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Big J

Getting off the lift
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Fredericksburg Virginia
My wife an I are about done with our home area Stevens Pass. Forcasting rain for at least the next week. We have the Epic Pass so are looking to do one last trip to Whistler within the next two weeks. Just hope the snow holds up at Whistler.. We can always down load to Creekside where we will be staying. Very nice input from some who are currently reviewing Whistler.
 

Big J

Getting off the lift
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lower hill is not groomed mid week that often.
not a lot of traffic as the skiing into the village on lower hill is not very exciting and this time of year pretty mushy late day. By far better skiing lower hill is on Creekside. But it's not the usual choice if staying in the village.

Whistler April 10-14 has the World Ski and Snowboard Festival, lots happening.
Best is the demo tents. Usually on weekend - has always been free (need to leave id or cc)
Have picked my next ski many times at this event- often great deals to be had.
Most brands will be there so it's easy to find the ones which your interested in.

A peak to valley run is a good test platform, this time of year you encounter just about every snow condition.
We are looking to make another trip here. Am very interested in the demo tents. Where are they? Are the demos weekend only and how much of a zoo will it be here during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival? We will be staying at Creekside.
 

Tahoma

Cascade Crud Mover
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Oct 5, 2018
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WA State
Skied at Crystal yesterday. Nice Spring conditions in the AM, got a bit mushy by early afternoon. Some mid-mountain and higher runs still have good coverage, while others are showing undergrowth and rocks (Chapelle's, Gandy). We're supposed to get a refresh of snow, so may still be good for another week or so. The mild/warm temps haven't helped--our family was skiing at White Pass two weeks ago and conditions were much better.

My daughter's Spring Break is really late this year (week of April 14), so we're heading up to Banff to give it a go. If anyone has recommendations for late season skiing at the Big 3, I'd appreciate hearing!
 

DanoT

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We are looking to make another trip here. Am very interested in the demo tents. Where are they? Are the demos weekend only and how much of a zoo will it be here during the World Ski and Snowboard Festival? We will be staying at Creekside.

I have been to Whistler this time of year (best time of the to go imo) and the partying for the Ski Festival is only a noise concern if you are staying in the heart of the Village. Demo tents are on the Peak to Peak Gondola level but I can't recall at which mountain.
 
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noncrazycanuck

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the demo tents have always been set up at Whistler in front of roundhouse/peak to peak on the weekend of the festival, usually they operate 9:30-3
Expect it will be the same this year but have not actually seen it on whistlers site yet .
Make sure you bring up a cc, you need to leave something for security at tent while demoing but its always been free

knowing your boot lenght and din always speeds up the binding process. they are very quick on different models turn arounds with same brand.
switching to differnt brands requires filling out another form at their tent .

don't worry about crowds, many of those up are always more interested in the live events than skiing.
Danot is right a room facing onto the village could be noisy at night, lots of night time events . Creekside is always quiet.
 

Big J

Getting off the lift
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the demo tents have always been set up at Whistler in front of roundhouse/peak to peak on the weekend of the festival, usually they operate 9:30-3
Expect it will be the same this year but have not actually seen it on whistlers site yet .
Make sure you bring up a cc, you need to leave something for security at tent while demoing but its always been free

knowing your boot lenght and din always speeds up the binding process. they are very quick on different models turn arounds with same brand.
switching to differnt brands requires filling out another form at their tent .

don't worry about crowds, many of those up are always more interested in the live events than skiing.
Danot is right a room facing onto the village could be noisy at night, lots of night time events . Creekside is always quiet.
Great Whistler information from everybody. Thanks!
 

Big J

Getting off the lift
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Sun Peaks is now a ghost town but this coming weekend is the Snowbomb Music Festival so there will be lots of party people which is odd for Sun Peaks as it is not a party mountain.

Most of the south facing runs on lower Mount Tod are closed while just about all runs on Sundance Ridge and Mount Morrisey are open. Orient Ridge and chair are closed.

I stay down the valley and 1000' below the mountain so it was raining in the morning yesterday in the valley but as I got to the site of the former "Magic Cattle Gate" (the gate was removed during a repaving a few years ago), about a quarter mile from the Burfield Chair, it turned from rain to snow. It was 2*C and snowing and 1*C and snowing in the village. The gate is gone, but the magic continues.

With the change in weather yesterday, anywhere that was not recently groomed is now frozen ruts with 6cm fresh on top. It did turn to rain on the bottom 2-300' vertical in the afternoon so the last 1000' feet of skiing into the village was ugly.

SP is closing April 14 so I was thinking about heading to Banff, but the very mild March weather and the amount of rocks in the Rockies has caused me to change plans and call it an end to the season after next week.
I wish this ski area was on my Epic Pass as it looks great. For now Canadian area for us is Whistler as I have the Military Veterans pass that does not cover the other Canada areas.
 

DanoT

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I wish this ski area was on my Epic Pass as it looks great. For now Canadian area for us is Whistler as I have the Military Veterans pass that does not cover the other Canada areas.

Nippon Cable, owners of Sun Peaks also own 25% of Whistler-Blackcomb and so they already have Vail Resorts as a partner. This might lead one to think that SP will be joining Epic but it has not happened. However Whistler pass holders (not Epic Pass) get 50% off lift tickets and SP pass holders get 50% off day tickets at WB.

