Travel App Tuesday :: Whistler Blackcomb Live

[trip style = ski] I know, it seems a bit weird to be talking about a ski mountain{s} app when the weather is warmer, days are longer and summer is more than just a distant dream. But, just in time for spring skiing bliss {& summer mountain biking}, Whistler Blackcomb has launched their first app, and it's tres cool.

This past weekend I took the app for a test driveski. Now, I'm not sure how I'll ever ski without it, here's why: it maps your movement via gps; tracks your vertical, distance, moving time, max speed, average speed; and records your ski days. Also see a map of where you've skied {below}, so no playing hooky eating waffles all day in the Crystal Hut.

Screenshots Here are a few screenshots of the app when I used it on Saturday. If you look closely, yes, I know it's lame I only did 5 runs; technically speaking, I think I did 6, but who's counting?

NOTE: Using this app is like running a TomTom GPS navigation system on your iPhone: it drains your batteries quickly, so make sure your phone is FULLY CHARGED before you hit the slopes. In case you forget and run the app anyway, it will automatically shut off if your phone battery gets down to 20%.

Details

• Free
• Works with iPhone, iPod Touch & iPad
• Available for Android, but for blackberry you'll have to use an older-school app or the mobile site
• Track: lift status, trail conditions
• Weather & snow report
• Maps
• Webcams
• GPS-enabled – track your vertical
• Share photos and events to twitter & facebook

— Get more travel tips & updates like this by subscribing to RSS or email, liking us on facebook or following us on twitter. —

Other Travel Apps Every Tuesday we feature a new travel app. Don’t forget to peruse the other 70+ travel apps we’ve reviewed from travel first aid, to luxury and boutique hotel finders, to border waits and trip itinerary management. Here are the most recent:

• Room77
• mileBlaster
• HipMunk
• Mad Libs
• Travel Etiquette

Spring Skiing Bliss & Deals

[trip style = active + ski]

Today is April 1st and a Friday. You know what that means---this Friday in April, you can show up at any ski hill in North America naked, and ski free. Just kidding, April fools.

Low Season Benchmarks In last week's Travel Trend Thursday post, I talked about traveling in low season {April, May, June} and reaping the rewards of greater choice, fewer crowds and less financial outlay. It just so happens, each of these low season benchmarks could not do a better job of describing shoulder season at ski resorts too! Many locals refer to April and May as the secret ski season because the snow is still great, the weather a little warmer and the masses nowhere to be found.

Trip Styler Tip for Whistler Blackcomb If you're from BC or Washington, one value-added opportunity available to you {that I take advantage of every year} at Whistler Blackcomb is pre-buying a 5-day EDGE Card for the following year and tacking on unlimited spring skiing for most of April and May for an extra $79. Last spring I think I skied about 17 times, so I'd say I got my money's worth---to the tune of just under $5 per ski day.

Here are the specifics and benefits of buying Whistler Blackcomb EDGE Cards early: 5-Day EDGE Card $319/ 10-Day Edge Card $575 Includes bonus early-season day next winter for use before Dec. 23 & one free summer sightseeing day {great for hiking}. Add on Unlimited Spring Skiing for $79 and you can ski this season from April 4 - May 23.

PS - if you want to ski your brains off this spring but don't want to commit to an EDGE card for next year, buy a Spring Pass now for $209 {adult}, $159 {ages 65+ and 13-18}, and $115 {children 7-12}.

Related A Slower-Paced Whistler Fashion Friday :: Apres-Ski Whistler ::  Live High, Pay Low A 4-Season Guide to Whistler

[photo by @tripstyler, taken on the Crystal Chair at Whistler Blackcomb]

Top Picks: Vancouver Travel Show

[trip style = multiple]

— Get more travel tips & updates like this by subscribing to our RSS or email, liking us on facebook and following us on twitter. —

This past weekend I paid a visit to The Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show at Vancouver's recently-built convention centre {west}, which happens to sit right on the water. Gorgeous. Bonus, my fave Vancouver cafe and hotel are conveniently located right beside it: The Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel {see my review here} and Giovane Cafe.

The Goal I attended the convention with a four-fold objective: a) look out for travel trends; b) see which destinations and tour operators are currently targeting the Vancouver market; c) observe who was attending; and d) sleuth the booths that had it going on. With these goals in mind, here are some of the show's opportunities I wanted to pass on to you...

Honorable Mentions Northern Canada [trip style = adventure] Visiting northern Canada has always been on my travel to-do list, but it's been an I'll do that one day type of desire. Yet, visiting the show a few days ago, reps from the Yukon and Northwest Territories drew me in beyond the famous aurora borealis. Many Vancouverites don't think about visiting the North, yet it's as close as a 2-hour flight away. They say "North of Ordinary" and I'd have to agree. Where else can you experience arctic tundra and snow-capped peaks, 24-hour sunlight and an instant gateway to wilderness?

If anyone wants to weekend up North this spring or summer, here's a great taster: Air North is offering air and hotel packages for $575 {all in} including round trip airfare to Whitehorse and two nights accommodation.

Tacoma [trip style = weekending] In Vancouver, we're all about weekending in Seattle. The only time we mention Seattle and Tacoma in the same breath is when we're referring to the airport {ie. Sea Tac Airport}, but there's more to Seattle's southern sister than the airport, casinos and the Tacoma Dome. On my next trip across the 49th, I'm heading to the Museum of Glass. Located right on the waterfront, this contemporary building is famous for attractions like the Chihuli Bridge of Glass, its outdoor glass art, and live indoor glass blowing. Next time you visit Seattle, check out Tacoma, and if you go in mid-September, "do the Puyallup"...Fair.

