Take these broken wings, You've got to learn to fly

February in Canada, what comes to mind? Of course, only one thing: The Rockies, snow, and endless slopes. Finally, my long-awaited ski vacation in Whistler was getting closer. However, the way there was a bit rocky (or icy...). It all started a week before my planned departure when my father canceled. His best friend Bernd had to cancel at short notice for family reasons. We feverishly thought about who could possibly step in at such short notice. The answer was very close, my sister Wiebke happened to be on vacation and available that week. I was naturally excited to see not only one but two family members again. But the difficulties were not over yet. On Sunday evening, here in Edmonton, Super Bowl was on the agenda. After a few initial difficulties with the stream, which ultimately had to be established via a remote connection to Germany (oh, the irony...), a few friends and I enjoyed a very exciting game with overpriced Canadian beer, chips, and popcorn (I must admit, as a non-knowledgeable person). Unfortunately, the ice layer that formed overnight turned out to be quite disastrous for my way back home: Elegant, as everyone knows me, I fell directly in front of my front door. Literally...
The deep scratch bled heavily, and on the white snow, it probably looked as if I had just been attacked by a coyote. I realized that it was not only my nose that was affected when my right elbow started to hurt during the night. After a doctor's visit, including an X-ray the next day, it was confirmed that I had actually fractured my elbow. But luckily, neither a cast nor strong medication were necessary, and the swelling fortunately went down quickly, so I quickly looked forward to my departure again on the weekend.
Finally, the airline had to mess up: my dad and Wiebke's flight to London was canceled due to 'bad weather' (note the weather forecast in the photos...). In the end, they managed to arrive safely in Vancouver a day later, where the shuttle to Whistler was already waiting. That's when I joined on Saturday.
So, now about the actual ski area: Whistler-Blackcomb consists of 2 mountains, which can be reached either from the valley or via the Peak-to-Peak gondola, which extends between the peaks of the two mountains. Some data about this masterpiece that has been transporting visitors from one mountain to another since 2008: the gondolas are red (the best color for that, in my opinion ;) ) and can accommodate 28 people. They also held the world record for the longest free-spanning distance between two towers (3.03 km) until 2017. The ride from one side to the other takes only about 11 minutes (for a distance of 4.4 km), and as we found out, the gondola is surprisingly quiet even in windy conditions.

However, the Peak-to-Peak is by no means the only fascinating or most beautiful thing about this ski area. The slopes in Whistler/Blackcomb are fantastic. With one lift, you have several options without even seeing another lift nearby. There are countless tree runs (to the insiders: my sister fittingly said that the ski area consists of an endless number of tree slopes), so you really have fun in any weather (except maybe rain). There are also always green (easy) and blue (intermediate) slopes from the lifts, which was very convenient for me with my slightly injured arm. And I believe I can say that I didn't do too badly. My dad even said I was the best one-armed skier on the slopes (admittedly, I didn't have much competition). We spent our lunch breaks in a fantastic American ski bar in Creekside, where great music and sports TV shows (ice hockey, football, or sometimes the New York dog show) were playing, and where we discovered our love for yam fries (sweet potato fries).

After 3 days of skiing, my arm was happy to relax a bit during our trip to Vancouver. We wanted to rent a car and had already reserved a 'compact car'. However, this car unfortunately did not have a navigation system, so the salesperson promptly offered us his 'favorite car' for an additional $10. We wouldn't have a problem with a large SUV, would we?...
However, what a Canadian understands by 'SUV' is a bit exotic. He came around the corner with a car that comfortably fit 7 people in 3 rows (with a trunk) and had a fuel consumption that made my dad's Mustang look like an eco car. But the adventure was definitely worth it, even if the search for a parking spot got a little exciting when we arrived at the lowest level of the seemingly smallest (but cheapest :p) parking garage in Vancouver, which unfortunately had only one shared entrance and exit and no turning possibilities for our battleship. Luckily, we found a parking spot on that level, otherwise, we would have had to maneuver the whole thing backwards to go back up.
But now I forgot an important part: One highlight of the trip was already the road that runs from the mountains to the sea: the Sea-to-Sky Highway. It is incredibly difficult to describe in words the fascination that the fjord exerts as the road winds along it.
In Vancouver, the most beautiful thing in our opinion was the symbiosis between the ocean and the city, which we admired during a walk through Stanley Park and along the harbor. However, the high-rise buildings in downtown Vancouver were mainly beautiful from the outside, and the interior of the city was quite confusing due to the tall buildings, and the coziness of European city centers was definitely missing. Nevertheless, we had a wonderful trip that will surely be remembered for a long time.

Now a little bit about the ski resort itself: Whistler is a relatively small town with lots of small shops, busy bars, and a beautifully designed community square with a playground and an ice skating rink, among other things. The trees are decorated with colorful or blue and white lights, which looks really beautiful in the evening, and there are no cars in the city center, so you can stroll along the streets. Our hotel was located right at the edge of the center, perfect for the way to the lift (there was a shuttle, really very convenient), and for the evening restaurant visit. And after a week, I have to admit, you can eat damn well in Canada, which I really didn't think at first. But combined with various local craft beers, every evening became a culinary delight (especially for Wiebke, our meat lover). The hotel itself was just as lucky as the city. For most of the time, we got a larger room than originally booked (with a wonderfully kitschy faux fireplace) and outside, there was a heated hot tub, and sometimes we were greeted after skiing with treats like cocoa, apple cider, or sparkling wine for Valentine's Day.

We will remember this incredibly beautiful ski area forever. Truly a worthy 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience. Or maybe we'll meet again, Dad, Wiebke, me, and Whistler.