You may have noticed that every year, sometime between Labour Day and Christmas, many Whistler locals participate in their own type of short-term snowbird migration. The frigid October drizzle (unfashionably late this year) can feel challenging enough, but when you hit November fallback hours, it can all start to resemble the colour palette of a Tim Burton movie. The cold, dark pre-winter blues of B.C.’s coast can be enough to send anyone on a roundtrip to Baja Sur.
Booking a mid-winter trip to the tropics always gets the ski bums a bit nervous about missing the biggest storm of the year, or the sickest trip with the crew. But the November’s patience-wearing wait for snow to fall and the mountain to open? Few ski- town veterans need to hang around for that.
The October and November turns I’ve seen posted from across western North America are impressive. But while the early season is producing some great backcountry ski runs, our beloved Whistler Blackcomb still needs a heavy storm cycle or two before the switch gets turned on. Venturing into thin coverage will still net you a busted tib-fib if you’re not careful. I love skiing opening day, but if you’re going to miss any part of the ski season, the early weeks is probably the best time.
Mexico and Hawaii are the go-tos for many mini snowbirds, but when I am lucky enough to take some vacation around this time of year, I’ll usually go to Australia. This is where my family lives, so returning to the southern-hemisphere island nation hits the good old two-birds-with-one-stone of catching up on family time and getting sand between my toes. The flight back to Brisbane is a slog and never really gets that cheap, but the cost and effort of the voyage also gives me an excuse to spend a bit longer there. This is also the first time I’ve travelled outside of Canada since the pandemic, so adding a week to the itinerary this year felt sufficiently earned.
With us all feeling the squeeze this winter—whether it’s finding housing, getting jacked by interest rates, stomaching grocery bills or any other number of inflated goods and services—I understand how a mini-snowbird vacation wasn’t in the cards for everyone. But if you can wrangle a week or two off work for some sun and sand, it does help with reinvigorating winter stoke.
Wondering if a mini-snowbird vacation might be what you need next November? Here are a few signs that some time away from Whistler might be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Seasonal depression.
As mentioned arlier, the dark and stormy months (inconveniently in front of the holidays) can be a catalyst for declining mental health, especially if we don’t have a fun activity to pursue. Spending time in the sun learning a new sport, train a new skill or simply being somewhere that’s not your usual four-walls- and-a-roof will have you back refreshed and ready to slay the pow days.
Snowsport burnout.
Yes, this is a thing. It’s particularly prevalent when we have terrible snow years or when every snowstorm gets served with a sidecar of rain. Whistler has one of the longest ski seasons in the world, which is why some people start shelving their planks in March in favour of scratching out some bike trails (blasphemy, I know). Extend your window for summer pursuits in the fall and you’ll get the most out of your winter pursuits.
The overdue bubble break.
As much as we all love our town and valley, nothing makes you appreciate it more than a bit of time away from it. The grumpiest of jaded locals are the ones who never leave. Don’t be one of them. Refresh your perspective and you’ll be back to greeting clueless tourists with a warm welcome. For a while.
Family.
Because not all Whistler locals are lucky enough to have their immediate families around them in the Sea to Sky, or even in B.C., schedule a small reunion some place warm and you’ll generate a stack of memories you never knew how badly you needed. The lifers who moved here from far away here all have their “Whistler” families of friends, but reconnecting with your O.G. fam can do wonders, too.
Thursday was Whistler Blackcomb’s opening day and I hope it's a pow-filled and prosperous winter for all. Whether or not you managed to get out of town for your own mini-snowbird migration, skiing always makes everything better. See you on the slopes next week.
Vince Shuley is feeling recharged and ready for winter. For questions, comments or suggestions for The Outsider email vince.shuley@gmail. com or Instagram @whis_vince.
