Whistler 22-23

[gramboh]

If this was taken just a few minutes later he would have got me opening the dirtiest of all dirty lines. It was MLK weekend and a bluebird powder day, plus the Tbar was still closed.

Any snowballs/jeering? Wondering what the vibe on the dirty line is like these days.

Re: train, is there even a station in Whistler that could serve passengers? Other problems are time it takes (found an old webpage saying the summer runs were 3 hours each way) as the track isn't a straight run due to geography, logistics (driving to a train station, unloading gear, getting on train, then bus to lifts) etc. It's much easier to get in your car and drive. Todd has some good ideas above re: bus lane. I'd also support a toll on the S2S on the weekends, and additional levies on rental cars. Just hammer people's wallets and use the funds to pay for better infrastructure.

[nortonwhis]

Any snowballs/jeering? Wondering what the vibe on the dirty line is like these days.

Re: train, is there even a station in Whistler that could serve passengers? Other problems are time it takes (found an old webpage saying the summer runs were 3 hours each way) as the track isn't a straight run due to geography, logistics (driving to a train station, unloading gear, getting on train, then bus to lifts) etc. It's much easier to get in your car and drive. Todd has some good ideas above re: bus lane. I'd also support a toll on the S2S on the weekends, and additional levies on rental cars. Just hammer people's wallets and use the funds to pay for better infrastructure.

Unfortunately nothing. Thats the funnest part of an early dirty line. I think because it was mainly beaters from Florida for MLK no one really even knew what was happening.

[t.odd]

Any snowballs/jeering? Wondering what the vibe on the dirty line is like these days.

Re: train, is there even a station in Whistler that could serve passengers? Other problems are time it takes (found an old webpage saying the summer runs were 3 hours each way) as the track isn't a straight run due to geography, logistics (driving to a train station, unloading gear, getting on train, then bus to lifts) etc. It's much easier to get in your car and drive. Todd has some good ideas above re: bus lane. I'd also support a toll on the S2S on the weekends, and additional levies on rental cars. Just hammer people's wallets and use the funds to pay for better infrastructure.

Not really my ideas, been 'talked' about for the past 5+ years as the best short term solution, but just doesn't seem anyone is actually working to implement it. Seems the bureaucrats would rather just keep telling everyone they shouldn't be driving while offering no reasonable alternative.

Found an old report from 2001 (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...GbCwzHT9dxOCo0) on train service from Vancouver, but for some reason it, and subsequent, reports are focused on it having to be starting downtown, so of course that drastically increases time or cost to get across burrard inlet. Looks like even using old traditional bud cars/passenger cars it's less than an hour from Squamish CN railyards to Whistler, from North Van waterfront to Whistler could feasibly be 2 hours, ish. There's small station at Nita Lake Lodge, else it would probably have to go to Mons crossing for village.

[The AD]

Seems like the Nita Lake Station would work. Easy to shuttle people from there to Creekside base. No sense going any farther than necessary.

What's the current situation in winter? Do freight trains use the route? Obviously there's the cost of keeping the line cleared of snow if it's not already being done.

[nickinbc]

Serious question with the mass transit suggestions - why doesn’t the train from Van run in the winter?

The passenger train from Van hasn't run in summer or winter for two decades! Well except for the horrendously expensive Rocky Mountaineer tourist excursions.

[t.odd]

Seems like the Nita Lake Station would work. Easy to shuttle people from there to Creekside base. No sense going any farther than necessary.

What's the current situation in winter? Do freight trains use the route? Obviously there's the cost of keeping the line cleared of snow if it's not already being done.

CN stopped using the line I think just before, or as, covid kicked off, North Van to Squamish still gets used for supporting the freight terminal though, but not sure about volume or frequency.

[shirk]

Seems like the Nita Lake Station would work. Easy to shuttle people from there to Creekside base. No sense going any farther than necessary.

What's the current situation in winter? Do freight trains use the route? Obviously there's the cost of keeping the line cleared of snow if it's not already being done.

