Whistler conditions 18-19

[raypruit]

Gong show yes, but I'm betting it's still pretty good

[Huskier]

What's the story on all the upper mountain lifts being closed? Control work? Low tide? I have to imagine that after this last storm there's enough coverage...

[gramboh]

What's the story on all the upper mountain lifts being closed? Control work? Low tide? I have to imagine that after this last storm there's enough coverage...

Closed today because of extensive AC after nearly two feet new overnight. Peak has been the only alpine lift open so far this year, believe that is due to low tide.

Obviously that’s changed and I’m sure once they get through a few days of AC and other operational work that more lifts will open... probably Harmony first and maybe Glacier/7th with Spankys/Blackcomb glacier as temp boundary. Then again, Saturday is the only clear day in the forecast so the constant loading may delay things a while into next week/weekend, who knows.

Pure speculation from my cubicle.

[FlimFlamvanHam]

What's the story on all the upper mountain lifts being closed? Control work? Low tide? I have to imagine that after this last storm there's enough coverage...

Combo of both. Glacier was not scheduled to spin today regardless of dump. big winds tomorrow should further hamper that but I would guess all lifts (at least on blackcomb) will be open for weekend.

[wizard604]

Anyone know when Whistler starts the Fresh Tracks breakfast. Website only says mid Dec

[t.odd]

Anyone know when Whistler starts the Fresh Tracks breakfast. Website only says mid Dec

tomorrow...really deep this morning!

[Maximus Farcisimus]

tomorrow...really deep this morning!

Thought it was the 15th—-dang


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[t.odd]

Thought it was the 15th—-dang


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

a friend who works snowboard school mgmt was telling me that last night anyway...can't actually confirm though

[wizard604]

Awesome... guess it's an early start for me tomorrow

[gramboh]

Was thinking of trying Fresh Tracks on Sunday. Wonder what the line-up cut off will be at this time of year, 5:45am?

[Huskier]

May be doing the same, I seem to recall a touch later but I could be wrong

[paulster2626]

Upload looks like a gong show this morning. Is the blackcomb gondi opening today?

[The AD]

Upload looks like a gong show this morning. Is the blackcomb gondi opening today?

Supposedly opening around noon.

[gramboh]

Looks like extreme winds up high... Peak gusting as high as 179km/h average wind speed as high as 140-150km/h the last few hours! Harmony Ridge pretty close numbers to that. That is going to make AC work interesting with all the new snow. Hope they are even able to get up and throw bombs today. Lots of close calls yesterday posted on Facebook and Wayne Flann's blog. Stay safe folks.

May be doing the same, I seem to recall a touch later but I could be wrong

The last time I tried was 2 winters ago, walked into the village on a big pow day weekend morning around 5:50am and the line was back to Sundial Crescent beside the Pan Pacific. Turned around and went back to bed. Maybe it was a long weekend but that was nuts.

[t.odd]

I love days where my decisions to go to work are somewhat validated....or at least it makes me feel better anyway.......

[PeteDee]

Looks like extreme winds up high... Peak gusting as high as 179km/h average wind speed as high as 140-150km/h the last few hours! Harmony Ridge pretty close numbers to that. That is going to make AC work interesting with all the new snow. Hope they are even able to get up and throw bombs today. Lots of close calls yesterday posted on Facebook and Wayne Flann's blog. Stay safe folks.



The last time I tried was 2 winters ago, walked into the village on a big pow day weekend morning around 5:50am and the line was back to Sundial Crescent beside the Pan Pacific. Turned around and went back to bed. Maybe it was a long weekend but that was nuts.

Read the same about the close calls. Extreme wind loading on top of a ton of new on top of this apparently extremely touchy layer...be safe all!

In re: fresh tracks, in my ~5x sample size from last year...below 10cm or so there's typically not too big a crowd, I'd say 6:30 should get you up. However, 15+, and weekends, I would say 6. 30+ more like 5:30 for a guaranteed upload. There's a literal crush of 300 people around 6am on big days that finish the job, it's a matter of minutes at that point. The other thing is, if you're some of the last to upload, chances are you don't get off the gondola until 8 and the mountain will be open by the time you're up...so send somebody to get breakfast while you're in line.

The best days I had were 8-10cm days where I could just rip what was fresh along Dave Murray or something and get as many laps in as possible before the rest of the mountain opened. I can understand those who pan it as a waste of 20 bucks, but having normally clogged parts of the mountain to yourself was worth it now and then.

