With the Olympic rings set to roll in on February 12, Vancouver, British Columbia is gearing up for its snow-frosted moment in the international spotlight. But though the event promises 350,000 visitors, 86 medal contests and a 3 billion–strong television audience, there are plenty of other reasons to check out this Canadian city that regularly ranks among the world’s most livable, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. As a longtime resident, I’ve developed my own alternative Games for anyone visiting B.C. this peak fleece season.
Although West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain will host Olympic freestyle skiing and snowboarding, Grouse Mountain, 20 minutes from downtown, is the city’s favorite winter playground (it will be open 24 hours a day during the Games). On a recent afternoon visit, I eschewed speedy downhill exertions in favor of a gentler approach.
As I snowshoed on Grouse’s forested trails, it wasn’t hard to leave the crowds behind, and I soon felt utterly alone as fading voices were replaced by the soothing crunch of ice-caked powder and the sound of my breath. With dense, snow-draped branches arching overhead, I worked up a surprising sweat before weaving back to the lodge for some Granville Island Lager while enjoying a gold-streaked sunset over the metropolis below.
Seventy miles north, via the cliff-hugging Sea-to-Sky Highway, gable-roofed Whistler will host the lion’s share of outdoor Olympic events. But even as its swank new Sliding Centre may help shatter bobsled speed records, my unusual overnight excursion into the winter wonderland of nearby Garibaldi Mountain also seemed medal-worthy — at least that’s what my burning muscles were telling me.
Joining a group of newbies and veterans, I snowshoed into a sunny, fir-encircled clearing and began an exhausting but exhilarating afternoon of igloo building. The back-breaking effort of cutting dozens of shoebox-size blocks and placing them in a winding inward spiral was eventually rewarded with slugs of whiskey and a cozy night under a ragged dome of translucent ice.
Of course, not all of B.C.’s wintertime activities are so physically draining. Many visitors will be drawn to the Cultural Olympiad, party-hard Live Sites and country-specific expositions (including the much-anticipated Heineken-backed Holland House), but après-ski shenanigans remain a highlight here.
Which brings me to Western Canada’s most unusual wine event. Running from January 16, the annual eight-day Winter Wine Festival is at Sun Peaks, an icicle-covered resort in the Okanagan Valley, about a four-hour drive northeast from Vancouver. Last year, I made sure to check out the chatty seminars before the event’s flagship lure. Saturday’s Progressive Tasting saw me join hundreds of giggly visitors sliding around the Christmas card village and ducking into hotels and restaurants for samples.
Hazy on how many wines I tasted, I do recall reclining on some fluffy snow to count the stars in an IMAX-clear night sky. And though wine tasting, igloo camping and snowshoe trekking probably won’t become Olympic events anytime soon, I’ll keep up my training just in case.
THE ESSENTIALS:
STAY at Vancouver’s Loden Hotel, a fashionable new boutique property with excellent service.
EAT at Whistler’s Araxi, a contemporary Pacific Northwest restaurant dedicated to fine regional ingredients.
DRINK at Vancouver’s Pourhouse, a new Gastown bar with a serious commitment to perfect cocktails.
DON’T MISS the Vancouver Canucks, the city’s religiously supported National Hockey League team.