I think SP is doing very well on its own and doesn't need to attract Epic skiers at a discount. SP has broken skier visit records 3 years in a row but won't do it this year due to a drop off of local skier visits, probably due to extreme cold and heat records for parts of this winter in B.C.
 
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noncrazycanuck

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another weekend Whistler,
about a foot of fresh fell over the weekend , the alpine skied very well but snow was heavy once below roundhouse and it was not snowing at base.
still decent coverage to valley but pretty wet by base and some patch skiing on lower peak to creek's last face is now required
the fresh brought out more people than the last weeks of sunshine, can't say it was very busy but more up than on the last sunny weekends.
Random person on chair said visits have been down 30% this year, no idea if that is true but other than on big powder days I haven't been in many lift lines this year
 

gilligan

Getting off the lift
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Gig Harbor WA
Random person on chair said visits have been down 30% this year, no idea if that is true but other than on big powder days I haven't been in many lift lines this year

I was at Whistler the weekend before last and heard the same thing about visits being down this year from a couple of locals. They said the spring-break weeks this year were "dead". All I know is was the sun was out, the snow was good and crowds were sparse! If it's true though, makes me wonder if the Epic pass is siphoning off some of the skiers who would have been heading to to Whistler and instead are going to other Vail and Vail-partnered resorts. I know I was one. Went to Park City this year in February instead of Whistler like I usually do. But I'm still heading up next week for my annual spring break trip.
 
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noncrazycanuck

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you may be on to something.
I also think it's first year for a while as much or more snow fell south of the border. American visitors certainly are not as numerous this year.

Other than the "locals" and "this year locals" ( the service industry and mountain staff, Aussie Kiwi. British, Swedish, Dutch. German, Italian, Eastern Canadian etc) )
your now more likely to share a chair with a European or Asian tourists,
(frequently while in town visiting their kids).
 
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noncrazycanuck

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Whistler -winter returned this week.
Saturday snowing blowing and the Whistler visibility.
today very nice fresh turns off peak in morning , pretty sure i didn't cross another track before lunch
started to get a bit socked later and more was falling by time I left. snow line was below mid
ski out remains ok but now it's wise to stay on the gondola run to base.
by next weekend downloading may be required

the demo tents were up on Whistler but not as many participants this year.
Heard the festival did not get corporate funding this year. not sure if that is true.
in the single line mostly a ski on day.
 

Tom Co.

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Stevens is closed today through Thursday and will reopen Friday - Sunday. Crap! I was all geared up to head up and happened to check the website.
 

Posaune

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Stevens is closed today through Thursday and will reopen Friday - Sunday. Crap! I was all geared up to head up and happened to check the website.
Same for Baker. Next weekend is the last one of the season. The snow has been so sticky and heavy that it's turned my mind to hiking and camping. I'm tired of being worried about going over the handlebars.
 

Bad Bob

I golf worse than I ski.
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Skied Silver Mountain Saturday. Wind and fog and sleet, and the snow was worse. I had a bloody ball.

They will stop spinning the chairs 4/21.
 
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noncrazycanuck

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question I know some of you get mid weekseason passes - once Stevens and Baker go to weekends only do you then pay full rate, get a deal or pack it in ?
before it became epic spring skiing here used to be heavily discounted. Now seems full cost start to finish. I doubt I would ever pay full fare for spring sking
still have some 50% off tickets left and pretty sure the season pass came with about 10 discounted buddy tickets..
 

Posaune

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Baker doesn't have a mid week pass, just one season pass and a senior discount. Stevens has the mid week pass, but very early and late in the season they include weekends on it. I'm not sure about exactly when this happens because I never ski there on the weekend anyway, so I don't pay much attention.
 

Big J

Getting off the lift
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Fredericksburg Virginia
Whistler -winter returned this week.
Saturday snowing blowing and the Whistler visibility.
today very nice fresh turns off peak in morning , pretty sure i didn't cross another track before lunch
started to get a bit socked later and more was falling by time I left. snow line was below mid
ski out remains ok but now it's wise to stay on the gondola run to base.
by next weekend downloading may be required

the demo tents were up on Whistler but not as many participants this year.
Heard the festival did not get corporate funding this year. not sure if that is true.
in the single line mostly a ski on day.
My wife and I were also up at Whistler when you were. We skied Friday and Sunday. Stayed at Creekside. To ski to the bottom of Creekside there are ski at your own risk signs on the lower half talking about bad conditions. On Friday we skied to the bottom as others did. It was very little slushy snow with dirt showing through in spots that could be skied but was a lot of work. Demo tents were fun. I skied three different skis and my wife skied two. On Sunday we downloaded to the bottom. Had a good time. It appears to us that the lower half is about done due to lack of snow and warm temperatures. This will be our last winter trip there for the year. We do plan on going up in the summer as our Epic Passes are good then as well.
 
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noncrazycanuck

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glad you had a good time and picked the right day not to ski. Saturday was pretty ugly.
next time coming let me know when, may be able to catch a few turns with you and Lisa.

your comment about the lower hill is much more realistic and not as rose coloured as mine
but in my defense I love those slushy spring bump ski outs.
We ski to valley until the gaps between patches are big enough to make you walk .
 

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