My thoughts of Sunday, 1st April, 2007 …...……the Canadian mountain I had lived at back in the winter of 91/92 was an inspiring mountain back then and one I was excited to return to today. Throughout my flight from New York all I could think was whether Whistler had been spoiled by real estate greed or was the hill bigger than that? Since it won the Winter 2010 Olympics, there had been nothing but talk of huge infrastructure & development. From the construction of the dual lane Sea To Sky highway linking it to Van to the record breaking gondola connecting it to Blackcomb’s alpine heights. My MTB mags were full of Whistler’s new MTB Park and my spring Ski mag was reporting season-to-date snow fall here of 43 feet and counting. All the pieces were in place, but could I regain my primal urge of winter alpine exploration? Could I find the heart and sole of this mountain again that I fell in love with previously? I knew I had the right guide in ex-Patroller and current mountain manager, Brian Finestone, to show me the way . I was longing to get some true backcountry air in my lungs and some fresh pow under my skis. These are the things that keep me coming back to the high country. Its very purity cleanses my mind and rejuvenates my soul. Signing off, Jerome Whelan.
