Whistler/Blackcomb 4/28 thru 5/5/11

I skied Gore Saturday morning April 16 which would normally have closed my season. But my good friend and ski buddy Paul convinced me to cash in my frequent flyer miles and meet him at Whistler/Blackcomb, British Columbia. I have been out there several times before with Paul but had enough miles this time to bring most of my family (eldest daughter had freshman college finals).

Using frequent flier miles isn't always convenient. Even though I booked 5 months in advance we ended up flying out of BWI which is just over 2 hr drive from our home in Bucks County PA. Flew out on Wednesday April 27 with a connection in DFW (yes, not exactly in the right direction) then DFW to YVR (Vancouver, BC). Paul lives near us in PA but has a season pass at Whistler. We didn't arrive at the condo in Stony Creek Lagoons (Whistler Village) until 11pm local time. My wife and kids went straight to bed while Paul and I sat up and plotted strategy for the next day. Paul had already been out there for over two weeks so we only had two days with him. As it turned out, two AWESOME days!

I have skied a number of places in the western US but I have to agree with Paul, there is no place like Whistler. It is really TWO VERY LARGE mountains in one resort. Every year, the resort typically closes one of the mountains in late April. This year it was Whistler that closed so we spent all our time on Blackcomb Mountain. During my last visit in late April 2006 Blackcomb mountain had closed so I have gotten to experience both mountains. Quite honestly, you could spend a week here with both mountains open and you would not be able to ski all the terrain. We had hoped to ride the new "Peak to Peak" gondola (runs from Whistler peak to Blackcomb peak) but it closes when one of the mountains close. The gondola cabins are huge, each one holding 20+ people and several have a glass floor. The gondola gets two to three thousand feet above ground mid way between the mountains.

Just to describe our first day, we woke up to rain in the village. Caught the bus right in front of Stony Creek Lagoons that dropped us at the base of both mountains. There was rain in the village, but not on the mountain! Four inches of fresh powder overnight! Paul took us up Excalibur Gondola where we skied a couple of hundred feet to the Excellerator Chair. Got off and skied a couple of thousand yards to Jersey Crème Chair, which drops you above tree line but well below the summit. Did all our runs that day in this general area. Snowing  and cool most of the morning! AWESOME powder conditions!

A few other interesting facts: Whistler/Blackcomb had their second best snow fall in history this year, 1500 cm (thats 50 feet of snow)!!! The mountain has a full vertical mile (well over 5000 feet). There are two glaciers, Horstman and Blackcomb. We skied on the Horstman glacier but it was buried under nearly 50 feet of snow. We wanted to ski the Blackcomb glacier but the Showcase T-bar that takes you up to the glacier was closed the entire time we were there. Blackcomb mountain will close around June 1 but lifts run for several hours every day up to the glacier until mid-July for folks who want to ski just the Blackcomb glacier.

What can I compare it to? Well if you have been to Tremblant imagine Tremblant Village  X4 and the mountain X5. WONDERFUL family vacation.... unfortunately it came to an end. Paul is trying to convince his wife to retire up there, maybe I can too??


Village Entrance




7th Heaven Chair near Blackcomb summit


Back way down from 7th Heaven - over Horstman Glacier


Jon, Pmac, Mrs Pmac, Jami


Lunch at Glacier Creek Lodge with Paul


Olympic Park in Village






Memorial to Luge Olympian killed 2010


Browsing in the village


Jon reacts to news: season over, we have to go home


Road from Vancouver to Whistler among 10 most scenic in the world

P.MAC wrote

Quite honestly, you could spend a week here with both mountains open and you would not be able to ski all the terrain.

Agreed.  I've been there on four separate seven-day trips in late March/early April over the years.  I didn't really know every corner of the two mountains until the end of the second trip.  The great thing about going at the end of the season is no crowds.  Vancouverites are golfing or getting their boats back in the water around that time, since it's truly spring in the city by that time.  The upper half of the mountain still has winter conditions that late, but it's not very cold. The only problem, of course, is the weather.   When it's socked in with fog, it's pretty bad, and can last for days.

I skied there in July a few years ago. What a beautiful place.

Oh, yeah, from my last trip, Blackcomb Glacier and the bottom of Ruby Bowl.



DOA and Lakeside Bowl (Blackcomb)

Wow, nice photos Mike, Jason AND PMac!  Maybe my season ain't over yet...