🏔️🇨🇦Bears, Powder and a PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola: Why Whistler Made the Cut. Happy Canada Day. 🇨🇦🏔️
This morning we are enjoying our coffees with a splash of Maple syrup! 🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day!
It's a busy week for Canada…
⚽ Through to the World Cup Round of 16
🎾 Félix Auger-Aliassime flying the flag at Wimbledon
🏔️ Leading in our League of Mountain Nations
🍁 And now it's Canada Day!!
On July 1, 1867, a new dominion was formed through the British North America Act. It split the old Province of Canada into Ontario and Quebec and united them with New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The day was called Dominion Day until 1982, after which it became Canada Day which we celebrate today.
Canada has always held a special place in the hearts of mountain lovers. Vast forests, turquoise lakes, towering peaks and, of course, one of the world's most iconic ski resorts: Whistler.
That's why we were so excited to include Whistler as one of the 16 real-world resorts featured in Ready Steady Slope. Whether you're collecting cards, completing your in-game mountain, or dreaming about your next winter adventure, Whistler represents everything we love about mountain life.
A Canadian Adventure We Won't Forget
Last month we travelled to Vancouver, spent a few days exploring the city, then took the train east into the Canadian Rockies. We visited Banff National Park, stopping at Lake Louise, Johnston Canyon, and Banff itself.
Like many visitors, we wondered if we'd spot the Boss. Bear 122, as he's officially known, is a hugely impressive grizzly who has dominated the Banff area for a quarter of a century. 🐻
We didn't find him. Instead, our first wild bear encounter was a beautiful black bear, quietly going about its day beside the roadside.
Seeing a bear in the wild, in its natural habitat, is one of those travel moments that will stay with us forever. It's a reminder that the mountains are a living, breathing wilderness… as well as a place to ski.
Whistler evokes tremendous feelings. High on the mountain stands an inukshuk, one of those stacked-stone figures the Inuit have used for centuries to mark a trail and tell travellers they're on the right path. It was sunny on the day we visited previously in 2020, but can imagine how handy this would be on those cloudy days! Whistler's most famous, Ilanaaq (meaning "friend"), became the emblem of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Standing beside one with the peaks rolling out in every direction, was a quiet reminder of how long people have been finding their way through these mountains.
A Little Treasure Hunt
Before we flew home from our latest trip, we tucked a few promotional copies of Ready Steady Slope around the place, a little treasure hunt, if you like. We hoped someone might discover one.
Someone did. A few weeks later, an email arrived from a visitor who'd found a copy while on holiday in Banff, played the game, and sent us some genuinely lovely feedback. As a small independent publisher, moments like that mean the world. We wrote about that one here. You can read more about that fantastic story here.
It's amazing to hear from someone on the other side of the world who enjoyed our game. It reminds us exactly why we started this journey.
Why Whistler?
Whistler isn't just another ski resort. We visited back in 2020, just before world travel came to a halt, and got to see firsthand one of the largest ski destinations in North America: incredible terrain, truly breathtaking Rocky mountain scenery, and the famous PEAK2PEAK Gondola connecting Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. There's even a glass-bottomed car where you can look straight down, if you're feeling brave.
So whether you're skiing deep powder, cruising long blue groomers, or simply enjoying a coffee with mountain views, it's a place that earns a spot on every snow lover's bucket list. And that's exactly why it earned its place as one of Ready Steady Slope's 16 real-world resorts.
Celebrate Canada Day With Us
Whether you're celebrating in Whistler, Banff, Vancouver, Toronto, or anywhere else around the world, we hope today is filled with adventure, good company and dreams of your next trip to the mountains.
And if Whistler is already one of your favourite resorts, or you'd like to discover why it deserves its legendary reputation, you can explore our Whistler resort page and see how it features in the game.
Wishing you a Happy Canada Day from everyone here at Ready Steady Slope.🇨🇦
We hope to see you on the slopes soon.
– RSS Team 🏂🎿🃏