The snow on Whistler and Blackcomb mountains is like nothing that longtime riders have ever seen.
The resort has seen powder conditions deep enough for the resort to open Friday, a week ahead of schedule.
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“Talking with some real old timers around, they’ve been opening these mountains for 30 years and they’ve never seen anything like it,” said Doug MacFarlane, Whistler Blackcomb’s director of mountain operations.
Whistler Blackcomb isn’t the first skiing terrain to open for the skiing and snowboarding season — Grouse and Cypress Mountains beat it to the punch — but at a cost of as much as $114 for an adult one-day ticket, it’s the biggest and the most expensive.
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The company knows how expensive it is to ride Whistler Blackcomb’s immense, 600-acre terrain.
That’s why it encourages people to buy multiple days — more money to spend at one time, but a lower cost per day.
“We always encourage people, get out there, do your research, find out what deals are out there and it’s not as expensive as you might think,” said Pete Sonntag, chief operating officer at Whistler Blackcomb.
But there are other options for people who find Whistler too pricey.
They could try Baldy Mountain Resort, which is close to Oliver in the Okanagan, where a day pass can cost $55.
A kids’ season pass can cost $25.
“We’re very affordable, some of the best prices in B.C.,” said Andy Foster, general manager of Baldy Mountain resort.
Whistler is nevertheless set to see several snoweaters ready to dig into some deep powder.
There’s a price to pay for such conditions — for some, it’s steeper than others.