May 30-31, 2006 Whistler

Finally a brief high pressure system was forecasted for the area and we had some 2 for 1 vouchers for Whistler to use. Drove north on Memorial Day while the masses were returning to Seattle. I t was great to see some clearing skies as we neared Vancouver. The work crews were off and the road projects from Vancouver to Whistler are truly massive. By 7 pm on Monday the skies cleared and we saw the mountain peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb from our parking spot in lot 4.

Whistler remains open through June 4 and then Blackcomb opens for glacier skiing. The hours at Whistler are 10am to 4pm. The lifts operating are Village Gondola, Red, Emerald and Peak quads plus a T-bar. The amount of terrain is extensive and the coverage is excellent. The only thing lacking is their normal grooming. Numerous runs look like a training ground for new cat operators. We had a hard freeze on the evening of the 29th which provided great , fast corn conditions. On the 31st, we took our backcountry gear and headed for Flute Bowl. The upcoming forecast was for another low pressure system and we wanted to tour out to Flute before the season finale. The new lift up to Piccolo is already under construction. We toured by a couple of the tower construction sites. The conditions on the 31st were much softer than the previous day and descending Flute was slowwwww in the soft snow. Next season we'll be cycling Flute with the masses. We skinned out the marked road to Burnt Stew and chatted with a constuction crew at 5600 feet at a lift tower site. They mentioned the base of the lift would be another kilometer down valley. Those beautiful tree runs near Lower Flute Bowl will have a lot of visitors next season.

We noticed that the Mountain Bike Park has become a big draw. Bike passes are normally$46c but are reduced to $39c because only the lower park is open.

Next season we'll be cycling Flute with the masses. We skinned out the marked road to Burnt Stew and chatted with a constuction crew at 5600 feet at a lift tower site...Those beautiful tree runs near Lower Flute Bowl will have a lot of visitors next season.

Good to hear that you both are still hitting it up.
That is fun skiing out at the backside of the Flute.
We went out to the foot of the Ficcelle at the end of April in perfect touring corn.
I lamented that this tour would change dramatically with the new lift.
On the positive side-We could make it to the Ficcelle easier and hit some of the bigger stuff with more energy!
Take and give-Or Give and take.