A serious budget, like broke-ass-university-student type of budget. Yes, it can be done.
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Words by David Peacock
Photos By David Peacock and Jake Muffly
First off, there are certain concessions that must be made, and the ability to keep the final cost below x depends on ones starting and finishing points. One of my saving graces is that I can drive to the bike park, albeit a 10 hour commute. For some, a 10 hour plane ride is in order, and judging by the amount of people affected by the enchantments of the WMB, a space shuttle may be in service for the mountain biking martians willing to blow the budget. Heck even people from New Zealand might want to ride there!
Worldly wisecracks aside, it is evident that the Whistler Bike Park is of great importance to our small, adrenaline fueled world. Perhaps it could be likened to a mountain bikers paradise; unfortunately, the price of paradise remains high, as a result of various inconvenient capitalizations on humankind's desire to have fun. So how does one keep the biking bill by the belly of the snake? Frugality doesnt seem to be a strong suit of many patrons of the WMB.
The new and improved Freight Train, now with more dirt (cheap) jumps!
Gas: 90 dollars total, thats a ten hour drive if you dont step out of the car no matter how imminent the onset of Vesicoureteral reflux becomes. How did the gas cost so little? Volkswagon Golfs are totally the new Chevy Silverado for shuttle vehicles. Like I said, lady luck lies in my corner on the commuting portion of the budget.
Food: Whistler lends itself to the distinguished and refined palate, but there is the obvious ways to keep the food down. Dups Burrtios is always there doling out 10 dollar Mexican feasts for the weary biker, and Splitz grill is another perfect way to unwind in style, whilst keeping the price down. Apart from that, and the amazing calzones at the pizza place next to Splitz, name currently evading my memory, cooking meals at the campsite (Im getting to that) saves a ton of money.
Living: Undoubtedly the penthouse suites of the Fairmont and Hilton will appeal more to some, but given the 10 dollar a night price tag, the Forestry Service campsite that lies just 10 minutes drive from the base of the park is perfect for the purposes of the poor. Pitch a tent, roll up in your Winnebago, whatever you want; its the best way to stay in Whistler. Name o Callaghan Cheakamus Campsite, after the conjoining rivers at the sites waterfront.
Rock wall ride on Original Sin.
Tickets: This is an obvious must. You cant go to Whistler and not rock lap after lap in the park. Personally, the best deal presented is always the triple play card. 3 days of funder, but 3 days of not necessarily consecutive riding is the bees knees. 10 AM until 8 PM, you dont have to stop for anything but the ride back up. That said, its definitely worth it to check out the local trails as well, and a map at Evolution or any of the other shops will cost you about 10 dollars, but advice and directions from a local is free, so take it when available. The air dome is an absolute must. 15 dollars for a 3 hour session will dominate any other way of learning to control your bike in ways unimaginable. The sampler ticket is also an interesting option that WMB introduced last season. 23 dollars for 3 runs, and 3 runs to the top of Garbanzo is more than enough to satiate at least a portion of the bike park hunger.
Variables: The equation of cheap bike parking, or riding the bike park to avoid any ambiguities, is fraught with them. Chiefly, bike repairs: a broken fork or frame can produce a dangerously high repair or replacement bill, as we all know, and if there is any place in the world capable of handing out broken parts its Whistler. I suppose the best way to deal with this is to make sure that the campsite fee doesnt drain the last of ones monetary reserves. A second obvious variable is the duration of the stay. I have found that an excellent stay is about 4 days of riding, 3 in the bike park and one to sample the loc trails or the air dome. Unfortunately, to keep with the mathematical gibberish, the chance of bike parts meeting their end increases proportionally with an increase in the amount of time spent in the bike park. But hey, since when have repairs dampened the intrepid spirits of mountain bikers?
All told, through this thoroughly unrefined method of riding in Whistler, four-day trips usually cost 200-250 dollars. Think you can get the final tally below that? Any missing expenses or necessary treats? Spew em!
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