PSA: Olympic Visit Thoughts

Jill and I spent a few days at the Olympics in Vancouver.  If you’re thinking about visiting but do not have any tickets, here are some thoughts that might encourage you to go anyhow. 

1. There was no waiting at the Truck Crossing going and the Peace Arch returning.
2. We parked the van at the Scott Road P&R in the Overflow lot (between Home Depot and the P&R lot).  The overflow lot is unpaved and free; the P&R lot is paved and is a pay lot.  We spent the night in the Overflow lot – no problems.
3. We took the “Expo” SkyTrain line from Scott Road P&R to City Center.  We had bought a Day Pass for $9 for use on all transportation.  You can buy a Day Pass via credit card at vending machines at the P&R.  No one seems to be checking passes, but we always had one.
4. There are volunteers everywhere to provide any assistance you might need. 
5. The public transportation to all event sights is excellent and very easy to navigate.
6. We did not have advance tickets for any events. There are plenty of tickets available from the “scalpers”.  We bought our tickets for 50-75% of the published price -- there is free market pricing.  If you hate to bargain then this will be painful and expensive.  I usually buy my tickets very close to the official ticket booth, outside the event site, and about 30-45 minutes before an event but sometimes just after the event has started.  Carry US cash in small denominations and be willing to negotiate. 
7. If negotiating is not enjoyable, then you can probably buy a ticket just before the event at the event ticket booth.  Although events are “sold out” on the web, just about all events have tickets that become available for various reasons.  This probably won’t happen at the medal Hockey games or Figure Skating.
8. Plan at least a 30 minute wait to get through security for all events including the Live Sites in the city.
9. We attended: the US Womens Hockey victory over Russia – the US team is fantastic; a Womens Curling event – interesting and enjoyable, it was packed and they started serving (and drinking!) beer at 9am, curling is HUGE in Canada; an Awards Ceremony that was very emotional – there is entertainment before and after, with the group afterwards being Bare Naked Ladies, definitely worth the $22, get there early. 
10. We had hoped to get some Standing Room tickets for the events at Cypress, but the rains on Monday washed out the snow in the Standing Room area and due to safety concerns they cancelled all of those tickets and were providing refunds. 
11. We have tickets for the Mens Slalom event next Saturday at Whistler when we’ll make another trip back up to B.C.
12. The buzz about the Canadian Hockey team is incredible.
13. The only credit cards accepted are VISA and you should give your card holder a call that you plan to be in Canada. 

Yeah, you can see the events better on television plus it’s free.  But I’ve been to Lake Placid and the Montreal Olympics and the emotions of being on site are not replicated on television.

What's it like getting from Vancouver to Whistler? Are they letting private vehicles through? I realize there's probably no lodging, is it possible to head up there and camp in a car? Is there any parking?

What's it like getting from Vancouver to Whistler? Are they letting private vehicles through? I realize there's probably no lodging, is it possible to head up there and camp in a car? Is there any parking?

Between 6am and 6pm travel north of Squamish is restricted to vehicles with permits (you can't get one if you are asking this question). Outside of these hours anyone can pass the checkpoint without even slowing down, but you probably don't want to show up at 6:01pm.

Last weekend we slept in a station wagon in a random parking lot north of the village, then parked in the Westin underground lot ($16CAD for the day, no free village parking available) during the day while we skied and whined about the Downhill being postponed.

I recommend taking some time at the end of the day to check out Prior's tour of their facility to see how skis are hand-made. Check their website for times.

Here's the link to a Seattle Times article published on Friday, February 19 by Bob Condotta.  He describes the exact positive experience we had for buying tickets on-site.  I do not know what the situation is like at the Whistler sites.

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/...32_olytickets19.html

Thanks for the info.
I am real tempted to run up for next tuesday to see my niece compete in the 2 person bobsled.
This information makes it seem more feasible. I just did not want to hassle with all the crap for a one night thing.
Last year Scotsman and I went to her world cup race at the sliding center and it is not a great spectator sport. The racers are flying by at breakneck speeds, so watching the monitors and time splits seems to be the better viewing. I thought the best viewing was at the finish line. Especially when my niece jumped into 2nd place on their last run, only to be edged out of the medals by other USA teammates and Canada.
Anyway, Keep positive vibes going on and Cheer on Bree Schaaf in team USA 3 Bobsled!

Anyway, Keep positive vibes going on and Cheer on Bree Schaaf in team USA 3 Bobsled!

