Skiing from the RV at Whistler Blackcomb — with one wet hiccup
Does the RV work as a ski lodge?
This is a perennial question for John, who has faced blizzards, breakdowns, extreme cold and more breakdowns, all in pursuit of using the RV as a place to stay while skiing.
Short answer: Yes, it does work. He’s skied out of the RV in Colorado, New Mexico and California over the years. But trying to winter camp in the mountains is always a risk, and our recent December trip to Whistler, British Columbia, had its share of drama.
Take the gushing outdoor faucet we woke up to on our first day at Riverside RV resort by Parkbridge. After a night when the temps dropped into the teens, our attached hose froze to the park’s faucet, and then when the faucet thawed, its shutoff valve broke and water spewed relentlessly for about 30 minutes. We soon had an icy-cold pond forming at our campsite.
John scrambled to grab tools to stop the torrent, got wet, got grumpy, and finally gave up. Then Leslie sprang into action and tracked down a maintenance person. The no-nonsense Aussie took one look at the broken faucet and said, “Yup, that’s kind of a design problem!” and quickly fixed it.
Water is kind of important in the RV, right? You must have it, but cold temps play havoc inside and outside the RV as we have learned the hard way. So, words of warning for all who venture with an RV into snow country -- be careful with the H20.
After that wet wake-up call, the RV ski lodge performed pretty well, thanks to our RV furnace and two small space-heaters. And it’s hard to beat Riverside RV resort for location. It’s situated just outside Whistler Village, a two-mile walk, bus or taxi ride away. You won’t find a better lodging bargain in Whistler.
How was the skiing?
Whistler Blackcomb is on every list of best ski resorts in North America for a reason. Even in low snow years, the Vail-owned resort provides lots of skiable terrain thanks to a robust snow-making operation.
At the time of our visit, snow totals were down after a long dry spell in early December. Skiing off-piste on Whistler Blackcomb’s rugged terrain was a bit of a rocky crapshoot, but the groomed runs were pretty good. John racked up his coveted vertical, mostly on Blackcomb Mountain, keeping a close watch on his balky 68-year-old right knee. Isn’t aging fun? That’s why they invented knee braces.
As for Leslie, the days were spent wandering around Whistler Village, going to the excellent Scandinave Spa and visiting the Audain Art Museum. Read more about her experiences here in a story she wrote for Forbes.com.
We also enjoyed a dinner out at a beautiful restaurant in Whistler Village called Wild Blue, where we sampled some of B.C.’s best seafood. And on our last night, we ordered takeout at a popular Thai restaurant right in Riverside rv park called Barn Nork.
We ate hot and sour soup in our cozy mobile ski lodge. When it’s working, RV life is truly a thing of beauty.
