Ski Trip at Whistler Blackcomb

Back in the Fall I realized that my really good friend from college would be graduating from his Ph.D program at the University of Washington and it hit me, "if I'm ever going to ski Whistler Blackcomb with him this has to be the winter!!" Check one off the bucket list because this was an EPIC trip! Plus, the timing couldn't have been better...little did I know when I made these plans back in the Fall that things at our church were going to "go south." So I was unemployed on April 1st and getting on a plane April 6th which was a perfect way to decompress and forget about all the hard stuff that happened back at home. Enough of the blah, blah...here are some pictures.

I landed at Sea-Tac on Saturday April 6th and enjoyed lunch, and a sample flight of beers, at West Seattle's Neighborhood Brewpub called Elliott Bay Brewery...so tasty. We then went back to Sea-Tac to pick up our other college buddy and then relaxed at the home of our host. That night we enjoyed some tasty apps as we cheered on Wichita State and Michigan in the Final Four...good times.

Sunday we headed up to Vancouver and met up with a friend of our host's who graciously led us on a speed walking tour of Vancouver.

Vancouver is an awesome and gorgeous city with so much racial diversity. Pictured above is the entrance to China Town where we enjoyed the sights, smells and tastes, especially of the Coconut Rolls. Below we enjoyed lunch at "Dunns Famous" where we dined on "Poutines," a Canadian favorite consisting of cheese curds, Dunns special gravy and Montreal smoked meat on top of french fries. Yummy!

After Vancouver, but before Whistler, we stopped at the beautiful Shannon Falls Provincial Park off of Highway 99. The massive amounts of water was breathtaking!

We then drove up to Whistler and got checked into our ski-in, ski-out condo on Blackcomb mountain. Though it was raining we enjoyed the pedestrian friendly village and seeing all the sights left from the 2010 Olympics.

Lured in by the sale rack on the front steps, and seeing the Halloween-esqe orange skinny jeans for $13.99, Joe Yahtzee and Sam Champion decided to put on a fashion show...which almost made us miss getting food at the grocery store. Never fear, we divided and conquered and then I complained how shredded cheese was $6+ a bag and ice cream was $7-9 a carton.

Monday was our first ski day and as you can see, it was a gorgeous blue-bird day! I'll be honest, I was pretty skeptical of the skiing at first because at the base of Blackcomb the snow was gone and flowers were blooming. But as we gained elevation in the gondola Spring turned to Winter and the skiing was a blast!

If you don't mind heights the Peak to Peak Gondola ride is AMAZING!! Only 4 lift towers hold this incredible span of sightseeing spectacle which extends 2.73 miles in total length. It sets World Records for the following: longest free span between lift towers (1.88 miles), and the highest point above the ground (1,430 feet). Mom, you would've hated it!

On Tuesday we skied in this...dense clouds and fog. It was insane, scary and intense all at the same time. On some trails they had markers on both sides so that you would stay on the trails and away from the cliffs. At times I literally felt like I was skiing in nothingness because I couldn't see the snow below me, I had no sense of anything in my peripheral vision and I couldn't see my expert skiing friend ahead of me. It was eery and my heart raced but it was a new challenge for sure!

Gotta love this view as we head into the clouds on the Peak to Peak Gondola.

The only thing below my ski boots is a thousand foot free fall.

 Some cool stats, but you better work on your conversion skills.

My Fischer Watea 84's begging to get back out there!

From the Peak to Peak Gondola, this is what the skiers look like far below.

So Monday was springlike conditions with lots of blue skies and sun. Then Tuesday was cold with dense clouds and fog and on Wednesday...it dumped. We were skiing in freshies and getting face shots of pow on many turns. All told there was at least a foot of new snow which made for some sweet floating. Below you can see the snow and wind going at it.

Here we are, loving life and being together. A great reunion!

On the drive back I captured this shot on Highway 99. If you have never been to B.C. you have to put it on your list because it is so gorgeous!

All in all, we had a FABULOUS time together! It was such a blessing and an encouragement to be with these two guys and to tell old stories, catch up on our current lives, and to make new memories. The Lord must have known this was what I needed because the fellowship, the scenery, the food and drink and the skiing did wonders for my battered soul!

"Thanks for being my friends!" :)

Blackcomb Lodge on Dwellable