Whistler 2019 - 2020

[LeeLau]

Grooming was terrible

[LeeLau]

So crowded

[pureantigravity]

Whistler Blackcomb snowmaking department applies to unionize
https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/wh...t?oid=14921416

[pembyguy]

Whistler Blackcomb snowmaking department applies to unionize
https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/wh...t?oid=14921416

These guys have been trawling for a while. Pretty aggressively and unprofessionally. I got a card through my locker with spelling mistakes and stating if I wasn’t with them I was against them, or part of the problem, I can’t remember which. Unionizing may be a solution but this one raised some serious red flags for me. They honestly don’t seem to be competent or intelligent. That’s my honest objective opinion.


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[The AD]

I hear the roads have been virtual skating rinks for the last couple days. I'm thinking about coming up on Monday. I suspect the roads will be in much better shape by then with the expected warm up.

[t.odd]

I hear the roads have been virtual skating rinks for the last couple days. I'm thinking about coming up on Monday. I suspect the roads will be in much better shape by then with the expected warm up.

Highway was very sketchy yesterday, shiny glazed on the drive up from Squamish with billowing near zero viz conditions. The visibility was much improved yesterday afternoon coming home but the road surface was still fucked. I slowed down in a narrow section behind a highways grader that was pushing snow over the Callaghan bridge, subi behind me slowed equally, jeep with 35s behind the subi hammered the brakes and slid directly into north bound lane, speed was 70km/h on the signs and frankly I even felt like that was too fast at times. Was fine if you just kept it slow and steady but you definitely did not want to be going fast, or trying to stop fast, or change direction fast. The jeep was tailgating imo and would've paid dearly if there had been northbound traffic.

[paulster2626]

Do you know the story of Blackcomb STEALING a lift to expand their terrain to 7th Heaven? I've heard this story many times, please excuse me if some of the details are not exact, but the story is very true.
With Blackcomb opening in 1980 it stared a "Lift War" with Whistler. Both Mountains were quickly building new lifts to outdo the other resort. They were fighting for uphill capacity numbers and total vertical. In the spring of 1985 Hugh Smyth, the president of Blackcomb, heard that Whistler was surveying the possibility of building a new lift to access the high alpine. He wanted Blackcomb to be first with a high alpine lift, and to have a higher vertical that Whistler by running a lift up to Blackcomb Peak/7th Heaven. He called his contacts at the lift companies to inquire about buying a tee-bar to install on 7th. He was informed that he was too late in the season to get a lift built and shipped to North America before the fall. And was told that the only lift being build and shipped to North America that year was a Poma Tee Bar destine for Sunshine Village in Alberta.
The story goes that Hugh called Poma a week later, impersonating a representative of Sunshine Village to cancel the lift order. He told Poma he might have a different buyer for the lift and would get back to them. He later let Poma know Blackcomb would take delivery of "un wanted" lift and would arrange all the details with Sunshine.
Blackcomb expedited the delivery time of the lift with Poma, and by the time the lift did not show up in Sunshine, it was already delivered and installed on Blackcomb. This is the sorry of how Blackcomb stole a lift from Sunshine Village.

True or not I'm repeating this one to anyone who'll listen. This is a great 'tell it on the gondola' story.

[gramboh]

So crowded

Looks like the road by MON/Kashmir? Never skied down that way from Khyber before always been skier's left. Looks like it was an awesome day up there. Thoughts and prayers for surviving MLK weekend guys.

Hope they are doing tire checks, especially if it snows a bit more tonight in the city could be sketch until it warms up.

[eldereldo]

Today was just fine. All alpine opened, lift lines on Peak were the usual back of the gates, but Harmony and Symphony were reasonable once the initial rush was over. Flute looked nice but I was alone and not on touring gear so didn’t hike, in any case there was plenty easily accessible.

Now to hunker down and hide in the BC for the next couple of days.

[t.odd]

be sure to know your line in spanky's...... https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bMMeml-3l/

[gramboh]

be sure to know your line in spanky's...... https://www.instagram.com/p/B7bMMeml-3l/

Haha saw that earlier. Haven’t there been multiple rescues out of that cliff band over the years? Shitty times for that boarder, peanut gallery probably makes it worse (but at least someone can call for help).

[xyz]

Today was just fine. All alpine opened, lift lines on Peak were the usual back of the gates, but Harmony and Symphony were reasonable once the initial rush was over. Flute looked nice but I was alone and not on touring gear so didn’t hike, in any case there was plenty easily accessible.

Now to hunker down and hide in the BC for the next couple of days.

You wouldn’t of been alone on Flute. Busy day in the whis slack. With all alpine lifts open and pressure coming in from the southern front aka spearhead hut, flute, oboe and cowboy all getting hit hard. really liked having harmony shut. Flute and oboe were dead.