Joe, Thanks for the insight about your niece.  It is wonderful to know someone competing in the Olympics.

Here's another option for access to Whistler for day skiing and ..........

Things must be very quiet on the mountain.

www.whistlerblackcomb.com/olympics/parki..._WB_NOP_03_E1_100219

My brother and I left Seattle at 2 am Saturday morning and headed to Whistler for the day. Speed limit drive all the way to Squamish . We parked in a dirt lot across from Walmart , walked across the street and borded the #98 bus to Whistler , 10 loons , runs every 10 minutes. Bus drops you near the gonolas. Arrived in the village around 7 , very quiet around there. We boarded the Whistler gondola at 8:30 ,no lines. went straight to the viewing area for the womens super g , great spot , watched the top 30. skiied the rest of the day , good snow on north facing steeps. On the way down to the village went by the bobslede track , ticket booth is right there , 30 loons and we were in. It is really cool . You can walk the length of the track , sleds go by 1 meter from your face , great viewing. Be aware , no food or drink can be brought in to events. Boarded the #98 back to Squamish at 7pm , speed limit drive all the way to Seattle , 10 minute wait at truck crossing. All in all very easy to get around , everyone is very helpful . Word from evertone we talked to was that tickets to events are no problem. Go!

After some of the BS that has been written in the foreign press, I am very pleased that some of you realize that we canucks are not doing a bad job of putting on a world class event.

Especially when my niece jumped into 2nd place on their last run, only to be edged out of the medals by other USA teammates and Canada.
Anyway, Keep positive vibes going on and Cheer on Bree Schaaf in team USA 3 Bobsled!

Here's the link to an article about Joe's niece, Bree.

seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/olympics/...76_olybobsled23.html

KING-5 news at noon just showed a lengthy segment about Bree. The video is online, it looks like it first aired in Nov 2009:

www.king5.com/sports/Family-helping-push...ympics-74009657.html

That's great that it seems fairly easy to get tix. I wish I was able to get up there this weekend as I've got a friend competing in the Snowboard PGS on Saturday. If anyone is up at Cypress on Saturdayt look out for Tyler Jewell. I hope I can find some TV coverage of this event somewhere.

I was with all the crazies cheering Bree to a great Olympics.
It was exciting, especially when she was in the top position for a medal and beat her hero (USA 1) by one hundredth of a second. Then the world champion German sled capsizing on the ice and ejecting the brakeman. INTENSE!!!!
She is a rising star on that circuit and an excellent driver for her 1st full year in a bobsled.
Great to hug and congratulate Erin Pac's mom for her success!
The Oregonian has been doing a great job of covering Bree. She was on the front page of the Oregonian the day of her race. Oregonian  and this Front page Article

Glad I went, great family time, Tickets were easy to get, skiing was fantastic-no crowds, new snow, ski right on chair. Got to rub elbows with some high end athletes on the USA alpine teams.

Really happy and proud of Bree's hard work and accomplishments. Close second is her brother Tim who is dating a hot USA GS skier (23rd in combined) and I helped him rent skis (he's a very good snowboarder) so he can learn to ski again.
Such a proud uncle!
Not sure if they made it out the next day as they were partying full throttle and it was midnight when Uncle Joe had to throw in the towel. Bree and Emily were still in their racing outfits as they went out dancing and partying!

That's awesome Joe -- so cool to have a local and a friend-connection to someone in the sleds.

I can appreciate Joe's pride in his relative's Olympic accomplishment.( My only connection to the Olympic participants is my friendship with the head of the Finnish broadcasting team.) The biggest story concerning this event on this side of the 49th Parallel was the fact that gold and silver was claimed by Canadian ladies.

Hey Telemon, and with apologies for the drift to all, a few days ago i noticed a post on Ttips about a troop of guys - and thinking you were one of them- that toured  at and above a small inbounds place on the north end of Vancouver island - don't recall the name of the place - some nice looking pics - is the area worthy of a destination visit?  Always wanted to ski something over there - still blows me away that the island has glaciers - seems the only times we get over there is with kayaks on the truck. david

I've been cheering for nordic skier Holly Brooks who, as a tween, was the littlest ski instructor at the Snoqualmie nordic center back in the mid-nineties. Go Holly!

The biggest story concerning this event on this side of the 49th Parallel was the fact that gold and silver was claimed by Canadian ladies.

