Fresh Snow In Whistler
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
Excitement is building at Whistler with five centimetres (two inches) of snow falling overnight and more expected today and throughout the week. The freezing point has dropped to 900m, about 200m above the resort height meaning that about a mile of vertical is getting its first snow covering.
It is still five weeks until the resort is due to open on November 27th, for an exciting ski holiday season with the historic opening of the huge Peak2Peak gondola happening a few weeks later, and the Olympics just a year away, for which Whistler hosts many of the on-snow events, whilst the cities of Richmond and Vancouver host ice sports.
“We’re poised and ready to step in once this storm passes,” says Jodie McCutcheon, Whistler Blackcomb’s snowmaking manager. “We have between 180 and 220 snow guns set up and ready to go. As soon as the storm stops, we’ll fire up. Also both reservoirs on both mountains are full, that’s 52 million gallons of water, ready to support the snowmaking effort.”
The Peak2Peak gondola will be the first lift of its kind, linking Whistler’s twin mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb at altitude with an 11 minute crossing providing spectacular views of Garibaldi Provincial Park. The lift spans 4.4 kilometres (2.73 miles) in total distance from mountain to mountain, the Doppelmayr 3S tri-cable gondola boasts the world’s longest unsupported span of 3.024 kilometres (1.88 miles), as well as the world’s highest lift of its kind at 436 metres (1,427 feet) above the valley floor. Two of the gondola cabins have glass floors for added views of the drop below.
February 2009 marks the one-year countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympics and Whistler Village will be filled with celebratory events. The resort will be the venue for the men’s and women’s Olympic and Paralympic alpine skiing disciplines of Downhill, Super-G, Giant Slalom, Slalom and Super Combined. Nordic and bobsleigh events will also be staged in the area
More than 90 per cent of the mountain will be open to the public during the Games. Construction for all 2010 venues in Whistler is now complete and all three venues are open to the public this winter.
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