I have to admit, I had been planning to GTFO of vancouver/whistler during the olympics because I thought it would be super busy and I'm not exactly a crowds person. However, plans to head north to Stewart BC fell through because of the severe lack of snow up there this year, and the snow is just too good in the BC south coast right now to leave. Damn am I ever glad that happened…I dirt-bagged it in whistler for 6 days and had the time of my life!
Video of first 4 days mixed together:
https://vimeo.com/9554960
Day 1: My first plan was to tour into Russet Hut and spend 3 or 4 nights out there because it's probably the only free accommodations in whistler right now. That plan got changed through as the storms started lining up straight at whistler creating a white out. So LeeLau and I wandered around trying to walk in a straight line and gave up and turned back. The problem was that I had nowhere to stay…
I cooked dinner in some bushes near the village bus loop (ultra dirtbag) and tried to find a place to stay. Luckily I crashed with a friend in pemby and survived night 1.
Day 2: The storm that ruined my hut plans dumped about 35cm in the alpine, and left sunshine in the morning. I was on the lift at 815am and didn't stop riding until 3pm…no lunch break. This was the most unbelievable day I have ever had on whistler. The longest lineup was 8 chairs…unheard of for a whistler pow day. faceshot after faceshot after untracked run…stupid awesome.
That night I dirtbagged it in the back of a buddy's van…classy.
Day 3: Another storm rolled in over night for another 15cm in the alpine. The Men's DH race was cancelled for sharon bailed on volunteering and I rode with her, Leelau and their roomate gunnar from sweeden! Lee let me sleep on his couch that night, finally i got a shower! Photos are by Lee
Tyler Wilkes, gold medal for slaying pow all day:
Fire and Ice show:
Day 4: another 25cm+ overnight with sun in the morning. un-effing-believable. Slept on lee's couch again
Day 5: I was joined by my girlfriend Jess for today, and it was cold and sunny so the Men's DH ski race finally went. We went up and watched that which was absolutely amazing. Those guys are scary fast, TV does not do it justice. We cruised the afternoon on blackcomb and spent the night at her friend's house in black tusk. DH Pics and video by me:
https://vimeo.com/9556001
some cruising:
https://vimeo.com/9556467
Day 6: my back was too destroyed to actually snowboard so I just watched canada dominate womens snowboard X on the big screens in the village and caught a bus back to vancouver in the afternoon. the end to an amazing trip.
Showing our canadian olympic spirit with my lame mittens:
Jess and I dirt-bagging it:
So in the end, being at the olympics was a really cool experience. The lifts were EMPTY, and I slayed more inbounds pow than I ever thought possible at whistler. The cultural experience in the village were awesome, the nightlife was great and tons of free concerts and stuff to check out. Now I'm trying to let back back recover so I can go spend 4 days doing the spearhead bagging peaks in the sunshine forecast for the next 5 days. More to follow after that.