Whistler Mountain Will Open on Wednesday, November 23, Blackcomb Mountain to Open as Scheduled on Thursday, November 24.
WHISTLER, BC November 18, 2016 – Whistler Mountain will begin operations for the 2016.17 winter season one day ahead of schedule on Wednesday, November 23. The head start has been made possible by recent colder temperatures and natural snowfall at lower elevations over the past week. Blackcomb Mountain will open as scheduled on Thursday, November 24.
“Our current base is sitting at 86cm (34in), as measured at the Pig Alley weather station on Whistler Mountain and we have received 84cm (33in) of snow since November 1. There is another 35cm (14in) to 45cm (18in) of snow in the forecast for higher elevations throughout the weekend and early next week leading up to opening day,” says Doug MacFarlane, Director of Mountain Operations at Whistler Blackcomb. “With recent colder temperatures, our snowmaking team has been able to give Mother Nature a helping hand in preparations for opening day. We know there are many skiers and snowboarders anxiously waiting for the season to start and are excited to get them out there.”
On November 23, guests will have the option to upload Whistler Mountain via the Whistler Village Gondola or Creekside Gondola. First upload will be at 8:30am with last upload from the valley at 2:00pm. The lifts will be spinning until 3:00pm with a mandatory download in effect on both gondolas. There will be limited terrain open and early season hazards will exist.
On November 24, Blackcomb Mountain will open with uploading via the Excalibur Gondola and Excelerator Express as well as the Wizard Express and Solar Coaster Express. First upload will begin at 8:30am with last upload from the valley at 2:00pm and skiing and boarding until 3:00pm. Mandatory download will be in effect with limited terrain open and early season hazards.
For live lift status throughout the day, guests are encouraged to check the on mountain lift status boards or the Whistler Blackcomb website at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/the-mountain/lifts-and-grooming. Guests can also download the free Whistler Blackcomb Live powered by Telus app or follow Whistler Blackcomb’s Twitter feed for operational updates using #WBops.
“We would like to remind guests to ski and ride safely as early season conditions will apply, especially off of marked trails,” says MacFarlane. “Please obey all mountain signage, ski and ride on open runs only and stay within the operational area marked by ‘Boundary’ signage.”
The Roundhouse Lodge will be in operation for opening day including Seppos Bar. The newly renovated Garibaldi Lift Co. Bar & Grill (GLC), located in Skier’s Plaza at the base of the Whistler Village Gondola, will be open from 11:00am to 1:00am beginning on November 22. Garbo’s Grill & Espresso Bar and Essentially Blackcomb Coffee will both open at 7:00am. Dusty’s Bar & BBQ will be open from 11:00am until 1:00am and Dusty’s Backside will be open for breakfast from 7:00am to 11:00am at the base of the Creekside Gondola. The Creekside Starbucks location will be open from 6:30am until 7:00pm.
For opening day on Blackcomb Mountain, The Rendezvous Lodge will be open as well as the Glacier Creek Lodge. The Wizard Grill will be open for breakfast and lunch beginning at 7:00am and Merlin’s Bar and Grill opens at 11:00am at the base of Blackcomb.
Avoid the rush on opening day by picking up your passes and cards ahead of time. The Hours of Operation for all Guest Relations locations can be found at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/snow-report#hours-of-operation.
As a reminder, Whistler Blackcomb is now included in Avalanche Canada’s Sea-To-Sky region. Daily backcountry avalanche bulletins will be issued by Avalanche Canada beginning November 21. More information about backcountry safety at Whistler Blackcomb, including the latest avalanche bulletin for the Sea-To-Sky region, is available at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain-info/backcountry.
Special early season pricing will be in effect for both Whistler and Blackcomb Mountain opening days. Adult full-day lift tickets will be $79 (CDN) for November 23-24 and $89 (CDN) beginning on Friday, November 25 through the weekend. Edge Card Direct-to-Lift Rates for adults will be $77 (CDN) on the November 23-24 and $87 (CDN) on the Friday, November 25 through the weekend. More information is available at https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/purchase/tickets-and-passes/winter-lift-tickets.
For Canadian, Washington State and Oregon State residents, Whistler Blackcomb offers the EDGE Card, allowing guests to ski/ride from $73 (CDN) per day with a ten day card. EDGE Cards are valid for use all season long and are available at early bird pricing until November 21. Guests can choose from one, three, five or ten deeply discounted days. Five or ten day EDGE Cards purchased before November 21also come with a bonus day valid for use until December 16. More information is available at www.whistlerblackcomb.com/edge.
Guests looking to plan a trip to the consistently rated No. 1 Mountain Resort in North America can visit whistlerblackcomb.com/purchase/deals-packages or call 1-888-403-4727.
About Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America’s premier four season mountain resort, Whistler and Blackcomb are two side-by-side mountains which combined offer over 200 marked runs, 8,171 acres of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receives on average over 1,170 centimetres (461 inches) of snow annually, and one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola.