Day 3: Whistler

Day 1
Day 2
Day 2.5

Whistler & the Ironman
A few weeks before the trip, I discovered that Whistler was hosting the Ironman triathlon on the day we were to be there. Because I couldn't really change my plans, we were just going to have to deal with it. They were closing the main highway partway through the day, and using parking lots and re-routing traffic etc, it was a frustrating mess to have to deal with, but deal with we did. First thing I did was grab a shot glass from one of the many shops at Whistler Village; a cute walkable area with restaurants and hiking/skiing stores. Then I had to convince Patrick to ride up the gondola to Whistler. And then I had to convince him again to ride the other gondola (Peak2Peak) to Blackcomb mountain. He breathed through it and did just fine. So proud of him.

Once we got over to Blackcomb, we did the Alpine trail; a short and sweet hike that offered incredible views of the mountain range. After the hike, we ate at the restaurant on the peak - in which the only way to it was the gondola ride. Patrick finally got his Poutine - with shredded pork. It was actually a lot better than I imagined.



After lunch, we rode the Peak2Peak back over to Whistler, because we had one more stop to make: The Cloudraker Skybridge. Yet another suspension bridge perched on one of the tallest peaks around. It wasn't even the bridge that he was concerned about at this point, but the way we had to get up to it: not by gondola, but by chairlift. He almost backed out, but I helped him through it. Riding the chairlift was actually my favorite part. It was so calm and serene. He appreciated my support, and I appreciated his courage. 

 

The skybridge was awesome. It was a perfectly beautiful day; I always seem to have such good luck for weather on my vacations. The hike back to the lodge from the chairlift was the worst of it; it was pretty steep but we made it. It was only about 3pm at this point; the original plan was to do the vodka tasting at Bearfoot Bistro, but they didn't even open until 5:30, so I figured we might as well get our spa on first.





[Side story: We were walking back to the car to head to the spa when suddenly, out of nowhere, Patrick loses his footing. I thought he might catch himself but he didn't - he ended up falling forward, landing on his left palm, rolling over his right shoulder, and hoping back up like nothing had even happened. I'll give a 5 for a clumsy start but definitely a 10 for that recovery. It was pretty epic. He scrapped his knee and definitely bruised the bone of his thumb, but other than that he was no worse for wear.]

Scandinave Spa

stock photo, since I couldn't have my phone

I heard about this place through Evening Magazine. What made this spa special was not just the free-range access to all the pools and amenities (steam room, sauna, firepits, hammocks, etc), but the fact that no technology was allowed and there was no talking. (Patrick and I did end up having to whisper occasionally, but I never thought I would appreciate silence so much). The Spa was nestled in the woods roughly 15 minutes north of Whistler Village. This was my very first spa experience. The way they suggested we use the facility was a 10-15 minute hot soak (steam, sauna, or hot bath), a 10 second dip in the cold pool (brrr!! 55 degrees!!) and finish with 10-15 minutes of relaxation. Rinse and repeat as many times as we wanted. I wanted to try every single thing they had. My favorite one was the sauna. I love dry heat, and the smell of the wood was almost intoxicating. The only downside was the Triathlon - even though we were high above the Village, the end of the race was below us, and we constantly heard the cheers of the crowd way below. We stayed there for over 2 hours. It was really nice.

Bearfoot Bistro
Hunger finally got the best of us and we headed back down to the Village for our vodka tasting. By this point it was after 7pm and the main race was over (they had until 12am to finish) so roads were done being blocked, at least. I had planned on having dinner at the Bistro but once I saw what was inside, we backpedaled quickly. It was super fancy. Like white tablecloth fancy. We were definitely not prepared for this. So, I just asked the front desk to do the vodka tasting and we would eat elsewhere. 
So again, I heard about this activity (lol - "activity") on Evening Magazine. Here is the description on their website:

Warm up in the Ketel One Ice Room:

Come into the cold and experience an exhilarating flight of sub-zero vodka. We provide the parka. Just bring your sense of adventure.
At -32C (-25F) the Ketel One Ice Room is the world’s coldest vodka tasting room – and the only permanent sub-zero vodka room in Canada. With more than 50 vodkas from across the globe, and examples distilled from everything from rye, wheat and soya to hemp seeds, this unique Bearfoot Bistro experience is not to be missed.
Wrapped in our Arctic Expedition parkas, you’ll feel comfortable and cozy as our vodka expert explains how the intricacies of distillation and filtration affect the flavour profile of the finished product.
Taste four vodkas of your choice, and discover how the extreme environment enhances the flavour while minimizing the alcohol burn.   

Patrick was unaware of my plan and was wearing shorts that day. It was a good thing he's apparently got werewolf blood because his legs never even got cold. Our first tasting was a neutral Ketel One, either regular or Citron. Patrick and I switched off on all of them so we got to try 8 flavors in total. We tried one that smelled (but did not taste) like banana bread, one that was made from rice (I liked it, it was kind of sweet) one that was brown and had flavors reminiscent of fruitcake, an a couple more that I can't remember.  I ended up with 4-1/2 full shots of vodka on an empty stomach and I was pretty well buzzed and feeling rather good. I wanted to keep my buzz going so we quickly found a restaurant to eat dinner at so that I could order a drink.

After dinner it was back to our ugh hotel, which was still incredibly stuffy and hot. We had one more day of exploration left before our drive back home!