Whistler Blackcomb is, hands down, one of my favorite ski resorts. When I went skiing there with my family for the first time, in 2005, I struggled on blue runs while my dad glided double blacks with ease. He always talked about a short hike dubbed 'Spanky's Ladder,' from the top of which he accessed some rather hairy runs. This year, after a few years away, we went back to the resort. Finally, I was ready to ski the legendary 'Spanky's Ladder.' It was a rite of passage.
At the top of the hike was a sign reading 'EXPERTS ONLY,' warning skiers and boarders of the extreme conditions they could expect to run into below.
Our first run down was absolutely amazing. It was very steep, no doubt about it, but with a fresh coat of light powder to top it off, nothing could have been better. My dad, sister, and I were the only people there and I can think of no place I would have rather have had fresh tracks.
For our next sprint down Spanky's we decided to try a different entrance and, boy, was this one scary. Well, the slope itself, while quite sheer, wasn't the worst part. What was terrifying was the traverse over. With cliffs on either side of a ridge that no one would call spacious, I was just a little bit nervous.
In the end, however, it was all worth it. I survived Spanky's, not once, but four times. As a skier, I'm finally almost on par with my dad.
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