It’s on! After weeks of plotting and scheming, the What’s Whistler Wearing road trip has finally begun. We’ve escaped the Whistler bubble for the sweet air of freedom, and we’re off to see what else skiing in British Columbia has to offer. Seven days, seven mountains, four people and a big white van. It’s going to be epic.
First stop today was Hemlock Valley Resort, a couple of hours’ drive from Vancouver, off Highway 7. We arrived late last night, and at first it didn’t look too promising – the unpaved road from the highway climbed a long way before we caught a glimpse of snow on the roadside. But just as we’d started to wonder what we were doing here, a glimpse of the gorgeous Hemlock Hollow Bed & Breakfast put grins back on our faces. A warm welcome from our hosts Marty and Richard set the tone for a mellow evening – beer in the hot tub doesn’t suck, as a way to kick off a road trip. The stresses and strains of living in an Olympic venue were starting to melt away…
Next morning we caught up with Hemlock events organiser Christine Green for some local info, and to hit up a couple of runs together. Big thanks to Christine for making us so welcome – it’s fantastic when someone at the resort takes the time to tell you about things and point out the good spots.
We were expecting a small mountain, and we got it – Hemlock doesn’t pretend to be an extreme skiing destination. This is a locals’ hill, in a settlement of just 42 full time residents, and you get the feeling not much has changed for a while, but that’s part of the charm of the place. The elevation at the lodge is 975 metres, with a total vertical of 1,372 and there are only 3 lifts – a 2 chair, a triple and another double to the beginner slopes.
We hear there’s an ambitious long-term plan to open up more terrain and take Hemlock into the big leagues, taking advantage of their proximity to both Vancouver (2 hours away – the same distance from the city as Whistler) and the beautiful Harrison Lake with its famous hot springs. It will be interesting to see how that vision pans out. In the short term the road is getting a new surface this summer, which is definitely a plus!
In common with lots of BC hills right now they are struggling a bit for snow, though unlike a lot of resorts all their runs are open thanks to some good grooming and a healthy amount of snow leftover from the November storms. The conditions are presumably similar to those on Cypress, as the Canadian ski cross team were training at Hemlock on a specially constructed course until yesterday.
Given the warm weather and bluebird sky, we stuck to the groomers, and had some big fun flying down the pisted runs. There are some fantastic wide pitches so you can really get the wind in your hair! On a snow day Hemlock would actually be a perfect place to learn terrain skiing, thanks to a steepish pitch and wide-spaced trees across the central bowl. All the terrain tips back down toward the lodge area, means that on a powder day the lines would be there for the picking. Just about anything you see from the chairs can be skied. Nice!
Besides all that, Hemlock also had a bunch of things going for it that we hadn’t expected, including:
• A nice big lodge with cafeteria –we can recommend the tasty breakfast wrap for $5.99
• A great bar with lots of TVs showing the various Olympic events, a pool table and good food.
• Seriously beautiful views – on a bluebird day like today you can see for miles
• A sun-trap location in a sheltered bowl, though it does get breezy at the top
• A decent ski school – we saw some local kids with a snowboard instructor getting great feedback and some dedicated coaching time
• Great value for your money – ladies ski free on Thursdays, Whistler season pass holders pay just $20.10 during the Olympics (get it?). The village lacks budget accommodation but spending less on the lift pass means you can afford a nicer place to stay (to which end, we can wholly recommend Hemlock Hollow) – surely a good result.
Our Verdict:
Go to Hemlock for a warm BC welcome at a proper locals’ hill. It’s ideal for teaching the kids to ski, or taking a break on the snow at a less frantic pace, whether it’s for a day or a few. It was great for us to escape the Whistler mayhem and that big-mountain paranoia that the perfect snow is being tracked out somewhere else. Just relax, take it for what it is, and enjoy. Whistler locals are prone to nostalgia about the days before the resort became so highly developed and expensive – Hemlock still has a bit of that pre-expansion vibe to offer. Next time you’re in the area, we suggest you stop by.
Click below for video highlights of the day, including Deryk getting his pass marked W for Warning (or Winner, according to him) for sneaking into the half-demolished ski-cross track. Naughty boy.
Meanwhile today’s Hall of Fame saw the Hemlock crowd dressed to kill. We captured the five best for your perusal. Cheers you guys!
Hemlock is awesome! It is quaint, everyone is so amazingly friendly! There is terrain for mostly everyone, but the best sell point has got to be that Powder Magazine’s Skiier of the Year – Mark Abma was established and trained on Hemlock’s runs!
Hemlock is an absolute gem! I bought a season pass for them last year and went up at least once a week all the way from Surrey. We even did a 4 day trip. No lines, friendly people, and great runs. Love it.