Whistler began as an idea in the 1960s, when a group of Vancouver businessmen decided that a mountain north of the city might host an Olympic ski area, and it ended as one of the largest winter resorts in North America. The village itself is purpose built, a pedestrian maze of shops, bars and hotels at the foot of two mountains, Whistler and Blackcomb, joined by a gondola called Peak 2 Peak that spans a huge gap between the summits. The name comes from the hoary marmots that whistle from the rockfalls, and the surrounding land is the shared territory of the Squamish and Lil'wat peoples, whose cultural centre in the village is worth an hour.
The way here is the Sea to Sky Highway, number 99, which leaves Vancouver along the sound of Howe Sound with the water below and steep forested cliffs above. It was rebuilt before the 2010 Winter Olympics and is a fine road, with long bends, passing lanes and viewpoints over the fjord, and a speed limit that is enforced. Climb past Squamish, with its giant granite monolith the Chief, and go through Garibaldi Provincial Park, before the valley opens at Whistler. Summer holiday weekends fill the road with traffic, so a mid-week start gives you the highway at its best. Rain is common, and in winter the road can need snow tyres or chains.
North of the resort the highway becomes quiet. It passes Green Lake, runs down to Pemberton, about twenty-five kilometres on, and then turns east on the Duffey Lake Road, one of the most dramatic mountain roads in British Columbia, with steep grades, tight hairpins and glacier views near the Joffre Lakes. It is described as a separate day, with its own risks of fog and falling rock.
Whistler has fuel, repair shops and countless restaurants. Prices are high, particularly in peak season, so many riders stay in Squamish or Pemberton instead. Bears are regularly seen near the roads, and campers have to store food carefully. Early autumn, when the larches turn gold and the first snow dusts the peaks, may be the best time of year here.