As well it should be! The event was theirs to lose.
It is pretty obvious that track was built for speed with added technical turns, a notch higher than any course ever built in the world. I saw the worlds best bobsled driver flip her sled and eject the brakewoman.
After the death of the Georgian luger, some how the light-bulb went on and then other sliders were allowed practice time on the track. Bree was out practicing from 10pm to early in the morning hours just to get time on the track.
Before the death, only the Canadian team was allowed to practice on the track. So Canadians got 150 runs on the track compared to Bree's 15. I was concerned for Bree's well being, so I wondered... Why would they not let others practice on a track that was intentionally designed to be so much faster with more turns than anything else in the world than what they are accustom to racing. The policy of home ice training to the host country is nothing new in sliding events in the Olympics and it is only privy to the home country. Since Canadians knew this going into the design phase, Canadians organizers should be held accountable for winning the medals and also killing the Georgian luger. Since the Russian team crashed, that policy needs to be changed before the bar is raised on the next track design in Russia.

Hey Telemon, and with apologies for the drift to all, a few days ago i noticed a post on Ttips about a troop of guys - and thinking you were one of them

davidG,drift over to the lift assisted trip report section.

sshhh.. thanks Tmon.. missed it the first time - too bad the pic links are dead

Jill and I returned to the Olympics to experience Vancouver again, and then to ski Blackcomb and see the Men’s Bobsleigh and Men’s Slalom events. We again drove to the Scotts Road Park and Ride and took the Sky train to the Waterfront to view the Olympic Cauldron then to Canada Hockey Place. Getting a ticket to the Gold Medal Woman’s Hockey game was prohibitive so we joined the crowds near the arena. We watched the Woman’s Hockey game between Canada and USA in the Quebec Provincial Pavilion near Canada Hockey Place.  It was a unique experience with wonderful cheese and blueberry brulee. The Pavilion was heated and they provided chairs for us senior citizens along with free scarves from Quebec. It was a fun place to share a National sporting event.  After the event, we drove to Squamish and spent the night near the waterfront in the campervan. We avoided the permit requirement on the road between Squamish and Whistler by getting on the road before 6am.  We had a parking permit for Lot 11 north of Whistler where they provided a free shuttle to Blackcomb.  We used our Stevens Pass midweek passes to get a free Edge Card and the reduced Edge Card rates for our lift tickets. 

It was snowing big, wet flakes at the base and it kept snowing harder as we ascended.  It was the most unusual experience on the mountain – it was almost deserted even though it was a powder day above the Excalibur gondola.  The upper lifts eventually opened, although visibility in the high alpine was limited.  OK, what does ‘deserted’ on Blackcomb really mean?  We concentrated on the area from the top of the Crystal chair to the top of Excalibur.  We rarely shared a trail with anyone and were usually skiing 1-2” of new on the groomers until we stopped around 1pm.  It was so unusual to stop while skiing and have to wait for a couple minutes before someone else came by.  We took a brief break in the Glacier Lodge about 11:30 and there were about 20 people around.  We watched the US hockey team blitz Finland on the TV screens during our short stay.

We eventually skied down to Base II and locked up the skis. Then I walked down the stairs to the ticket booth and bought a couple of tickets for the 4-man Bobsleigh event for $30 each.  We walked over to the Sliding Center and watched the first 2 runs of the event. Getting through Security was interesting – they required us to remove our ski boots and send them through the XRay machine, then we were wanded and could finally put our ski boots back on.   It was exciting because with the General Admission tickets we were able to roam around the whole area.  We had a great view of the 50-50 part of the run and eventually stood about 6 feet from the track near the finish line. We watched the blur of sleds cross the timing line, ascend the run and apply their brakes.  We also had a few sleds slid by tipped over on their sides.  Fortunately, no one was injured during our visit.  The cow bells, flags, painted bodies, and cheering fans made our skiing day at Blackcomb memorable, in addition to enjoying the deserted powder on the upper mountain.

After the event, we drove to Pemberton and had dinner at The Pony Bar and Café, and joined all of the Canadians in cheering the Canadian Hockey team in their semi-final victory against Slovakia. We spent a quiet evening in the camper in Pemberton with rain falling all night.  We returned to Whistler and shuttled to Creekside for the Men’s Slalom event.  It was 33 degrees with wet flakes falling during the event, but our small umbrellas made our visit pleasant.  After the event, we returned to Whistler for a few Olympic trinkets.  “Telemack” was staying in the village with some friends and I’m certain he’ll post a photo of himself in the Canadian Bobsleigh that was just out side his lodging.

The genuine friendliness of everyone we encountered was memorable and priceless.

Thanks Canada !