Fresh Tracks Breakfast

Our next day in Whistler started VERY early.  We were up at 5, to be at the lifts by 6.  (Wasn't so bad, I was on Cleveland time, so it was like 8, getting there by 9)  Why?  To have a sunrise breakfast at a restaurant on the mountain, and be the first to ski down!

This was the gondola's that we took all the way to the top of the mountain.

Our breakfast

This was so beautiful, the sunrise over the mountains

Very top of Whistler Mountain

It is just a breathtaking view of the mountain range up here

It's hard to see from this picture, but you need to ski down and take that little lift to the summit

We proped up our boards, and headed inside the Roundhouse Lodge for a delicious breakfast buffet

Full and bundled up, waiting for them to ring to bell so we could go

Everybody eating breakfast inside.  

The Roundhouse Lodge was right next to the Peak 2 Peak Gondola, more on this modern marvel later...

Here I am, one of the only ones on the mountain, on my way to snowboard!

Map of the many trails on Whistler Mountain

So, our legs weren't what they used to be, so the morning skiing and snowboarding was good enough for us.  We went back to our condo, changed, and went back up the mountain to go on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.  The weather had changed fast!  It was still not precipitating in the village, but there was a definite cloud on the top third of the mountain.  When we got up there, it was a complete white out!

This was the restaurant we ate at in the morning.

And see, the summit?  Not anymore, same angle, same photo.

It was amazing how much the weather changed above freezing level.  It could be 40* and clear in the village, and 28* and blizzarding on the mountain.  

Bobsledding

This was one of the coolest things EVER!  We went bobsledding!

We went on the same track as the 2010 Olympians!  We did the bottom 2/3rds of the track, still!

After our training class, we were too hot to wait inside being all bundled up, so we went outside and played around.  Here I am in my one woman bobsled.

Robb in the driver's seat!

I won a gold!  See my medal!  

Robb's medal was inside his coat, but he won the gold too!

This is a segment of the track.  It was interesting to learn that the heat that was generated from cooling the tracks actually heated the building that we had our class in.  Whistler was very environmentally friendly.

This is a map of the entire course

All the different countries that were in the Olympics had a flag above the last turn of the track

We were the last run of the day, and of the season!  This is the starting point.

The sleds were driven back up the hill in the back of a pick up truck.  

It was slid off the truck on big pieces of wood so the blades wouldn't dull.

Here we are, waiting for our sled.

Getting seated.  Our driver was first, then me, then Robb, and then some guy.

It was a tight squeeze!

Ready to go!  The guys gave use a very fast running start!  We went super fast, almost 80 miles per hour, and got banged around a lot, but it was so fun!

And we won!  We had the best time of the entire day!

Beat that Olympians!

Whistler Olympic Park

Whistler Olympic Park was where we cross country skied.  They had the Olympic cross country, biathlon, and ski jump events here.

We pulled in to the park to be greeted by this snow covered inukshuk.

Here's Robb standing by the snow in the parking lot.  There was so much, you actually skied on the top of it.   This wasn't just a big shoveled pile.

This is the ski lodge, where we rented skis and also had our luch.

Here's me, by the snow and our giant car!

These Olympic rings were on the side of the beginning of the trail.

The tracks were perfectly groomed

Definitely SO much nicer than Chapin Forest!

It was incredibly beautiful to ski here.  They had MILES and miles of trails.

Tree covered in lichen.  Over foresting was starting to become a problem for the elk here.  They eat the lichen, which only grows on the oldest, biggest trees, which are also the best to log.  

Robb skiing along

Those are shipping crates, covered in snow!

This was the shooting range for the biathalon.

There was a group of kids practicing, which was fun to watch.

Leftover Olympic sign.

This is on the patio outside where we had lunch.  It was a warmer day (about 35*), and felt nice in the sun under heaters.  Plus, we'd really worked up a sweat (and a gigantic blister on my heel), so it felt refreshing.

This is the ski jump.  We were lucky enough to happen to pass by when some kids were practicing.  They just flew off the jumps, it was pretty incredible to watch.

Here's me, working hard to get up this hill!  I really loved cross country skiing.  It was a great workout, and so much fun at the same time.

Shows just how much snow there was!

"Is this going to fall on my head?"

Native totem pole.

Carved out walkway to the lodge

This is Black Tusk Mountain.  It's one of the tallest in the area, named for the giant rock on the top that looks like a tusk.

She thinks he's a baby zebra!

Best Breakfast EVER!

Boy, the French know how to do it!  We went to breakfast at this little French creperie in Whistler.  We started with delicious cappuccino and coffee, and then got to the good stuff!

Crepe Montagne- A reason to go back to Whistler!

 I ordered these buckwheat creps smothered in cheese, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, hollandaise, and a sunny side up egg!  It was one of the best things I'd ever eaten.

 The cheese crisped up around the edges, like cheesy croutons!  It was heavenly!

Robb's breakfast was incredible also.  The pancake batter was definitely homemade, and was so fluffy and sweet!  The little red potatoes were perfectly cooked, and the homemade bread was delicious!

 It was a great way to start the day! 

Another Cool Nail Design!

I got a dotting tool! It's so easy and so cute!