Creekside is a cluster of hotels and restaurants located at the base of another gondola. The Upper Village, a short walk across the river from the Village, is centered around another Blackcomb lift and Chateau Whistler, a grand hotel in the Canadian Pacific RR tradition. With their charm and convenience these Whistler communities have the disadvantage of being at low altitude, about 2000 feet. This leads to an environment where rain can often displace snow. Regardless of the Village weather, as you ride up on the gondolas you'll quickly pass beyond the snow line and look down onto a huge expanse of trees, hill and trails.
Whistler is exceedingly skier-friendly, especially with the helpful volunteer guides.
My guides, Earl, a retired teacher, and Nancy, an occupational nurse, gave me some good trail tips, as did John Murray, a retired executive who squired us around the first day. Blackcomb Mountain glacier zone. You'll find options galore, including blue and green runs from the top down, not found at many resorts, with roughly 100 trails on each mountain. Helping ensure ample snow quantity are the glaciers where you might find yourself skiing. On Blackcomb, chairs go right up to Horstman and Blackcomb glaciers, though access to the latter takes a short trek upward for a vast expanse outward and downward.