26 Feb 2020

Whistler Blackcomb Season 19/20 Mid season wrap up

by | posted in: Adventure, Review, Vail, Whistler Blackcomb, Winter | 0

Here we are at mid-season

I know many of you readers think mid-season WHAT?, we are at the end of the season. Well not so in Whistler Blackcomb and especially not true this season. With 3 more full months of skiing left the best is yet to come.

The season started slowly in the PNW this year. While there were some September snow days in the alpine, we saw the first lasting snowfall in November but the rest of that month was snowless. In early December while many skiers/riders showed up there were only a handful of runs, the snow was rough and space between bodies was slim.

Then things changed. Starting Dec 13th it started snowing and each day conditions improved. Each day more terrain opened and space between skiers increased. But what didn't open were the Alpine zones. The interwebs exploded "whats wrong with Vail they refuse to open the top" "Vail sucks! when Canadians owned WB the top was always open". What happened in reality? Mother Nature happened. In January alone Whistler received more than 6 meters/ 20 feet of snow. And remember that November layer of snow? it went through several cycles of weather when it laid on the ground for a month turning it into a wicked faceted layer on top of which the new snow landed.

What we saw in late December and all of January was an avalanche mitigation nightmare. The ski patrollers worked tirelessly to open new terrain, there were days with the almost constant sound of avalanche bombs going off. I was told in those 6 weeks the patrol used 60% more bombs than normal and at one point even a patroller was caught and buried in an avalanche for nearly 9 minutes.

Down below the WB customers endured relentless lift lines and crowded slopes while staring up and the beautiful empty bowls of the Alpine zone. By early February the Alpine zones finally have been operating consistently. While the danger of the deeply buried weak Nov layer has been mostly mitigated within the ski area boundaries, that danger is present and a well considered issue traveling in the backcountry still.

While I am no great supporter of the corporate giant Vail in the case of this seasons' snowpack management they made the right call leaving the decisions to the patrol on the mountain in Whistler Blackcomb.

So the snowpack is deep, the sun is finally coming out from behind the clouds and the Alpine is open...

Bring on to the Spring season!

Deep snow Jan 2020
Snow is DEEP on the deck Jan 17th 2020 Creekside
Christine's on Blackcomb
Christine's on Blackcomb Jan 9th 2020
Deep Creekside snows
Deep Creekside snows Jan 7th 2020
4 Jun 2018

Here we go again! – Vail buys Stevens Pass

by | posted in: Review, Vail, Whistler Blackcomb, Winter | 0

Vail Buys Stevens Pass!

June 4th 2018 Vail Resorts announced the purchase of Okemo Mountain, Mount Sunapee on the east coast and Stevens Pass, Crested Butte out west.

Growing up in the Seattle area as a kid I spent many days on Stevens Pass as it was my home mountain during my teenage years. Many days skiing and teaching on the slopes there with a season pass trying to save enough money to buy lift tickets for my spring vacation to Utah, Idaho or Whistler.

These days I split my time between Seattle and Creekside, I now call Whistler Blackcomb my home mountain and spend most of my ski days on it's slopes. So in September of 2016 when Vail announced they were purchasing WB I had my fair share of fear and trepidation. I questioned, would Vail screw up my favorite Whistler? Would they jack the prices so I could no longer afford to snowboard there? Would they clog the lift queue (Canadian for lift line 😉 ) with Texans wearing jeans for ski pants? Now after 2 seasons of Vail's control over WB I think I can answer those questions fairly.

On Monday as the news broke I was enjoying some coffee at my go to shop in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood. I stuck up a conversation with the barista who part-times as a Stevens Pass ski instructor and backcountries in the slopes close to the ski area. As I broke the news to her I could see the same questions I had 2 years prior start to flood her thoughts. In the days after she has expressed those fears and speculated on devastating impact Vail will have at the pass. Fears of massive condo construction and filling her favorite backcountry lines with quad chairs and Texans wearing their ski-jeans.