Just accessing Creekside wouldn't draw enough riders. You're thinking like a skier not a tourist. Even to get most of the Vancouver day trippers onto the train it's best selling feature would need to be good access to the village.

Drop a train station at the top of Lorimer Rd where the Valley Train crosses the train tracks, then just run a couple free shuttle buses on loop into the village. The bus to the train station wouldn't be affected by highway backups.

Phase 1. Squamish to Whistler.
Phase 2. Britania to Squamish to Whistler
Phase 3. North Van to Britania to Squamish to Whistler

Build the N.Van station at the bottom of Capilano Rd. Broker a deal with Squamish Nation to have parking on their land there.

[possum]

Have a weekend trip to Vancouver March 10, can stay and ski the following week. Never skied BC.

How crowded are weekdays 2nd week of March at Whistler, is it basically Vail?

Should I just fly/drive to interior BC from Van or head back to States and ski Baker instead?

I have Ikon and Epic if that helps

Thanks!

[Snow Dog]

Regular [daily] passenger rail service using self-powered Budd cars ended in 2002. It was like bus service from North Vancouver to Prince George with stations, flag stops and mail drops in the middle of nowhere. There's a station at Creekside that existed long before Whistler.

CN owns or leases the track now but doesn't seem to be using it.

[The AD]

Have a weekend trip to Vancouver March 10, can stay and ski the following week. Never skied BC.

How crowded are weekdays 2nd week of March at Whistler, is it basically Vail?

Vancouver Schools start their spring break on March 10th, so expect it to be pretty crowded.

Drop a train station at the top of Lorimer Rd where the Valley Train crosses the train tracks, then just run a couple free shuttle buses on loop into the village. The bus to the train station wouldn't be affected by highway backups.

That would actually work quite well. There appears to be room for it there, it's close to the village, and it would pass Alta Lake just before reaching the station for some nice "ooh! and ahh!" opportunities for the riders.

[eldereldo]

CN owns or leases the track now but doesn't seem to be using it.

Its mostly a backup in case of issues with the main lines running east out of vancouver. it goes to Prince George and provides an alternate route if the tracks along highway 1 are out of service. They also use it (mostly in the summer) if there is a lot of freight moving north since it can bypass clogging up the east lines.
What I recall of hearing trains (we had a place in Creekside) they were mostly at night.

I think the problem with train service, or bus service for that matter, is getting people to load up, drive to a parking lot, schlep their gear onto the train, get off the train, get on a bus then finally arrive at the hill and then have to find somewhere to boot up and store your gear, then reverse the process at the end of the day, add dealing with kids and you have a hard no.

[phatty]

I think the problem with train service, or bus service for that matter, is getting people to load up, drive to a parking lot, schlep their gear onto the train, get off the train, get on a bus then finally arrive at the hill and then have to find somewhere to boot up and store your gear, then reverse the process at the end of the day, add dealing with kids and you have a hard no.

Except many do it in Europe every day/weekend. The difference is in the business model of NA resorts with the focus on expensive but crappy food. It changes the calculus. Food in Europe is cheaper, better and profits mostly independent vendors. Plus Vail et. al don't care about day trippers at all. They only care about the vacation skiers and getting them to spend as much time/money at the resort. The train doesn't help them with that.

[shirk]

Even the old Mayor didn't give a shit about us lowly brown bag day trippers.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...rism-1.4340942

"We don't necessarily want people who are coming up for a day, packing a bag with their lunch in it, and not really appreciating the mountain culture that we have."

[LeeLau]

Have a weekend trip to Vancouver March 10, can stay and ski the following week. Never skied BC.

How crowded are weekdays 2nd week of March at Whistler, is it basically Vail?

Should I just fly/drive to interior BC from Van or head back to States and ski Baker instead?

I have Ikon and Epic if that helps

Thanks!

It'll be fine. Get up early and beat the village or Creekside bottlenecks. The kids tend to ski more in the Whistler area due to ski school so Blackcomb will be less busy generally

[paulster2626]

Have a weekend trip to Vancouver March 10, can stay and ski the following week. Never skied BC.

