just 10 minutes on foot from Upper Village. It’s not “secluded” like Wreck Beach in the (University of British Columbia) Endowment Lands, which also takes about 400 steps to get down to. An easy 10-minute jaunt is nothing compared to over 400 steps down to this most famous clothing-optional beach. Then 400 steps back up.

And of course, you don’t have to stay in Whistler overnight. My friends and I have headed up just for concerts. If you are headed up for the Labour Day weekend, check out what’s on in Whistler.

I have to say, living overseas for so long, I had forgotten how beautiful BC is. And it’s also the scale of things. The space.

Bermuda is quite a gem, not overly developed and tiny. 60,000 people. Singapore is green, as far as Asian urban cities go, though pretty much flat. Hong Kong is much greener than most people realize. Hiking trails traverse the territory. Yet home is still what is home to the heart.

Here I was, leaning against my rental bike, looking at the incredible scenery. I was simply dwarfed by the mountainous backdrop, the trees, and water. The force of nature is undeniable. I was in awe. Looking out into the mountains, surrounded by deep dense green, you wouldn’t know how much clearcutting has gone on. We drove into Whistler so we didn’t see; had we taken a helicopter, the evidence would have been stark. Sad, and disturbing.

Biking was the highlight of our Whistler weekend. My friend also led us through a yoga “class” in the condo. We almost signed on for ziplining. The timing didn’t work out.

My Whistler getaway was relaxing overall. We walked through the ever-expanding village and checked out the shops. When we first arrived, I was shocked by how much it’s been transformed and built up compared to when we were growing up.

This trip was in September of 2007. Whistler continues its commercial arc and is even more developed now, more glitzy. And just BIGGER. Whistler’s website is a huge marketing machine, which can also take some patience to navigate to wade through the choices for what you really want to do.

For me, I’ll always have my childhood memories of getting stuck in the gondola or the chair lift, freezing wind whipping into my face. Or the hot chocolate after hitting the slopes. And yes, even that time I slid off the icy roads driving up with my dog. Without a cell phone back then, I don’t even remember how help came! I’ll also always remember that summer, between teenager and young adulthood, the six or seven of us were together one last time.