My experience skiing Whistler mountain has been very enjoyable. They have a localized lift that can take you to the midway station(good for beginners) or all the way to the top). Its a covered gondola which makes those cold mornings a bit more bearable. It takes about 20 minutes to get up to the top. The runs are laid out in amazing order, you can take multiple paths down but there are 3 or 4 central lifts that you can ski to for about 20-25 minutes from the top and get on only one lift up to the top again. It makes skiing a lot easier as you don't always have to be planning out paths, this way you can just start skiing and plan later. There are some great restaurants up on top where they have a wide variety food and coffee. It also has store to buy clothes or mementos, don't worry you don't have to carry it down with you, they will ship it down to the bottom of the mountain for you. You can also ski up on the very top top of the mountain in which case you need to take another lift, these runs are mainly diamonds.

The scenery from the top of the mountain is breathtaking! Definitely look at the map, because from the top of the gondola, it is not obvious where some of the trails are or how far they go back. There are beautiful lakes, streams, glaciers, alpine meadows, and valley views--make sure you go on a clear day so that you can see across the entire valley.

There are a variety of trails that range from easy to difficult. The different trails also vary in length. There are some trails that would take the entire day that go across to Blackcomb and to other lakes before heading to the village. If you are there on a hot day, the alpine temperatures are cooler and a welcome relief from heat. Due to this, plan accordingly--bring a sweater/jacket, and don't forget the insect repellent, as some of the insects are large and aggressive. It would be advisable to look at the map the day before if you would like to plan a longer hike, to plan what time to head up the gondola.