Report from 2/27/24-2/30/24
My first time skiing in Canada just so happened to be my first time out of the United States. I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Whistler, British Columbia, where I rode not one, but two world-class mountains. The snow conditions were below average upon arrival, but that was about to change drastically. I had my eyes on an incoming weather system that called for some accumulating snow in the region. My hopes were high, but I certainly didn’t expect what was about to happen next.
I pulled into town on the “Sea To Sky Hwy” on February 27, and got checked in to the lodging accommodations. Tickets acquired, I jumped on the Creekside Gondola and headed up Whistler Mountain. Next, I rode the “Big Red” chair towards the upper mountain, where I tried to get a lay of the land. Whistler/Blackcomb is the largest ski area in North America, offering 8,171 skiable acres of incredible terrain. Conditions were not bad, but I could tell they needed a good serving of white gold. It was a blessing to have some visibility on my first day because that was the last bit of sun I would see for the rest of my time in this wonderful place!
I ended the day with a delicious meal and some local live music at “Dusty’s Bar & BBQ” as the flakes began to fall. This was the beginning of what would bring Whistler/Blackcomb to near 100% of average, from a meager 60% of average to date! Snowfall rates increased as I drifted off to sleep, hopeful of what may be to come. I woke to the sounds of snow removal operations, I grinned with approval looking out at 20″ of base elevation snow! I booted up and secured a spot in line, soon to be airborne.
The sounds of pure enjoyment rang out from all directions, this is the type of snow Whistler is known for and it is finally here! I made lap after lap, as I tried not to choke on all the unusually dry snow that had fallen on this coastal B.C. resort, reminding me of my home base in the Colorado Rockies. Temps stayed quite cold as the wind howled around 80mph, making it very hard for ski patrol to open any alpine terrain. No worries, with this much terrain to choose from, we had endless deep turns below the treeline.
On day three, reporting another 11″ fresh, the winds died down and visibility improved for a short time. This allowed ski patrol to start mitigating some avalanche hazards and start getting some alpine terrain open. I found my way over to Blackcomb Mountain on this day to ride some of the fabled Crystal Express chair terrain, as I waited to pounce on any rope drops that presented themselves. This zone turned out to be all that I needed for the day, as fresh lines were available until the lift closed. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, dropping cliffs and slashing pow in this zone that had suffered a lightning-caused wildfire in 2009, making for a very unique experience among the standing dead trees.
On day four, reporting 9″ new snow, it was time to get into the legendary alpine terrain of Whistler Blackcomb. Ski Patrol was putting some final touches on their mitigation work as the locals lined up, knowing we would be rewarded today. I entered the line-up for the Peak Express chair, anticipating what was sure to be something special. I perused the trail map formulating a plan of attack, ready to strike when the chair crested the peak. The wait was surely worth every second, what awaited us in the alpine was nothing short of astonishing! Far too good for only one lap! I ripped down Whistler Bowl waist-deep into Shale Slope, and back in line for another. Next on the hit list was Grand Finale, to Doom and Gloom into Frog Hollow. Out of this world to say the least!
Once within the expansive terrain choices off of Whistler Peak, I quickly realized the depth of ski patrol efforts to open such a bewilderingly large swath of tremendous extreme terrain. I was blown away at how much terrain was opened in a timely fashion despite very high avalanche conditions in the region. Another shoutout that cannot go unmentioned is my newfound friend Brian Michals, owner of Bluebird Coffee~Tuning~Rentals. I was fully impressed at his willingness to go above and beyond, to make sure I had the tools I needed to slay this gnarly destination. The price was unbeatable and he was happy to share his knowledge of these mountains being a longtime local. And as always, shoutout to my buddy Seth Anderson of Loki Gear for keeping me warm and dry, even in these outrageously wet conditions in the coastal Canadian Rockies. Many thanks, Amigos!
Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, are separate but connected by an impressive one-of-a-kind gondola. This Gondola is the longest continuous lift system on the planet, boasting the farthest unsupported span of any lift anywhere! Incredibly, only four towers hold up this engineering marvel with an unsupported span of 1.88 miles between towers! Don’t look down, or do, I just had to! One more fun fact, Whistler was the location of the XXI Olympic Winter Games, part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
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