So what can I tell her from my experience of Vail buying my home ski area? Will it be all bad? will it be all good? Turns out it will be a little of both. But one thing is for sure Vail is a ski company that knows how to run ski hills and it knows why and what skiers like. What about for Stevens Pass? Expect seasons pass to be cheap and day passes to be ridiculously expensive. Expect upgraded lodges and the finest lifts available. And finally expect the weekend lift lines to be longer and while you are there in line say hi to that Texan in front of you wearing jeans it just might be the best conversation of your whole day.

Oh and your Stevens Pass season pass will be good at Whistler Blackcomb and 64 other ski areas around the globe!

Vail
Stevens Pass
23 Oct 2017

Urgent BUY your Whistler Blackcomb pass before Nov 19th!

by | posted in: Adventure, Vail, Whistler Blackcomb, Winter | 0

Whistler Blackcomb warned you today!

Today on the Whistler Blackcomb Facebook page they said this "The Epic Pass, Whistler Blackcomb Unlimited Season Pass, 5- & 10-day EDGE Cards, Sea-to-Sky Pass and Student Pass will not be sold for the 2017.18 winter season after Nov 19th. Buy your Season Pass or EDGE Card today at: https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/save "

If you live in Washington, you can buy a 5 day Edge card and pay about $331 usd or about $66 per day. An EPIC Season pass will cost you $899 usd.

What does that mean?

This is the first full year of Vail ownership and we are quickly learning that they do things differently than our old friendly WB. One thing we have learned is that when Vail says the Epic pass will no longer be available they mean just that. Last year the Epic Season pass could no longer be purchased once Thanksgiving came and went. I would expect the same for this year so after Nov 19th I think these will be your options; 

  1. buy a day ticket for $175 per (last years Vail Price) (Whistler day tix were $136 cdn last year, expect closer to $175 usd this year)
  2. buy a 4 day Epic 4-day pass for $459 usd (price before Nov 19th)
  3. buy a 7 day Epic 7-day pass for $679 usd (price before Nov 19th)

The Long and short of it

If you are going to spend some time skiing in Whistler this year I think you would be wise to pick up a 5 day Edge Card at the very least. Vail is clearly saying Season Passes and Edge Cards won't be available in season this year. I for one Believe them.

This year pick up an EDGE CARD!

Pick up your pass and DO IT before November 19th!  SAVE Now

Epic Pass
21 Jul 2017

Season Pass dillemma 2017/18

by | posted in: Adventure, Vail, Whistler Blackcomb, Winter | 0

What to choose?

So I finally did it, before the deadline April 19th, I have gone EPIC. It was a tough choice but after hassling with the Edge Card this year I landed on the "just ski whenever you want" choice. 

A little background, over that years I have purchased the Whistler Blackcomb Edge Card as my pass of choice. Because I love the springtime in Whistler I would typically buy a 5 day edge card with a Spring Add On pas for an additional $75 cdn. It was great starting in mid-March I could ski all I wanted through the end of the year and usually 2/3rds of my total ski days were during this period.

HOLD THE PHONE HERE COMES VAIL!

Not so fast SUCKA. This spring Vail decided that the Spring add on was no more. They did have a Spring pass for sale but it was $159cdn BUT it was only good from April 24-May 22nd. Not a bad plan because Whistler ALWAYS extends the ski season right? Wrong Eddie! Good ol Vail shut things down on May 22nd as scheduled even though this year was one of the best snow seasons in several years.

The Long and short of it

This year I started with a 5 day Edge Card, added a 3 day add on, added another 5 days and at the end bought the Spring Pass for a total of a bunch of monkeying around. In the end this years decision to go Epic was one of less hassle for the 2017/18 season. Just jump the gondi and go whenever. Add to that 6 buddy passes (bring your friends at a discount), included lifts in Utah, Colorado for a possible 2018 trip and summer lifts. All this made sense for me.

