British Columbia - Two hours north of Vancouver, Canada are the twin peaks of North America's largest ski resort, Whistler Blackcomb Resort in Whistler, British Columbia, where the entire community is in tense anticipation of the 2010 winter Olympics and Paralympics Games. The mountains' miles of diverse terrain will keep snow hounds busy throughout the day while the vibrant village provides plenty of entertainment for an early evening or a night of revelry.

Hamptons.com correspondent Aaron Boyd standing atop Blackcomb, where the Peak2Peak Gondola connects to Whistler. Photo by John Boyd

Flying into Vancouver provides the easiest access to Whistler, a direct two-hour drive along Route 99 leaving the city, a picturesque, winding tour along the glacial fiords that carve through sheer mountainsides. Check on rates, as holiday hikes and off-season specials may change things, however a round-trip ticket on the shuttle bus between the airport and Whistler will cost you more than a week-long car rental (though parking in Whistler is never free), so you'll need to balance the cost of storing your vehicle against the value of having mobility outside of the village during your stay.

Whistler Village, at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, has everything from accommodations to nightlife, shopping, and every style of cuisine one could imagine. While on a week-long trip to the resort we stayed at the Crystal Lodge, located in the southeast corner of the village, equidistant from the main mountain lifts and the village center. There are no bad places to stay, as everything is easily accessible along the pedestrian walkway that winds through the village.

At the base of the mountains, where the two main gondolas meet, is the Carleton Lodge, the ground floor of which houses ticket and lesson sales, as well as ski and snowboard rentals. With airlines finding new ways to charge the traveler every day, renting will likely be the least expensive option and will give eastern skiers a chance to try out new equipment in the deep powder.

While hanging on to your old, reliable boards or bringing along your brand-new gear for a taste of powder may seem tempting, many airlines will charge upwards of $100 one-way to check luggage the size and shape of skis, and the rental shop in the Carleton Lodge charges $185 for four days of riding.

While the coverage was scant in places, a light, wet snow fell every few days and avalanche warnings and a sheer wind kept the peaks closed for most of the week.

Renting also allows for the versatility of switching your equipment multiple times within the rental period, giving you the opportunity to experiment with all lengths and styles of ski.

On eastern slopes, longer skis with more of a parabolic shape will balance speed with the need for control in icy, granular conditions so prevalent in Vermont and northern New York State. Out west, on the other hand, the snow is deep and soft, and a wider board, both at the tip and underfoot, is preferable as the skis will float through the deep powder. Shorter skis are also recommended, a style that is becoming popular everywhere, though at Whistler Blackcomb moguls (successive series of staggered bumps) and tree skiing define the experience and are made markedly easier on shorter boards. (At 6'2", I own 180 cm skis, however in western powder that was shortened to between 165 cm and 174 cm). The hotels do not allow equipment to be stored in the rooms, but good news for travelers is that the Carleton offers free overnight storage of rental equipment on the basement floor.

Three lifts meet at the base of the mountains, two gondolas (large enclosed cable cars), and the Fitzsimons Express Quad (four-seat chair), which grants easy access to a few learning trails at the bottom of Whistler. Riding the Excalibur Gondola will bring you up the first third of Blackcomb Mountain, and from there you can catch the Excelerator Express to the main portion of the hill.

The lower trails descending from Blackcomb peak tend to be a bit icy, as coverage can be as spotty on groomed trails as in the glades, however if Blackcomb glacier is open you can venture up into the bowls, accessible only by T-bar and reserved for more experienced skiers and snowboarders.

Snowmobile rides, guided by the experienced riders of Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, can take you up and down Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains or through the nearby scenic Callaghan Valley.

The glacier is certainly not for those with a fear of heights, as both the Showcase and Horseman T-bars leave you on the precipice of a ridge that cuts down from the 8,000-foot Blackcomb Peak (permanently closed to skiing and riding), with long drops that do not always lead into navigable trails. However, if you drop into any number of designated lanes along the ridge, you'll drift down into a basin full of thick, powdery snow.

The precipitation is wet and heavy compared with the dry, airy snowfalls in places like Utah and northern Colorado, but the cold temperatures maintain a smooth ride, not the heavy slush of eastern mash-potatoes or the hard-pack Sierra cement of Lake Tahoe. If conditions are clear enough to allow riding in the bowls, most high-intermediate skiers and snowboarders should be able to handle the difficultly of the glacier playground, however it funnels into a narrow, winding switchback down to the lower mountain that is wrought with difficult drops and twists and insufficient coverage can leave exposed rocks and branches in the most inopportune places.

Scant coverage was the most difficult challenge across the mountain, though the best way to avoid carving a rut in your wax is to venture over to the Creekside area of Whistler Mountain. Starting from the Roundhouse Lodge, where the Whistler Village Gondola and several chairs meet just short of the peak, cutting left toward Old Man and Franz's Meadows will take you into pristine glades and untouched slopes dipping in and out of ravines.

The snow that falls in British Columbia tends to be wet and heavy, but the cold temp- eratures maintain the base and keep conditions great throughout the season.

Continuing down under the tree line (find Franz's Way, a well-hidden trail off to the left on the lower portion of Creekside, if you can) to Creekside Village and Gondola which provides a good place to stop for lunch or catch a warm gondola ride, but don't get stuck there after 3 p.m. when the lifts close, or you'll have to try to hitch a ride back over to the main village.

From the Roundhouse Lodge, follow the trails off to the right to get back down toward the village and find the family learning area, where a vigilant staff will try to keep skiers and boarders going slow through the long, gradual trails.

There are a few black diamond trails (highest difficultly) along this side of the mountain, yet poor coverage can keep these closed for a good part of the season. Far off to the right, if conditions are clear enough at the top of Whistler Peak, the Harmony Express will open up, granting access to another four bowls and the backside of Whistler Mountain. The Harmony chair was only open for a few hours over a five-day period in January, though the wait for the quad was two-hours long and eager riders were lined up hours before the lift opened, hoping and praying.

There are plenty of other winter activities to participate in around the village as well, from visiting the newly constructed Olympic venues to the rip-cord ecological adventure (a high-wire ride through the trees, in the daylight or through the dark of night) to snowmobile and snowcat tours.

Snowmobile rides, guided by the experienced riders of Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, can take you up and down Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains or through the nearby scenic Callaghan Valley (where your humble reporter succeeded in flipping his machine over twice, even managing to tangle the guide skis in a submerged willow tree). For the less adventurous who still love the view from the top, Canadian Adventures also offers snowcat rides up to Crystal Hut, 6,000 feet up Blackcomb. The snowcats can tackle the steepest grades on the mountain with a slow, steady persistence that will bring you effortlessly to the top for a fondue dinner and live entertainment.

The restaurants and nightlife at the bottom are diverse enough to cater to anyone and everyone, though you may want to check on pricing before sitting down, as not all establishments fall into the same range. While everything is spectacular, a few places stand out, such as Mongolie Grill, a stir-fry restaurant where you build your own meal and watch it prepared hibachi-style right in front of you. The pedestrian road is lined with bars, but for a nice place to enjoy a drink and watch a game at the end of the day, Three-Below, just beneath the Mongolie Grill, is a great place to relax.

The restaurants and nightlife at the bottom are diverse enough to cater to anyone and everyone.