Note: if you've ever been to Vegas and seen the glass installation in the Bellagio's lobby ceiling, consider this your taster for what you'll see at the Museum of Glass.

Philippines [trip style = sun] You hear a lot about Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, but not much from fellow travelers about the balmy Philippines, comprised of 7,107 islands. I'd like to visit Samal island and stay at a pearl farm-turned-beach front resort, the Banaue Rice Terraces, and other locations soaked in natural beauty.

Iceland [trip style = adventure + spa] If this doesn't make you want to go to Iceland, I'm not sure what will: soaking in a geothermal pool by day, eating a gourmet meal in the eve and watching the northern lights by night. Nature and culture at its best. You'll also be interested to know that you can get a direct flight from Seattle to Reykjavik, and by flying IcelandAir to Europe, you can stop over for a thermal bath at no extra cost.

No Limit Expeditions [trip style = adventure] The above picture is taken of a tent on top of a Land Rover Defender, your partial accommodation for a No Limit Expeditions trek. Cool. Makes my walking trek to Machu Picchu seem pretty basic. Specializing in boutique overland travel in Central America and beyond, No Limit combines hands-on adventure with luxe lodges, gourmet fare and safari-style camps. They had me expedition + boutique + luxe lodge + gourmet... I'm so in. Check out upcoming journeys to Alaska, Guatemala and Belize.

PS - The Whistler Bungee exhibit was lively, fun and interactive. No, I've never considered bungee-ing, except maybe for a milestone birthday, but don't hold me to that.

[photo by @tripstyler of the No Limit Expeditions exhibit]

Healthy on the Road :: Active, Relax, Repeat

[trip style = active]

{Editor's Note: Below is Leah's (our healthy on the road contributor) account of a recent active weekend away. What I love about her winter wonderland escape is the mixture of activity and relaxation, and as you'll read, this was the perfect refresher.}

A Call to Play With a frozen lake right outside our front door and a gorgeous mountain minutes away, the call to play was clear. I just returned home from a long weekend away with aching muscles and a deep sense of satisfaction. My short getaway to Smithers, a small town in northern BC, had it all: great friends, delicious meals, late nights and lazy mornings. However, there was one thing we did every day which made these luxuries all the more enjoyable, we were physically active. Looking at the light, fluffy snow I simply could not wait to get out there!

New Recruit to Trip Style = Active I would like to point out that our friend, who only recently moved to Smithers on account of her husband’s job, was somewhat new to physical activity, and therefore unsure of how much fun {and rewarding} it would be. Personal reservations aside, our gracious hostess had everything set-up and planned so that we could make the most of our short time together. We drove from the airport directly to the sports shop to rent our cross-country gear. Before the first day was over we had already enjoyed a ski around the lake and a lazy afternoon catching up over coffee!

Pro{Active} Decisions It can be hard to make pro{active} decisions when lounging on vacation is so darn appealing, but the fact that we planned in advance to cross-country ski twice and downhill once, provided us with just enough of a schedule to make things happen. It was the perfect mix of winter-inspired activity followed by an exercised-induced relaxation.

A Good Dose of Balance I can honestly say that I have never returned home from a short getaway feeling so refreshed. My muscles were worked, my mind was rested, and my spirit was lifted. What’s even cooler is the fact that our newly active friend loved every moment of it too---even the tougher aerobic challenges left her beaming with satisfaction at the end of the day. That’s what a good dose of balance will do!

{When she’s not training clients or being trained by her dog Zuzu, Leah writes Healthy on the Road, published the first Thursday of every month.}

[photo by @tripstyler]

A Slower-Paced Whistler

[trip style = active + adventure + ski]

Aside from the occasional cozy, curl-up by the fire evening, winter in Whistler is normally defined by racing to the lifts, racing down the hill and racing to après. I love each of these qualities, after all, they make Whistler what it is: the multi-award winning, world-famous winter wonderland that just so happens to be in Vancouver's backyard. But I recently discovered a slower-paced Whistler.

It seems like there are 3 kinds of Whistler enthusiasts: a) the wake up early and go to bed late, do everything visitors b) the I'll take my time doing the things I love visitors c) the I'm just there for the scene visitors I think I'm 55% A, 40% B and 5% C.

On weekends, I normally indulge in fast-paced Whistler: attempted first tracks, ski/board your brains off pre-crowds, hot tub, eat and repeat. But over New Years, I discovered a slower-paced Whistler full of sleep-ins, late-morning snowshoeing, naps, nice dinners out and cross-country skiing. Over the holidays, this Whistler provided the perfect balance of exercise, peaceful treks into the snowy hills and great times dining out with friends. Although I was kicking myself for not doing figure 8s with friends down the top of Blackcomb and basking in the above-the-trees bluebird-day sun, there's something to be said for a little R+R amid the activity.

For me, this came in the form of some incredible snowshoeing experiences (thanks to a tip from friends) and my first foray back into cross-country skiing in 17ish years. During one of the busiest holiday seasons at Whistler in a long time, the sheer breadth and depth of terrain made both these experiences peaceful versus the holiday and weekend congestion I'm used to on the downhill slopes.

Next time you head to Whistler in winter, take a cue from the slow cooking movement and don't forget to take time to relax a little and discover the peace of a slower-paced approach.

PS - Slower-paced Whistler also happens to be less expensive. Snowshoeing at Lost Lake and the Callaghan Valley costs between $8 - $10 and cross-country skiing is $20 (not including rentals).

PPS - Spending an afternoon or apres-ing at the girl-and-guy-friendly-outdoor-fire crackling-sauna-steam-and-hot-and-cold-pool-plunging Scandinave Spa is also another way to live a slower-paced Whistler. See pics and details here.

[photo by moi, taken at Lost Lake in Whistler]