You can say it "Jeff is EPIC"

Epic Pass
5 Jan 2017

Whistler Learn to Ski Day only $25

by | posted in: Adventure, Whistler Blackcomb, Winter | 0

Whistler Blackcomb learn to ski day

You don't want to miss this! Whistler's Learn to Ski Day is coming up on January 14th 2017. Whistler is offering a full learn to ski package for only  $25! This is not some 15 minute here is how to put on your skis scam it's Whistler's full day Level 1 MAX4 Beginner lesson package including a learning area lift ticket and rentals, for only $25. Everything you need to KEEP that new year's resolution to learn how to ski this year.

 

I have heard all of the excuses;

  1. Ski equipment is to expensive - Bull pucky! with this deal all the equipment is included for $25
  2. My boyfriend will teach me how to ski - This might be true at the start of the day but you will be sans boyfriend by apres ski. This idea will make a quick end to your relationship so just say no!
  3. Lift tickets are to expensive - Sha-walla! this deal includes the lift ticket you will need for the day.
  4. Ski instructors are to cute - Ok that is the best excuse TO take this lesson! That and the fresh mountain air, beautiful views, new friends and just a damn fun time that you can extend out to the rest of your life.

 

The truth is you can't afford not to take this lesson. A couple of years ago a really good friend of mine, Kimi, did this and she had an absolute blast. So come be like Kimi and have a great day Jan 17th on the slopes you won't regret it I promise.

 

Everything you need to know is right over here.

Whistler Ski School

click here for fun!

26 Sep 2016

Bear, bear and more Whistler wildlife

by | posted in: Photos, Whistler Blackcomb, Wildlife | 0

Whistler bear of September

The weekend of Sept 24th & 25th, we were enjoying our last few days of lift service. Headed up the Village Gondola we sited one large bear uphill from the Children's Learning Center just past mid-station. This bear seemed fat happy just as he should be this time of year headed into winter. He was content to chew on the grasses of the meadow as several bikers zipped passed on Expressway.

Up in the Alpine we spent the morning hiking the mellow Spearhead walk. We debated on taking the Harmony Lake Trail down into the Harmony zone but instead decided to walk to the ledge behind the snowmaking pond to catch a view of the lake. We indeed had a beautiful view of the lakes and an even better view of a yearling bear walking up the Lake trail. If we had taken the trail we would have met that guy face to furry face. In the end it appears our decision to skip the trail allowed us to view him from above and about 30 meters away.

Over to Blackcomb

We decided the Alpine walk was our groups speed for the day. WB has been working on the trail daily and has installed gravel along the complete length of the trail. The updates have made the trail very safe and manageable for the whole family. Along the stroll we encountered camp robbers, pikas and several marmots near the Rendezvous Lodge.

On the Peak to Peak to Whistler Mountain

As we made our way back to Whistler and down the Village Gondola near the mid-station we saw another bear near the magic carpet just under our gondola cabin.

All in All we saw 3 bear, 7 marmots and a bunch of pikas. A great final weekend for wildlife viewing time to bring on winter!

whistler mountain bears
Bear at Whistler Village Gondola mid-station
21 Sep 2016

Vail – 900lb gorilla buys Whistler Blackcomb

by | posted in: Review, Whistler Blackcomb | 0

Here comes Vail!

As many of you no doubt heard, on August 8th 2016 Vail Resort announced they will purchase Whistler Blackcomb for $1.4 billion CAD (Unofficial Networks story). This comes on the heals of Whistler Blackcomb's $345 million CAD project announcement called the Renaissance project (Unofficial Networks story). The project calls for large investments focused on diversifying mountain offerings to support off season visitation as well as additional mountain facilities.