[gramboh]

Read the same about the close calls. Extreme wind loading on top of a ton of new on top of this apparently extremely touchy layer...be safe all!

In re: fresh tracks, in my ~5x sample size from last year...below 10cm or so there's typically not too big a crowd, I'd say 6:30 should get you up. However, 15+, and weekends, I would say 6. 30+ more like 5:30 for a guaranteed upload. There's a literal crush of 300 people around 6am on big days that finish the job, it's a matter of minutes at that point. The other thing is, if you're some of the last to upload, chances are you don't get off the gondola until 8 and the mountain will be open by the time you're up...so send somebody to get breakfast while you're in line.

The best days I had were 8-10cm days where I could just rip what was fresh along Dave Murray or something and get as many laps in as possible before the rest of the mountain opened. I can understand those who pan it as a waste of 20 bucks, but having normally clogged parts of the mountain to yourself was worth it now and then.

Thanks dude, super helpful, makes sense the mass would arrive right around 6, will keep it in mind depending on weather... it is worth it on a good day when you can bang off a ton of mid mountain laps before people get up and I agree it's only worth it if you are near the front and out of the Roundhouse when the bell rings.

Anyone up skiing today? Curious if patrol was throwing bombs or not? Still looks mighty windy even if it has calmed down a touch.

[wicked_sick]

I heard a couple bombs first thing this morning but not nearly as many as yesterday. Pretty underwhelming day, but still better than a good day at work!

[FlimFlamvanHam]

What a debacle today was. No shit, it took 2 hours to get to Jersey Cream chair (which was spinning but not loading) from the time i got in the epic line up at Base 2. Lifties on Jersey came by to those waiting to say no idea if it would ever open but more lifts on whistler spinning. A whack of people left for Whistler. I waited.

Jersey opened about 15 mins later and between that and Cat Skinner chairs it was about 90 mins of great conditions and no people: the first 3 laps of Cat Skinner were just plain weird with those conditions and so few people. It was like going back 20 years and skiing on a weekday.

Then they closed all but Excelerator due to winds so I ended my day at that. Worth it, but unfortunate about the wind closures.

tomorrow should be really good: cool temps and should be good vis and calm winds. Assuming they get the tops open, and I think they will before 11, there's 3 feet of untouched up top (albeit pretty wind consolidated or wind removed). Sure it'll be busy, but waiting in line for more time than you actually ski is part of the Whistler experience.

[Zaeius]

Pretty underwhelming is an apt description - especially compared to yesterday.

The wind (and possibly a temp spike) overnight really messed with the snow making it much denser and kinda funky; unfortunately even in the trees. Everybody who got social media fomo from yesterday also decided to take the day off today making it much busier.

Not sure how tomorrow will play out. Im sure patrol will be working their hardest to get the alpine open (seems like Harmony is about due?) but with all of the new snow and high winds not sure if they will have had a chance to get everything set in addition to the large amount of AC work needed. Heard a few bombs in the morning but not a ton. Will probably be busy AF tomorrow.

[gramboh]

Very high chance of gongshow and absurd lineups of citiots... and I’ll be contributing to it. Wonder if they will crack the new gondola at 8 or not, might add a new element to Blackcomb storm days where they have to do mid mtn AC above Excel.

Long week of desk jockeying, will be nice to get some turns.

[Dee Hubbs]

Looks like Blackcomb Gondola was opened at 8:30 this morning.

[FlimFlamvanHam]

absurd lineups of citiots... and I’ll be contributing to it.

Long week of desk jockeying, will be nice to get some turns.

Post up how it was. It pains me that I cannot make it up at all today, because weekend and citiots em masse or not, it’s still preseason and the masses booked into whistler are not there yet.

Even if they get glacier and harmony spinning in addition to the regulars thus far, it should make for minimal lines is my hope.

[The AD]

Looks like Blackcomb Gondola was opened at 8:30 this morning.

I saw a video on Instagram and everyone brought their skis and boards into the lift despite there being exterior ski holders. Maybe they were too clogged with snow.

[Huskier]

Modest pockets to be found in the (skiable) trees. Crowds showed up but managable. Crystal open, nothing higher. Low groomers are bulletproof man-made peppered with base-grinders. Worth the effort, on the whole but I not if paying full-fare.