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Pacific NW/AK/BC When do you start fretting about Whistler?
LOL, i just saw the title of the thread and thought "who doesn't fret about Whistler?"
But I still can't fathom why anyone from outside of the PNW would book well in advance, fly over UT, CO, WY, MT, and pay silly prices for variable conditions. But when it is on. . .
No altitude sickness, no driving once you arrive, some of the best and most lift accessed terrain in north america and it's 30% off with the exchange rate.
Nothing like heading up 7th heaven near close, having a beer at the Horstman Hut then taking a nice easy six mile run down the mountain after most of the crowd has already left.
But I still can't fathom why anyone from outside of the PNW would book well in advance, fly over UT, CO, WY, MT, and pay silly prices for variable conditions. But when it is on. . .
If you live in Vancouver, 1.5 to 2 hours from Whistler, then it is a great place to ski. Or if you are a double or triple black diamond skier then the upper terrain above the Peak to Peak Gondola, is fantastic.
However if you are a typical member of the skiing public who mostly ski blue and easy black runs, then why put up with the often wet snow, crowds, high prices and sometimes rain? It must be the skier-centric shopping or après-ski or nightlife which is top notch. Otherwise there are so many other places to ski in N.A. as already mentioned as well as the B.C. interior which trumps the snow conditions at Whistler every time, and of course the rest of the resorts in western Canada are also way less crowded and way less expensive than Whistler.
That said, imo the best time to visit WB is early to mid April when the crowds are gone, everything is on sale and it is the best chance to see the sun. And if it rains or the snow gets slushy, well that can happen at any time of the year at WB.
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I know. Coming from the northeast I just can't get excited about a place known for rain. I know there's a huge "but" and the high alpine etc, but bleh. I may just have to miss out forever.
It's weird, but I have more interest in Cypress mountain. Skiing into the ocean looks cool. Even if the skiing is highly mediocre.
Yeah, those all matter... as does the vertical and the size of the resort, even though most people will never ski a lot of it. I think there was a survey or study somewhere that showed amount of terrain/runs/lifts/etc. was the number 1 factor in people's choices.
Maybe we can hold another Gathering ... those seem to be r*#n free, even when we hold them in Whistler.
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The year that we held the Whistler Gathering, it was the coldest winter in B.C. in over 20 years. The snow conditions were more B.C. interior like (dry snow pack) than what WB usually gets. However, the wind and fog that we experienced where normal WB.
At Cypress you don't ski down to the ocean, you look down on the ocean and the city of Vancouver.
Exactly my point. Of course I appreciate the unique high alpine terrain, lack of altitude at the base, the relatively easy drive and paying in Loonies. There is usually a ton of snow and the terrain is world class if you are enough skier for what makes those mountains special.
What I don't understand, and what @DanoT has exactly right is that for most of the tourist skiing public (not necessarily the regulars on this board) there are far better options for skiing, price, town experience. And way less weather risk.
I like going up to Whistler and we head up there once or twice a season. But we are basically local, adapted to the conditions and terrain, and we book last minute. And we ski with friends. But for the vast majority of the ski vacation public, unless you are able to travel and book at the last minute, I think most would be better served and have a more consistent, better overall experience elsewhere.
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For the general ski tourist it's a beautiful area with other things to do. And skiing's not exactly junk. A couple nights in Vancouver and a drive along the coast on the way to ski might have more appeal than a stop in Denver on the way to skiing.
But I still can't fathom why anyone from outside of the PNW would book well in advance, fly over UT, CO, WY, MT, and pay silly prices for variable conditions. But when it is on. . .
Being from GA, I typically have to book months in advance to get decent airfare, lodging, etc. A couple of years ago, I had a trip to CO planned, and they had so little snow I flipped the whole trip 3 days before we departed and went to Whistler instead. The next year, my daughter wanted to go back to WB (she liked it better). If the snow is good in CO or UT, it's probably better than WB's snow. But if the snow level is low in CO, I'd rather go to Whistler.
We enjoyed the snow, and the vibe in the village. Canadians are nice people and the multi-cultural labor pool is a lot of fun.
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i ski a lot of different hills in this region. Non are perfect. I think I've had very close to the same percentage of crummy days at all of them.
Whistler's biggest problem is often poor visibility and slow alpine openings usually caused by too much snow.
At others it's lack of reliable snow, poor visibility, uninteresting terrain, lift layout, ancient lifts or frequent closures .
There is always something to complain about.I don't think I've missed rain anywhere .
however for overall terrain ammenities and lifts Whistler is hard to beat in this region for the tourist skier.
Some other hills have just as good terrain, but not nearly as much for long stays, access always requires other connection or long drive if your flying.
You have to link several hills and on very short notice to ever get the best out of this region - but that's not practical for most nor is it everyone's taste..
Whistler's biggest problem is often poor visibility and slow alpine openings usually caused by too much snow.
At others it's lack of reliable snow, poor visibility, uninteresting terrain, lift layout, ancient lifts or frequent closures .
There is always something to complain about.I don't think I've missed rain anywhere .
however for overall terrain ammenities and lifts Whistler is hard to beat in this region for the tourist skier.
Some other hills have just as good terrain, but not nearly as much for long stays, access always requires other connection or long drive if your flying.
You have to link several hills and on very short notice to ever get the best out of this region - but that's not practical for most nor is it everyone's taste..
Because ski trips are always a crapshoot. I have never had good conditions in CO and I've gone to a variety of places in a variety of months. Even in Sun Valley, my favorite destination that I love dearly, I have been POURED on. I've also not had good conditions in UT but I haven't skied there enough to make a big deal of that. The one time I skied MT temps were in the 50s. At least with Whistler there is lots to do otherwise and lots to do for non skiers so as an all around destination, it's great for a lot of folks. And you're right, when it's good, it's amazing.
We have two critical parameters that dictate where we ski in NA on our trips there: snow reliability is #1, and uncrowded is #2. #2 puts WB firmly off the list, as well as the snow being a little too much like home for us (i.e. on the wet side).