What does all this mean? Answer the bigs are getting bigger and lift tickets are going up in price! Well sort of. If you have skied Vail the last several seasons no doubt you paid upwards of $200 a day to ski. However daily ski pass pricing does not tell the complete Vail Story. In 2008 Vail introduced the EPIC seasons pass which is valid every day of the year, no blackout dates, at every Vail owned resort. The cost $809 (2016 price for adult). The idea behind this pass is to upsell Vail's clients from a week's worth of day passes to a pass good for an entire season. From a skiers stand point that's a good deal. From Vail's standpoint a pricing structure like the Epic pass can turn a 1 week vacationer into a 2 or maybe 3 week vacationer. Who wins in this scenario? Vail of course but wait the customer does as well they get to ski more. Just Maybe the skier wins more because with Vail Resorts we are not talking about just Vail Mountain you could take your 2nd or 3rd vacations some where other than Vail. You might like to try Park City for example, or Breckenridge, maybe Lake Tahoe or Europe. You could try any or all of these areas in a year or maybe you could try Whistler Blackcomb in 2017. All of these areas will be included in your EPIC pass for 2017.

But you say "I don't want to ski everywhere else I just want to ski Whistler!". Well your are in luck because the EPIC pass will save you about $330 over 2016 prices. Maybe you will only ever ski Whistler and nowhere else. This is where I begin to speculate, when Vail added Park City to the EPIC last year if you were a PC skier and you could navigate some blackout days you had some less expensive options. The EPIC Locale pass, adult $629, offers full seasons pass with blackout days of Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK, and Presidents Day. So if you don't like skiing with the crowds this option is a distinct possibility.

We know from the Renaissance announcement Whistler intends to add water-slides, indoor activities, putt putt, castles, arborism, cheese graters, and animal husbandry. Ok I made most of that shit up but you get my point there was a lot of focus on activities other than skiing. Vail is not that. Sure Vail likes the off season activities, anything to fill up the resorts with people. But Vail knows what butters their bread and that is SKIING. Judging from past actions look to Vail to add ski facilities, more chairs, more gondolas, more acreage, more everything skiing.

Sure we are in for change but if you like to ski Vail knows how to make you happy.

See you on the slopes.

BTW there was snow at the Roundhouse today!

Whistler Blackcomb
Vail
7 Sep 2016

Samurai Sushi – Creekside

by | posted in: Creekside, Restaurants, Review | 0

Many people ask "where can I find good Sushi while in Whistler?". With more than a dozen sushi restaurants in and around Whistler one of the favorites has to be Samurai Sushi. Samurai offers a wide selection of fresh sushi and Japanese food for lunch or dinner all of which is prepared fresh daily by their expert chefs.

Samurai has 3 locations Nester's Market just north of Whistler Village, Squamish in Garibaldi Village, and Creekside just behind Rosie's Pizza off the Sea to Sky Highway at 2011 Innsbruck Drive.

When you step inside the Creekside location you will find it small but inviting. There is a small inside seating area about 5 tables, some counter seating and a few tables outside as well. As you enter the storefront make your way to the back where you will find the counter service with friendly staff.

The menu is quite extensive with all the usual items you expect including Nigiri, Sashimi, rolls, and other Japanese specialties. The thing you won't find here is farmed fish or that "Atlantic Salmon" thing nobody know what that is. Prime examples are the Salmon which is Wild Sockeye and the Toro Fatty Tuna, both are truly excellent. On the vegan front try the Mango/Avocado roll which is listed as gluten free as well as vegan and delicious!

Each time I choose Samurai I find myself ordering the same thing over and over again, the Nigiri Combo 10 piece. With this you specify any 10 pieces you would like all wrapped in a friendly sugarcane container. As if this wasn't enough to get you to drive to Creekside for dinner the cost of this 10 piece wonder is just $17cdn.

So next time you need sushi make a stop in Creekside Samurai Sushi you won't be disappointed and your wallet will thank you!

Samurai Sushi

Location:
Creekside
11am-10pm
604-935-0055
Dine in or take out

Other locations:
Nester's
Squamish

Price:
$$
Samurai Sushi Creekside
The roll in the front - Mango Avocado
Everything else on the plate - Nigiri Combo 10 pc