In my group of adventurous friends, we have a rule. At milestone birthdays, particularly 50, you get to choose a vacation destination to celebrate active aging. Josh picked Whistler, BC, Canada, in September 2025 and its namesake, Whistler Bike Park. Why Whistler?
- 4900 vertical feet, four distinct sendy zones
- Home to the annual Crankworx Festival
- 100,000 bikers visit each year
- Stunning views and 70 downhill trails, and home of the famous A-Line
- Known as one of the best/biggest bike parks in the world
- The skill progression matrix shows how/where to start and improve safely
- Nearby Squamish and Pemberton also have amazing trail networks
Armed with full-face helmets and a healthy dose of apprehension, Josh and I joined our perennial travel and biking buddies, Steve and Kim.
Logistics and Lodging, Whistler Bike Park, Canada
Some important notes about getting there and where to stay: Vancouver is the closest and largest airport hub. For us Michiganders, it's about a four-hour flight and a three-hour time change. From YVR, it's a short 75 miles (130 kilometers) to Whistler Village. Plan on 2 -2.5 hours in a car or shuttle because Vancouver traffic is “impressive” and Highway 99 to Squamish and Whistler is a scenic, curvaceous adventure on pavement. It winds through canyons and the Howe Sound with stunning views of both water and misty mountain peaks! This is a nod to one of the more scenic drives I've experienced.
We biked/hiked at Whistler and Squamish during our stay, but chose to stay in a Whistler North village condo based on price. For an eight-day stay in a two-bedroom condo, the price tag was $1350 – not bad to split between two couples. Plus, it was a short walk to the village center, Black Diamond Bike Rentals, loads of restaurants, boutique shopping, and the Fitzsimmons chairlift. Bike Park tickets are $90 Canadian per day, which is approximately $65 US dollars at the current exchange rate. Less expensive than ski lift tickets!
Bike Rentals at Black Diamond Bikes
It's essential to have a local shop in your hip sack for both equipment and local knowledge. Located on the plaza, steps from the main lift, Ollie and his staffers at Black Diamond Bikes set us up on Devinci Enduro bikes with plenty of travel and suspension to suit the terrain demands. They performed a fit and sag check for each of us, and he provided suggestions on where to start at the bike park, as well as recommendations for nearby XC trail rides. A nice perk is that you can leave your bikes at the shop for lunch breaks or overnight for safekeeping. They offer 15% booking discounts online and special prices for weeklong visits.
Black Diamond Bike Rentals
Whistler Bike Park, BC, Canada
After a day one rain delay, we were eager beavers to get to the park. With passes purchased and pads pulled on, we launched up the chairlift. It's a five-person, five-bike, high-speed! From the top of Fitz, I gawked at the views of Whistler village flanked by alpine lakes and mountain peaks on all sides. We began as good students, following the progression matrix. Josh led us down the easy green, EZ Does It, to start. It was zippy, bermy and just…. kept…. going…..! We stopped many times to rest.
Most top-to-bottom runs are over three miles down! The cooler version of me would say, “There's tons of vert.” I'd like to confirm that downhill biking is not easy and requires standima (posting off the seat the whole time). My legs quickly tired, but I kept up as best I could with our exuberant group.
We found more greens (Del Bocca Vista was sweet) as the day progressed, including Golden Triangle and more Lower EZ Does It. After a tuna poke lunch break at the base, we graduated to blue level runs: Upper Crank It Up to a bumpy descent on Heart of Darkness! The blue trails were laced with lippy jumps, some rock rolls, and wall rides too. The steep factor increased, brake bumps rattled my teeth, my legs suffered, and my hands ached from death-squeezing the brakes! I'd call the experience equal parts fun and intense, with plenty of oh shit moments! Don't fret if you're not super sendy… all features are rollable.
We hit repeat for the subsequent bike park day, Josh (Air Watson) was eager to tackle more difficult terrain. My lactic acid legs were keen to let him do just that and rest more often. Fittingly, my bike was labeled with my name on the frame, with a sticker: Laura, Her Saddle. I'm not sure why I brought my own saddle, as it was rare that I got to sit on it. My Whistler/Squamish name became Laura Her Saddle, Bike Pullout. The Bike Pullout is, of course, the designated pull-over areas on the trails, where slower riders let more skilled and faster bikers pass.
We Found Lost Lake
Whistler has a famous bike park but also loads of XC trails on nearby peaks with plenty of climbing. After two days of adrenaline park riding, it was time for a “rest day”. Armed with trail tips from Black Diamond Bikes, I was stoked to actually pedal my bike on the trails around nearby Lost Lake, plus it was just a few miles from our condo. Find the Passivhaus Trailhead and use that as a starting point for some stacked loops around Lost Lake. We made a point to find Pinocchio's Furniture and the signature winding wooden bridges. When picking trails here, know that a green will trend to a blue, and likewise a blue, may leave you feeling black and blue.
