Whistler Thanksgiving
A traditional Thanksgiving weekend brings families together to celebrate, to eat lots of turkey and to give thanks for what they have. This year at Whistler Blackcomb everyone had a something extra to be thankful for: 33cm of new snow in the alpine! Skiers and snowboarders alike were excited to see snow covering the mountaintops around Whistler.
The snow came on the last day of fall operations for Whistler Blackcomb. Many sightseers rode the Whistler Village Gondola to the top to build snowmen, throw snowballs and play in the snow. The laughter and excitement were contagious, and the grins were large.
While the new snow is welcome, it created difficulties for Whistler Blackcomb employees trying to access the alpine. Snow piled up in front of vehicles and, instead of being able to drive to the alpine, staff were forced to walk to work. Snowmobiles were hastily dug out, and a few lucky staff were able to strap on their skis to do some cleanup work at the top of the Peak chair.
The Environment Canada forecast is calling for more snow in the alpine this week. With a cool and wet October and November expected, Whistler Blackcomb is anticipating a very snowy lead in to the start of the winter season. Opening day on Blackcomb Mountain is November 22, 2003 and Whistler Mountain opens 5 days later for the American Thanksgiving weekend on November 27. With any luck, people will once again spend Thanksgiving dinner watching the snow fall and being thankful for fresh snow on the mountains.