If a Whistler getaway is in your holiday plans, consider these suggestions of what's new and noteworthy.
STAY
Nita Lake Lodge offers luxurious lodging steps from Whistler's Creekside. New this winter is the season pass, with sizable savings for avid skiers and boarders looking to make the lodge their home away from home for the snow season. Twenty-night and 10-night options include the use of a spacious studio with plasma TV, fireplace, outdoor patio and full concierge service. Passes are valid Jan. 1 to April 15 with the exception of Feb. 15-17 and March 25-April 2. The lodge requires a minimum of two nights for each stay.
SKI
Need help navigating Whistler-Blackcomb's 8,100 acres of terrain? Get acquainted with a Mountain Host, one of the resort's 170 red-jacketed ambassadors who will take you on a two-hour tour of the mountain. The resort offers this service free of charge to small groups of skiers and riders of all abilities. Guides are volunteers, many of them retirees who have skied locally for decades and are eager to share their tips and tricks for making the most of the resort's 200 marked trails. Whistler tours meet at the Alpine Lightboard at the top of the Whistler Village Gondola. Blackcomb Mountain and Blackcomb Glacier tours meet at the top of the Solar Coaster Express. Both tours leave weekdays at 11: 30 a.m., but plan to be there at 11: 15 a.m. for group placement.
SNAP
Instagram your powder day, tag your photos #WhistlerUnfiltered and share it with the world. Tourism Whistler's winter marketing campaign is using candid snapshots to tell the story of winter in Whistler in themes of: Anticipation, Rooftop of the World, Dropping In, Snow Play and Boots Off.
SOAK
Experience hydrotherapy in the heart of nature. Spread over three acres, Scandinave Spa's outdoor hot baths, Nordic waterfalls, eucalyptus steam and wood-burning Finnish sauna are the ultimate après indulgence.
The spa offers a 15 per cent discount to season pass holders and 10 per cent discount to Edge Card holders. Ski & Spa packages offer even deeper discounts.
STRETCH
Book a Jivamukti open class at Loka Wellness & Yoga in Nita Lake Lodge with teacher and proprietor Tina James, who partners flowing vinyasa sequences with Sanskrit chanting, traditional Vedic and contemporary teachings and commentary, breath awareness, meditation, hands-on alignment and relaxation.
SAVOUR
Reserve a table at Alta Bistro in Whistler Village and dine on modern French bistro fare that's sustainable and locally sourced by the owners, Whistler locals Edward Dangerfield, Eric Griffith and chef Nick Cassettari. Start the evening with a Highway 86, cocktail technician Scot Curry's signature drink made from bourbon aged in an oak barrel in Alta's own cellar.
