Vancouver Canucks president Trevor Linden shares his B.C. 'happy place'

Backcountry skiing, hiking, mountain biking. Ah, Whistler what's not to love?

That's essentially the sentimentbehindTrevor Linden choosing the mountain resort as hisfavourite spot in British Columbia.

"It's a very happy place for me," Linden said."For me, it's all about activities, whether it be mountain biking or skiing or hiking."

The VancouverCanuckspresident and long-time fan favourite player is an avidoutdoorsmanand is a particularly big fan, not surprisingly, of winter sports.

"I love snow, I love being in the snow. I'm always skiing on ski touring, or back country skiing," he said.

Linden visits ski destinations around the world, but Whistler's proximity to the hockey team he presides overmakes it a big draw.

"It's close enough to Vancouver but puts you in a differenthead space," he said.

And Whistler'syear-round offer of outdoor activities like mountain biking and hiking in the summer doesn't hurt.

Linden first visited the mountain resort around 1989, but says it has changed a lot since then.

One thing that remains the same each year, though, is hoping to get a head start on the winter season that lies ahead.

''In November it's all about early snow and hoping for early snow," he said.