Snowmobiling and skiing in Whistler
 

Aloha from Hawaii-
Does anyone have any good recommendations for snowmobiling or dogsledding in Whistler (companies, best times, etc)? Also, is it cheaper to buy lift tickets through the internet or when we actually get there? And lastly, any suggestions for ski rental companies - again is it better to rent through the internet or when we get there?
Thanks in advance to any responses. We're taking two of our friends who have never been skiing and we want to ensure a "stressfree" ski trip.

Dandy

Hi Dandy,
We just spent 5 weeks in Hawaii, and it's almost as nice as Whistler :>)
www.alluradirect.com and www.resortquest.com for accomodation rentals
www.spicysports.com for ski rentals
www.cougarmountain.com for snowmobiling
www.whistlerblackcomb.com for lift tickets and general info
booking ahead is cheaper for lift tickets, and ski rentals
Jan 15-23 and presidents week are very busy and crowded , but lots of fun.
let me know what kind of accomodations you are looking for and I can try to guide you there as well. Cheers, Al

The local paper here just printed an article about how Whistler is dropping prices for packages because of high vacancy rates these past few seasons.
&quot;<i>Whistler/Blackcomb Tries To Reverse Three Year Tourism Slide</i>&quot; Vancouver Sun Sunday Dec 26/2004
I was surprised to read the numbers because Whistler/Blackcomb is notorious for being stingy with hard data and foggy with the truth.
The ranks of shills they formerly employed to '<i>pump out the Good News!!!</i>' must have been thinned by the general travel downturn globally.
Apparently you can expect to see a lot more adds featuring '<i><b>value added!!</b></i>' and similar downmarket approaches.

Thanks for the info - I hope you enjoyed Hawaii, WhistlerAl.
Actually, we found a 3 bedroom townhome on Allura direct. Pretty nice for a good price. Hope it looks like the pictures.
Have you ever been dogsledding? I'm trying to find ways to entertain my two children (ages 4 and 7) while the adults go skiing. My daughter is a special needs child so skiing is out for her. Any suggestions?

Hi Dandy,
I haven't gone dogsledding here, but I have in years gone by. It is safe, and would be fun for evryone involved. You should also do the horse drawn sleigh ride. The best one is up on Blackcomb , but there is also one out at Nicklaus North Golf course. You might want to call the mountain and see if they can assist you and your daughter in getting to the castle or tree house on the mountain. They also have a kids dinner and play night , so that parents can get a night out. There is also sledding at the base of blackcomb at night. What is the name of the condo complex that you rented? Have a great time. Cheers,Al

Thanks for the info WhistlerAl - we rented a townhome in Englewood Greens - ever heard of it?
There's a castle on the mountain?
I read on the website that there is a &quot;Fire and Ice&quot; show on Sundays. Do you think it's worth seeing - I would have to change hotel and ferry reservations.
There's also something called &quot;Night Moves&quot; and &quot;King of the Rail&quot; but the web site doesn't really explain what these are? Are these shows?
Mahalo!
Dandy

Hi Dandy,
Englewood Greens are very nice townhomes just down the street from our house at Nicklaus North Golf Course. You can walk to the Nick North clubhouse and rent cross country skiis, and get lessons, and the cc trails are all along the golf course. There are horse drawn sleigh rides there, as well. They are not in the village however and are a four minute drive in, $10 cab ride or you can catch the bus at the highway , which is a few minutes walk away. Be careful when parking in the village as tickets and towing do happen on a regular basis. make sure you read the parking regulation signs. There is free parking in the day lots on Blackcomb Way.
There is a kids castle and tree house on Blackcomb Mt.Call the mountain for more info at 1-866-218-9690.
Fire and ice is a good show, but I don't know that I'd change plans to see it. It is a snowboarding and skiing demo with jumps , fire hoops, and fireworks with music that last about a half hour, if memory serves me right. It's the kind of thing that you may go to once. Night moves and king of the rails are snow boarding competitions and they can be fun to watch. Have a great trip and let me know if you need any more info. Cheers, Al

WhistlerAl-
Thanks for all the great info. We can't wait to go! Your advice is so very valuable. I'll let you know in March how the trip went.
One last question: Any places to eat in Whistler that we &quot;gotta go&quot; to?

Thanks,
Dandy

Hi Dandy,
We are huge sushi fans, so most of the time we are at Sushi Village, always voted the favorite locals spot for great sushi and lots of energy. Our next favorite is Trattoria Umberto,for Italian and The Rimrock Cafe is the best, hands down for seafood.Araxi,s has won best restaurant award for about 8 years in a row, for fine dining. You can't go wrong with any of those, depending on what you are looking for. Rimrock requires a car or cab, but the rest are all in the village.Have a great trip. I look forward to your report. Cheers, Al