winter is officially here

M

mark

New member
just got news that whistler will be opening this weekend! i hiked up to check out the snow first hand today and there is quite a base already. anything that has been groomed will be nice and filled in. the natural pack has a nasty crust halfway down, but that probably won't be evident above the treeline. we've got 100+cm base and it's supposed to snow steadily above 1500m for the next few days. i wasn't feeling ready to start the season, but that all changed pretty quickly...

according to my records, we are at about the same level we were at this time last year. last season we got hit with a major arctic system the next few weeks, so we'll see how it shapes up this year.

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Looks like fun...have a good one.

The question I have is, will Whistler have the most expensive lift ticket in North America this year? :wink:
 
Well this is entirely upsetting and unfair. The snow level looks really low too. For early Nov.

Does this one clear tracks or run in them?

mark":z2dazr29 said:
face%20level.jpg
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Patrick":2k3a7gvy said:
The question I have is, will Whistler have the most expensive lift ticket in North America this year? :wink:
Click to expand...

I don't think so....
Whistler: $79 CDN
Vail: $81
Deer Valley: $79
Aspen: $87

[Prices are non-discounted walk-up weekend/holiday window price - there is no reason anyone has to pay these rates. EG: buy a 2 of 3 day ticket in advance over the net and Whistler becomes $60/day]
 
ChrisC":3unzloxi said:
Well this is entirely upsetting and unfair. The snow level looks really low too. For early Nov.

Does this one clear tracks or run in them?
Click to expand...

she's learned it's much easier to follow someone else's line than to go for the fresh. i wish i could get her to beat a boot pack for me.
 
It may be even more Mark's turn to gloat this season than a year ago, because at the moment nobody else has significant natural snow. I told Mark this was likely to happen when he was suffering through the aberrational 2004-05 season at Whistler.
 
Marc_C":1dg4yo9t said:
[Prices are non-discounted walk-up weekend/holiday window price - there is no reason anyone has to pay these rates. EG: buy a 2 of 3 day ticket in advance over the net and Whistler becomes $60/day]
Click to expand...

Just talking window price here. :wink:

Marc_C":1dg4yo9t said:
I don't think so....
Whistler: $79 CDN
Vail: $81
Deer Valley: $79
Aspen: $87
Click to expand...

Well not far, for a moment last week ($1CDN = $1.10US): 79CDN = 86.90 US. Does that $79CDN included all taxes and fees. :wink:

However the Canadian $ exchange is getting closer to normal since then ($1.02 US - today).
 
she's learned it's much easier to follow someone else's line than to go for the fresh. i wish i could get her to beat a boot pack for me.
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Beautiful dog.

My dogs will break trail for me when the snow is nice n deep, only problem is...the dogs don't always stay on the desired path and sometimes take forays under downed trees in chase of a critter. But they do help out for a good portion of the trek on my land which they now quite well since we hike, bike and ski it year round. My eldest dog trails my heels, and often prefers to stand on my skis. They are very smart animals and the best companions.
 
As a UK based visitor to the USA every winter I am loving the current exchange rate.

At US$2.1 to the £1 versus CAN$1.8 it makes a ticket and trip generally to the USA a much better proposition. So for me, its way cheaper at $80 a day in the USA than Canada.

It will be interesting to see from a UK perspective what will happen to the hordes of tourists that head to Banff/Whistler/Fernie each winter from the UK in the coming year or so largely due to the CAN$ rate. Will they continue to go? My bet is that if it continues at the same levels a few of the companies that dropped Utah will start again shortly....
 
q":3tx8t4g3 said:
As a UK based visitor to the USA every winter I am loving the current exchange rate.

At US$2.1 to the £1 versus CAN$1.8 it makes a ticket and trip generally to the USA a much better proposition. So for me, its way cheaper at $80 a day in the USA than Canada...
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Exchange rates have varied greatly lately, the Canadian dollars dropped close to 8 cents in one week including a record 3 cents dropped in one day. Exchange is now around 1.02. Government and most industries are happy about this.

Even if you get more money for your buck/pound, you also have to look at what is the cost to ski certain places. Some places will be cheaper to live at even with the dollar at par, regardless if it's in the US and Canada. The Banff is pretty cheap compared to most others ski destinations, regardless of the exchange rate.

However I understand the feeling about going to places that are more expensives, because they are now more affordable now and you would liked to take advantage of it. :p This said, aiming to get to BC this Winter, which would be the first big trip in Canada in the last 8 trips (6 of them in the US).
 
well, we've got snow, so that's bound to attract some visitors :wink:

Sharon, so true - i always feel terrible when i'm packing up my stuff and the dog has to stay home. they are the perfect riding partner. always up for whichever trail you want and never complain about getting cold or hungry.
 
mark":vn6tyfpn said:
according to my records, we are at about the same level we were at this time last year. last season we got hit with a major arctic system the next few weeks, so we'll see how it shapes up this year.
Click to expand...

I missed the first blast in late November last year, but got just as lucky mid-December as part of the same series of fronts. Only one "bad" day the whole week, and it was still better than most of the skiing I'd seen in the last few years (just cold and windy, snow was fine). The last two days were absolutely epic.

So now I've got three weeks of vacation left for this year and only five weeks of year left... first good report and I'm on a plane.

Maury
 
hey - unfortunately the forecast isn't offering much at this point. high skies for the rest of the week. it's not bad up there, but nothing like last year where we got pounded for two weeks solid and they opened the alpine with incredible coverage and quality of snow. we really need another big system dropping about 60cm before i'd venture too far off piste.
 
Sharon":3lgrjcwc said:
she's learned it's much easier to follow someone else's line than to go for the fresh. i wish i could get her to beat a boot pack for me.
Click to expand...

Beautiful dog.

My dogs will break trail for me when the snow is nice n deep, only problem is...the dogs don't always stay on the desired path and sometimes take forays under downed trees in chase of a critter. But they do help out for a good portion of the trek on my land which they now quite well since we hike, bike and ski it year round. My eldest dog trails my heels, and often prefers to stand on my skis. They are very smart animals and the best companions.
Click to expand...

These two are pretty good ski dogs.

The Keeshond (racoon-looking male dog) prefers to break trail/lead/etc even in depths up to 2'+ -- but requires dog boots if out for more than 1 hr in snow. Snow-packed feet bother him.

The black one (sweeter female mix) follows and will stand on skis or snowshoes. However, she gets a little confused on whether to follow the skier or brother down the hill.

Gridlock can occur when the male lead gets tired at the end of the day (and refuses to follow) and the female decides to sit on your skis.


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