A very happy Easter

Our five days in Whistler were absolutely fantastic. The conditions were the best we've ever skied, our digs were perfectly placed with easy access to everything required all with no or very little effort at all. Which is pretty much a perfect mix for a good ski break. And to improve things further, if this is physically possible,  all shared with the most polite race in the world.

You hear people constantly say that Whistler is sooooo expensive and over the top.  Read in a local news article that even the locals are fed up with the hype of Whistler being too much of a party town and that everyone is just out to make as much money in the shortest space of time.  Some say it's taking away the real Whistler vibe.  We have found it fine though, more than fine actually. What people forget is that anywhere you go can be dead expensive if you're out every single night from 5pm drinking and eating until 3am. And as for the cost of the lift pass. Well yeah maybe it's a little on the high side, but gives you access to one of the biggest ski fields going.  It gets you on two huge mountains with access to over 200 world class, some ex-olympic runs, that are so wide you're not sure if you're in alpine bowls or off piste. There are runs cut through and between monster trees giving you the most varied and fantastic rides to the valley floor where you can chose to party it up or just kick back and take it easy.  It's all good.

As the afternoon spring sun shone down on Creekside we sat shooting the breeze drinking iced coffees and looking up at Whistler mountain knowing that Tom and Greg were still going at it, not wanting to let the season end. For us, well, we just couldn't stop smiling making for a very Happy Easter indeed.
HAPPY EASTER!

How are we ever going to readjust? Maybe if this keeps up we never will !

At Creekside on the opposite to the mountains lie a set of woodland trails which are home to some stunning lakes. In the summer the locals swim in these to cool off after a day in the saddle. Mountain bike saddle that is. As once the snow finally melts away Whistler-Blackcomb transforms itself into one of the largest downhill parks going. Maybe nice to give it a go one year.

Skiing all done for us it was a morning of walking under clear skies around these unbelievably still and tranquil lakes, acting as giant mirrors to all surrounding landscapes. Nestled within the trees are the most huge log cabins you're ever likely to see. All in the valley of fantastic ski resorts.

Mid-afternoon brought a very different type of experience. It was time to leave the calmness of Creekside and climb aboard the Greyhound that would take us up to Jasper. Unfortunately this route was via Vancouver, some inconvenient mountains were in the way stopping us from going direct. So after a two and a half hour journey back to where we started from 5 days prior, plus a three hour lay-over it was was back on the road to Jasper.  Our route that took us up into high country. Through seemingly sleepy and very neat Abbotsfield, the raspberry capital of Canada. A spot where just south of the city Canada meets the USA. Sitting to the north the Coast mountains and to the east the gargantuan Mount Baker both seemed to be doing their best in surrounding the entire city as if on guard. Their great height was visible from every turn the bus made. Even at dusk they were a pretty imposing sight.

Around midnight we stopped off at a roadhouse diner that was typecast straight out of the American movies. 1970s style seating, poor lighting, basic menu where everything came with fries. Local radio provided the back ground sounds "sweet child of mine" and "afternoon delight" causing the sound of the approaching midnight hour silence to be broken. A old school pinball machine rang out in the corner itching for someone to play it. Like at other times on this trip, our previous calm location we'd only just left now seemed, and was, a distant memory.