Has anyone tried downloading the EpicMix app and created a new login using the Aus Epic pass ID No shown on the card. Doesn’t seem work so I’m guessing you need to use the lift pass No that is issued from the resort once you hand over the Epic pass for the 10 days access.
Won’t let me login though, even after verifying my email and changing my password. Might have to reactivate it over there.
Its not spam. It is a valid email from vail resorts that is just designed very badly to make it look lime spam.
If in doubt, go to the Vail website and search out the page for establishing a profile there. Same process you'd do anytime you receive a suspicious link by email.
Larry at OpenSnow has updated his forecast, and predicts modest and ongoing snowfall (roughly up to 15cm a day) through to this weekend, and down to Village level, which is good. The base is building (maybe about 20cm or so in the last 24 hours), and more runs and lifts are being opened. Things are slowly improving. If the current predictions hold true, there will be consistent (if not huge) snowfalls through to Christmas.
I’m measuring about 30cm from 6.00pm yesterday local time on the snow stake. Apparently the larger storm event is yet to arrive!
I may have underestimated the snow stake as it was a bit unclear on the camera. I will always err on the side of caution. We'll keep our fingers and toes crossed!
The critical thing for Christmas break at any resort is to get small top up falls every day or two. This is essential to replace the cover worn off by the big crowds. It's even more important this year because the locals havent really had a chance to ski yet this season. When there's good early snow, the locals have some days in on their legs and so will feel comfortable to stay off the hill or take a road trip to avoid the congestion on the slopes and in the village. But with the first decent conditions just hitting now, a lot of them will want to get out there and finally extract some value from their pass. Yowzers its gonna be busy at WB.
Yep. I fear unless I can get up on Friday for the day, I won't be going until after New Year. In the meantime, the town mountains are getting some snow though, so I'll be warming up closer to home.
We're skiing Friday through Monday. No doubt Saturday esp will be busy but hopefully there will be more terrain to absorb the hordes by then
Whistler has had some steady snow over the last few days. It's remained cooler up there and the Pineapple Express that is currently affecting the Pacific Northwest looks like it is doing its r&*n damage south of Whistler (including at the Vancouver town mountains, where its currently raining. There goes my planned season starter trip today. Call me old-fashioned, but skiing in the rain is something I gave up after a few wet days in Thredbo in July 1992...). The forecasts for the Christmas-New Year week are a bit uncertain at the moment. It looks as though it will remain cold, and some snow will fall - the issue is how much and exactly when. Still, things are looking better now than they were two weeks ago. Hopefully @gortonator will be able to provide an on-the-ground report about current conditions. A lot of the great terrain and trails at Whistler remain closed, but I am wondering whether that is being done to preserve them for the crazy Christmas-New Year week.
I'm in Whistler until mid April. They were prepping Harmony and 7th heaven today, I saw groomers and chairs were spinning. Hopefully opening this weekend i'd assume.
It’s been a lovely few days at whistler with some nice powder to be found, but so little terrain is open! Hopefully that improves this weekend. I asked at mountain ops this evening what was going to open but they claimed they didn’t know.
Skiing has been very good indeed last two days. pow and packed pow and soft grat snow all over. Also Glacier was being prepared today, so some alpine terrain for Sunday? Saturday was surprisingly quiet on Blackcomb
I was holding my breath but it seems things are starting to turn at Whistler. Forecasts are promising so hoping a big chuck of the mountain is open when I arrive late Jan so I can see it in all it’s glory.
It's needed, for sure. No alpine lifts opened today as bombs are bringing down too much snow so they are worried about stability. Patroller said they are trying super hard but not until its safe. Hopefully soon as even though there weren't many people there today it's busy as the terrain is limited. Now to decide where to ski after Xmas
Not sure if the mountain watch folks are pulling our leg. Can’t seem to find a supporting forecast near the numbers predicated anywhere else. GFS charts are showing something but I’m not convinced yet.
OpenSnow are saying not much this week, and "poor model consensus" for the storm due after next weekend.
I'm loving the mild dry days down low, even working a short day today (Christmas Eve) to take advantage. Days when we can work outside without gloves are money making days you dont expect in winter.
None of the forecasts I'm looking at have anything of note brewing anywhere in next 5 days that I can drive to for Xmas. Upside, beautiful sunny cool day in Seattle. Time for a bike ride
Whistler have managed to open up 7th Heaven yesterday, and harmony today. Photo is of Harmony , maybe an hour after opening...
I'll be spending the whole mth of Feb on a work trip to Vancouver, so looking to do Whistler on the weekends plus the first week of March off thinking to fly to Calgary & Banff. Given I have free accommodation in Vancouver, is it worthwhile to do day trips only to Whistler and bear the 1.5h each way? Looks like there is coach 35CAD each way or pop-a-ride which might be hit and miss but more like 15CAD.
Day trips to Whistler are perfectly bearable. I've done several over the years. Couple of things to bear in mind for the day trips: 1. the skiing day starts to end about 2.30pm /3.00pm, when the upper mountain lifts are closed and so it goes down the mountain until everything's closed by 3.30pm, but check the opening hours as these get a little longer as the daylight hours begin to lengthen; 2. the bus doesn't take you all the way to the lifts, and personally I'm not prepared to walk that far in ski boots, so you may want to rent a locker at the Whistler base to leave your shoes and any bus paraphernalia you bring. I've done this on previous day trips; 3. when someone else is driving, the day trip is pretty easy to bear; 4. if there's decent falls of fresh snow, take as early a bus as possible!
To be fair, between Christmas and New Year is one of Whistler's busiest periods. I've been there once at that time, and don't intend to go again during that period.
I see Whistler has a gay pride festival 26 Jan to 2Feb or thereabouts. Will this make it a lot busier than say the following week? And ix it generally queue free weekdays and queues on weekends and public holidays?
The gay pride week seems to have declined somewhat in numbers in recent years. It doesn’t seem to make too much difference on the slopes.
It can be busy - check out the line in the first pic in the post here - this was a week ago at the Blackcomb gondola. When all lifts are open, crowds can be avoided. It's all about the timing. I'm glad I'm not there this week though!
Anyone at Whistler at the moment? Looks like current system is delivering nicely on cam. Temps marginal atm at base level so rain could be a factor soon.
Not there, but following closely from Vancouver. There's been some decent falls in the last 24 hours, but there's some warmer weather on the way in the next 24 hours and the forecast is for the freezing levels to see-saw (1,300m to 1,800m, depending on the day) until the weekend, when cooler temps are forecast and the freezing levels come down to the Village. The top of Whistler is 2,182m (Blackcomb 2,284m), with mid-station at 1,660m, and the Village is at 675m. The good thing about the forecast is there should be (wet) snow up high consistently over the next week or so. Every bit helps. There's been so much moisture about (Cypress Mountain and Grouse Mountain in town have cancelled there NYE celebrations because of the amount of rain and wind), but we need colder air as well!
Whistler is stepping it up over the coming week. Hammering down atm and forecast is looking supreme.Should be a weather setup which leads to further terrain opening up very shortly.
Larry at OpenSnow is saying "impressive" snowfall this weekend. Going to try very hard for a ski there next week. If not, we'll definitely get up to Cypress for another little ski.
Whistler locals telling me it's pretty dire ATM, much hope riding on this new system after the NYE storm tracked north and they only got crumbs. They really need a direct hit from a big one to get some terrain open.
We are talking about back country terrain? If this 1.0m storm forecast this week comes off surely it will set up the mountain. The only issue then is the avalanche risk which adds another issue getting areas safe.