Anyway, definitely time to retreat to the Duffey for a few days.

[shirk]

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/a...ng-more-powder

You guys need to buy a few extra burgers in the lodge to keep the Vail overlords happy.

[gramboh]

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/a...ng-more-powder

You guys need to buy a few extra burgers in the lodge to keep the Vail overlords happy.

Kind of a trip to see delayed alpine opening and PWL issue mentioned by analysts in advance of a guidance call. Hopefully on the next investor call someone grills Katz on lift maintenance issues at WB.

[pureantigravity]

Kind of a trip to see delayed alpine opening and PWL issue mentioned by analysts in advance of a guidance call. Hopefully on the next investor call someone grills Katz on lift maintenance issues at WB.

Imagine getting to the top of the blackcomb gondola without it stopping once. What would you do to celebrate? Don’t think too hard though, cause it’ll never fucking happen lmao
~whistler_memes

[raypruit]

How were the MLK crowds? Thinking of coming up on Monday which is actually MLK day. Is it typically still crowded on Monday?

[pembyguy]

Most of the crowds are in the pubs


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[gramboh]

I can’t believe people actually line up for Longhorn at the same time people are lining up to ski? It’s not like it’s Vegas or Ibiza level partying. Wtf. Is it just 19-20 year old Americans?

[kevin267]

I can’t believe people actually line up for Longhorn at the same time people are lining up to ski? It’s not like it’s Vegas or Ibiza level partying. Wtf. Is it just 19-20 year old Americans?

Yes. I remember finding one of the college MLK trips Facebook group and it had no mention of skiing/snowboarding haha. Maybe the $180 day tickets would leave them no money left to spend at the bars. I hope the bars do well and don't have too much BS to deal with.


As for crowds Monday, typically not, but it all depends on weather and what lifts open, big snow+limited lifts can mean big lines any day.

[KevLar]

Do you know the story of Blackcomb STEALING a lift to expand their terrain to 7th Heaven? A Poma Tee Bar destined for Sunshine Village in Alberta. Blackcomb expedited the delivery time of the lift with Poma, and by the time the lift did not show up in Sunshine, it was already delivered and installed on Blackcomb.

Folklore. Given Smyth's penchant for attracting investment and obsession with beating Whistler, very likely he simply paid a premium to Poma, who refunded it to Sunshine (WITH their consent) for them to invest elsewhere, and defer their T for a season. With Blackcomb being first to the high alpine, and with a mile-high marketing capability, it paid off the investment swiftly.

[eldereldo]

Nice story, except the truth is not actually that interesting. Found this on Wikipedia as I remembered hearing this back then as I was skiing Fortress at the time.

“ In 1983 Blackcomb acquired a used T-Bar from Fortress Mountain and installed it on a south-facing slope, in full view of Whistler Mountain. This 7th lift was coined 7th Heaven T-Bar and gave access to high alpine and glaciated terrain. It also gave Blackcomb the highest lift-serviced vertical drop of any ski area in North America, with the top of the lift at 7,494 feet (2,284 m). Blackcomb promoted themselves as the "Mile High Mountain".”

[The AD]

I can’t believe people actually line up for Longhorn at the same time people are lining up to ski? It’s not like it’s Vegas or Ibiza level partying. Wtf. Is it just 19-20 year old Americans?

Especially when they could have just stayed in Vancouver and avoided hours of driving through rain, snow and ice.

[eldereldo]

Creekside has gotten far busier since they started charging for parking in all the main day lots, Blackcomb gondola from the village is better, Fitz then Garbo from the village is way faster for Whistler access. Hell most days Whistler village gondola is shorter lineup in the morning.

10:15 this morning, 30min in Creekside, 18 in Red. Vs 13 for Village gondola or 7 and 6 for Fitz and Garbo. Meanwhile Excalibur is 5.

I am totally astounded that they haven’t started charging for parking yet, someone’s forgoing a lot of cash....

[t.odd]

Creekside has gotten far busier since they started charging for parking in all the main day lots, Blackcomb gondola from the village is better, Fitz then Garbo from the village is way faster for Whistler access. Hell most days Whistler village gondola is shorter lineup in the morning.

10:15 this morning, 30min in Creekside, 18 in Red. Vs 13 for Village gondola or 7 and 6 for Fitz and Garbo. Meanwhile Excalibur is 5.

lots of ski school programming out of creekside on the weekends too, if you show up at 9 on the weekends in creekside, you're gonna have a bad time.

[The AD]

I am totally astounded that they haven’t started charging for parking yet, someone’s forgoing a lot of cash....

You know it's coming sooner rather than later.

I think the road conditions today are also part of the problem. Sounds like there was a huge backup between Function and Creekside. Lots of people were probably very anxious to get going after that delay and turned into Creekside rather than continuing into the village.