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Apparently, you used to be able to traverse over to get into Secret. It might have been that way my first season here IIRC, but that hasn’t been the case for years now. The Horstman Glacier has lost so much volume it now requires uphill travel. Currently, you have to deal with the regular 30-45+...

1000%. Capacity is a major issue but it’s reliability is too. It routinely goes down throughout the day causing headaches for staff and visitors. Word is it’s a two year job since the current WVG is integrated into buildings at the base and the Roundhouse. Not to mention the disruption it will...

It’s been busy, too. Even weekdays have had packed lodges. With increasingly high freezing levels, Whistler need the capital and the resources to improve access to the alpine. Sounds like the WVG which desperately needs to be replaced. Avoid it at all costs.

As you noted, the summers are what are causing rapid retreat of the glaciers regionally. Recent years have been particularly brutal for loss of ice. The retreat of the nearby Wedgmount Glacier is one of many well documented examples. When I moved to BC in 2021, I was told you don’t need air...

Yup, you have to hike or skin. You can also traverse from the Stupid chutes but that requires some hiking too. Honestly, it’s been for the better that it’s not running. The entrance to the glacier can no longer handle the skier traffic. What used to be a simple traverse now requires dropping...

I guess it’s not a total shocker, but Blackcomb’s Showcase t-bar is being replaced for next season. The t-bar has barely run the last two seasons due to the recession of the Horstman Glacier. The entrance to the Blackcomb Glacier has also gotten much spicier in recent years. Like The Saddle run...

I don’t intend to find out firsthand. Thank goodness there’s endless backcountry skiing in SWBC to fallback on.

That’s one of the biggest reasons why March and April are my favorite months for Whistler. The lifts are open longer. That and not having to drive the S2S in the dark :)

The mountain and the village seemed busier than normal for this time of year last weekend. Granted, I was doing a crevasse rescue course on Blackcomb, but my partner was skiing inbounds and we both noted a lot of folks up from the States. I’m not surprised given the dire situation in WA, but I’m...

I never saw it pre-covid, but Squamish has certainly changed considerably in the past few years. It’s quite lovely. I sometimes stay overnight in Squamish if I’m in need of cheap accommodations and don’t want to hassle with day tripping. This week’s weather could be a toss up. Whistler has a...

I’m not sure. Possibly? Since I moved here, the early season boundary starts off quite small, does not include the alpine, and expands slowly. Folks I've chatted with have attributed it to staffing but who knows if that's true. For example, below are some photos I have from Nov. 26th 2021. You...

I would add big powder days to the list of days to avoid. Lol Christmas through mid-March is madness on weekends. March is my favorite month by far. Last weekend was pretty quiet on the Blackcomb side. Outside of opening weekend and powder days, I find November and December to be tolerable...

Looks like some fun terrain and decent enough coverage for early season. I’ve never been to Mammoth, but it looks like the mountain and its lift network allow for lapping high alpine terrain even when coverage further down is limited. Alpine lifts in Whistler usually start opening by the...

Oof. Revelstoke is the latest to postpone their opening day. Crystal too, but that’s less of a surprise given how warm it has been in WA. Agree, 15-day is typically not worth looking at. Even 10-day forecasts can be suspect, especially when it comes to forecasting precipitation amounts. It...

7th is not running. The uphill route is a groomed cat track starting at the top of Jersey Cream. It’s actually quite an easy hike/skin with a gentler pitch than Flute. It takes approximately 10 minutes to get to the lower Chainsaw runs and 45 minutes to get to top of 7th. Much easier than hike...

Whistler isn’t as bad as I feared. Yes, coverage and conditions are bad on the lower third of Jersey Cream and Catskinner, but coverage above 1800m is great. Much more skiable terrain than the 3 trails officially open. Skiers coming down Saudan The runs off Chainsaw Ridge and elsewhere in the...

Looks like interior BC isn’t faring much better. Sun Peaks pushed their opening day to next week. There’s nothing more than a dusting in the video they posted today.

I thought the same thing. I didn’t realize how quickly snow depths dropped off until I started reading some concerning trips reports from the Whistler backcountry last week. The on mountain weather stations make it pretty clear. Pig Alley at 1650m is reporting 71cm (28”)—okay for opening day...

The Whistler alpine is off to a decent start, but below the Roundhouse and Rendezvous, it’s a different story. Most of the precip has fallen as rain in recent weeks, and there’s no snow below 1500m. Ops just shared their opening day plan and it’s not pretty. Blackcomb opens Friday with just 1...

1000%! I was being snarky when I linked to the article in all caps. 😆 I am skeptical DV will be able to overcome nature and offer a quality product in much of the new terrain, and I suspect casual skiers will notice a difference. They may not comprehend why the surface feels different. Casual...