How crowded are weekdays 2nd week of March at Whistler, is it basically Vail?

Should I just fly/drive to interior BC from Van or head back to States and ski Baker instead?

I have Ikon and Epic if that helps

Thanks!

It'll be fine. Get up early and beat the village or Creekside bottlenecks. The kids tend to ski more in the Whistler area due to ski school so Blackcomb will be less busy generally

As usual Lee knows what he's talking about. March Break™ is my wheelhouse, since the wife is a teacher and can only get away during this week I am down with how different places are in Canada at this time.

Mon-Fri lineups will be easy-breezy, nothing worth taking a photo of and posting on the internet with #fuckvail. Blackcomb is always a little lighter in traffic, and just like anywhere you will be a winner if you're at the lifts before they open. If you have a late breakfast and lollygag then you'll pay the price. Weekends no guarantees, expect lines from those annoying locals clogging it up for us awesome tourists.

If it snows 15+cm during the evening then all bets are off and we like to be at the lifts about an hour prior to opening, again to beat those damn locals to the top. We like to go hard early and have the option for early apres if need be.

If you do find yourself in an oddly-crowded zone, just head out to another one and the lineups will magically disappear. Do not rely on the epicmix app, 'cause it sucks. I also never trust a lightboard.

[eldereldo]

Except many do it in Europe every day/weekend. The difference is in the business model of NA resorts with the focus on expensive but crappy food. It changes the calculus. Food in Europe is cheaper, better and profits mostly independent vendors. Plus Vail et. al don't care about day trippers at all. They only care about the vacation skiers and getting them to spend as much time/money at the resort. The train doesn't help them with that.

Maybe, but my experience with Europeans is that many of them are used to, and prefer to use trains and buses, not so much in NA.

[Bamski]

Anyone get out / planning to get out on the BC slack side in the near future?

Green across the board, but how crunchy is it going to be? I don’t mind skiing some hardpack and ice - but I’m not keen on breakable crust. Ill go poke around and report back.

[kalisto]

Word on the street is the BC pass price has gone down. Never thought in a million years they'd do that, anyone know why?

[Bamski]

Word on the street is the BC pass price has gone down. Never thought in a million years they'd do that, anyone know why?

It indeed has. A few friends used them the last time they visited. I think they’re 40-45 now?

[indyjones]

Word on the street is the BC pass price has gone down. Never thought in a million years they'd do that, anyone know why?

Lee is likely to know more than me, but from my perspective (loads of) advocacy by backcountrybc in holding W/B to their MOU with the Province has led to this reduction as well as establishment of a Blackcomb uphill route. Hopefully more conforming to the MOU will be coming soon

Happy to be corrected if I'm off base.

[nortonwhis]

Lee is likely to know more than me, but from my perspective (loads of) advocacy by backcountrybc in holding W/B to their MOU with the Province has led to this reduction as well as establishment of a Blackcomb uphill route. Hopefully more conforming to the MOU will be coming soon

Happy to be corrected if I'm off base.

Hopefully its cheaper to stop a bunch of kooks skinning up sunset boulevard, side by side, on weekends, long after the allotted time is over.

[Cocximus]

The price is not the point. The likely temporary reduction gives Vail and BC another 5 years to be complacent about the MDA.

[t.odd]

the continual price raising on that product was an easy target for Vail/WB opponents that they weren't living up that the low cost access promise in the MDA, especially in absence of legitimate uphill access routes.

[Sylvan]

Days like today I miss Horstman T soo much; it was just sketchy enough to keep the 7th front/instagram crowd from using it. Ah well, worse second fiddles to Chainsaw than Spankys laps I guess. Beauty day in the mountains.

[Bamski]

Went out to Decker, goal was skiing Pattison / Trorey.

Wind was heavy, visibility was mixed. Snow is hardpack chalk, mixed with wind and sun crusts. Some fun soft stuff to find too.