After our meeting with Pinichio, we connected with some gravel that led us to what locals call Whistler Beach on the now-discovered lake. We savored the views and a scrumptious PBJ lunch. The reward for our afternoon techy, narrow, and punchy pedal was a spectacular view of Green Lake atop a rock outcropping. Be sure to start on Grand Wazoo, continue on ‘I'm Not Satisfied,' to Central Scrutinizer, and finally to my favorite, ‘Muffin Man,' which led to a spectacular ridge trail that opened up to views of lakes, valleys, and distant snowcaps all in one frame.
Hiker in Every Biker
Rain and Rainbow Falls were how we started our Whistler adventures. We made the wise decision to not ride in the rain and instead hiked to nearby Rainbow Falls. We walked among astonishingly tall evergreens, huge boulders adorned with moss and mushrooms on a misty afternoon. Across a long bridge, the trail led us super close to impressive falls in a narrow valley.
Peak 2 Peak Gondola, Whistler/Blackcomb
Also, when your legs need a break, be sure to take a ride on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, which travels from Blackcomb Peak to the Whistler side and back. The 11-minute vertigo-inducing ride is 4.4 km long and boasts a 3 km unsupported span. It is the world's longest and highest unsupported lift at the time of its opening. Feeling frisky, hold out and wait a bit longer for the glass-bottom cabin.
Ancient Cedars at Cougar Mountain
While Josh continued his love affair with WBP, I opted for another hike day with Steve and Kim. Boots instead of biking. The trees got bigger and taller, and so did the waterfalls! Just north of Whistler, we drove on a rugged road to Cougar Mountain, to the Ancient Cedars Trailhead. Think Redwood big! We found the patch of Cedar trees, spectacular in girth and height, hidden in a shaded grove, just hanging out together. I imagine them talking to each other like Ents, from The Lord of the Rings. “Hey, how many humans did it take to wrap around your trunk?” As a self-admitted tree-hugger, I got a spectacular dose of forest bathing that day.
Ancient Cedar Grove near Whistler, BC Canada
Nairn Falls and Pemberton
The hike day continued with another exclamation point. On the way to Pemberton for a late lunch, we were lured by signs to stop and see the Nairn Falls on the Green River. A shorter hike this time, the extra steps were worth the spectacular crush of water hurtling through a narrow rock face, tumbling into the silty, blue-gray water, the Green River. On a scenery high, we drove a few miles north for snacks and tacos at Pemberton's local and weekly farmer's market. I am sad to say we could not stay and explore more of Pemby.
More Whistler Bike Park
We branched out and explored the Garbanzo Chairlift area and the newish Creekside terrain. Creekside runs are nestled in the forest, with some bonus babbling brooks and impressive bridges. Try Earth Circus and Bengal Bear to feel immersed in lush mountain foliage. We found Blue Velvet, a steep, rolling, and rocky ribbon of earth that took me to my riding limits. Josh was as excited as I've ever seen him, considering his typically chill demeanor, and he was stoked to ride and dial in A Line, in his words. He admitted he was still trying to handle the moon booter feature, a super lippy jump that sends riders really high in the air! Creekside was equally as scenic from the top, and I continued to be impressed by the variety of trails and the spectacular views. Also, Dusty's BBQ at the Creekside base is a lovely spot to rest and to refuel on burgers, BBQ and bevies.
Squamish Shred Shuttle Biking
We finished off our week of riding on this stunning slice of earth in nearby Squamish. Josh had reserved spots for us on the Squamish Shred Shuttle to eliminate a long climb to the top of Diamond Head and Garibaldi Park. Plus, with only one day to explore, it's a great way to maximize downhill time. They cram 10-12 in a van and rack the bikes for a 20-minute teeth-rattling ride to the top. Tip: Sit up front, as close to the driver as possible, or the ride will literally shake the pee out of your bladder.
We fit in two shuttle-served rides and cobbled our way around a new trail system. Ironically, we started on a black called Cake Walk, which was anything but. It was tight, technical, and laced with rocky descents and bridge rolls at the start of Hiker Biker. I hyper-focused on not going OTB (over the bars), but snuck in glances at the valley below, featuring the ocean spilling into the bay. With Josh in the lead, we took a different route on the second run to a flowy Full Nelson and followed Psuedo-Tsuga back to the main trailhead parking lot. Gleeful to be alive after several butt-pucker sections, I was ready for a beer and to hang up my helmet for a while.
In summary, Whistler sets the bar “moon booter' high for bike park riding with equally high marks for incredible scenery. Josh's birthday wish came true and we all discovered that our standima is still sus!
