December 2022 Whistler in Winter
A bike ride to Function Junction will take you about 45 minutes. There are lots of hills but you are riding on a paved and dedicated cycle path. As a reward, you can stop for a beer at either Whistler Brewing Company or Coast Mountain Brewing. You'll likely be hungry so pop by Functional Pie Pizzeria and grab some ready-made pizza slices. Another nice place to stop is Forecast Coffee (wine and beer are also available) and we recommend their chicken sliders. On this warm mid-October day, there were people still swimming in Alta Lake (Lakeside Park).
A moderately hard bike ride along the Valley Trail to Rainbow Lake and then up Stonebridge Drive which is the most exclusive street in Whistler with homes selling for over $20 million. Mountain bikers use Stonebridge Drive as a start point. From Glaciers Reach, the ride is about 40 minutes.
The annual toad migration means that the parking lot and roads around Lost Lake are blocked off. Thousands of small toads migrate from the marshes to the rivers and lake.
Walking to the Upper Village along the Valley Trail takes about 30 minutes. Festive lights make for a picturesque and safe walk. The trails are regularly plowed.
Even beginners can enjoy snowshoeing at Lost Lake. The ticket window is about a 20 minute walk from Glaciers Reach. The paths are well marked and you can walk around the whole lake on well compacted trails. After a fresh dump of snow, the paths are magical.
The biking and walking trails around Green Lake are a 25 minute ride from Glaciers Reach. Head toward Lost Lake and follow the many signs that will point you to Green Lake. The trails are wide, easy to ride and are well marked.
At the bottom of Harmony Chair on WhistlerBlackcomb Mountain, the birds will sit on your helmet or on top of your ski pole.
Snowshoeing at Callahan Valley is a great outing. The walk to the waterfalls from the parking lot is about 25 minutes each way. The trail is well marked. Perfect for beginners.
Lost Lake in the sunshine is a winter wonderland. Walking around the lake will take you about 60 minutes. If it is below zero, you can wear hiking boots or even joggers with a good tread as the snow is compacted.
An early dump of snow, and before opening day meant that we could walk along the ski runs up to the Blackcomb gondola. Boots were definitely needed to get through the deep snow.