Winter is finally here! You know those times you sat inside staring out at the torrential downpour, and the only consolation was the hope that if it was raining outside, it must be snowing on the mountains? Well, it was! With 86cm in 24 hours, Whistler is opening a week early , so it’s time to get ready for winter and embrace the ski season!
But there are a couple things to get in order before heading up the hill. First, storage can be rough on your gear; it sounds simple but double check that you have both gloves and that your goggles aren’t scratched up. One freezing hand and limited vision would definitely put a damper on your first winter adventure of the season! Before heading up the mountain, make sure your skis are tuned up. Not sure where to take them? Check out the list of ski shop locations below.
Sometimes it feels like technology and the outdoors shouldn’t mix but it’s hard not to play around on the new app, Epic Mix. This app will track which runs you went on and how much vertical you skied. You can even see real-time lift line ups to avoid the crowds! And make sure you don’t end up hungry on the mountain, with your wallet forgotten in the car – you can link up your credit card with your season pass so you can make purchases on the mountain.
It’s important to remember that even though we have received a ton of early season snow in Whistler, it’s still early season conditions. Respect the signs and closures, because they are there for your safety. Not to mention, you don’t want to end up punching holes in the bottom on your gear because of rocks! And have you ever heard of the phrase “death before download”? You don’t have to be one of those people. Downloading in the early season is a smart move for protecting your gear from breaking when lower elevation snow coverage isn’t completely filled in. And downloading also helps prevent injury as your legs adjust back to skiing.
Hope that everyone finds their snow legs quickly, as this is going to be an amazing season to explore the mountains in Whistler!
Vancouver Ski Shops:
Squamish Ski Shops:
Whistler Ski Shops: