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| 24hr Snow | 10 cm | 7 Day Snow | 19 cm | Snowbase | 232 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Temp | -6 °C | Valley Temp | +4 °C | Conditions | Powder / Soft |
I haven’t been up the hill for a few days now but I have heard there is still plenty of fresh around (not surprising with all the constant flurrying). Today it snowed off and on (in the valley), so no doubt the snow up top is awesome quality – so unlike our normal March wet snow with rain in the village.
Unfortunately I am not going to be able to ski tomorrow either (as it is puking as I type this), but should be able to ski a lot during the week.
So I can’t report much right now, but from what I hear the conditions are still pretty good – and getting better.
Today was actually really really good. Hard to believe, but it was ankle deep fresh on groomed on the mid mountain, and boot deep in places on the upper. The early morning snow, coupled with great grooming, made for a great day. Plus we skied directly onto lifts all the way through 1:00 – very unusual for a Saturday.
We skied Sat March 28 and Sunday March 29. Saturday was quite blustery with tricky visability but you really can’t complain when it seemed that a good foot of LIGHT snow fell. Still quite icey underneath all that below the Roundhouse to the valley. Above that, soft sailing.
Sunday was a perfectly sunny and cool day. The crowds were huge at Whistler. I don’t know about Blackcomb. I should learn by now that sunshine means huge crowds at Whistler. The Creekside base is unpleasant in the morning. I think all of Vancouver have discovered that the parking is easy and free at Creekside and hey, 4 km less driving compared to going to the big lots in the village. But is it worth the 30 minute liftline? We stopped for lunch at 1:15 and the roundhouse was packed. WE went to Chic Pea and it was also packed! They had a BBQ going outside. Still a bit chilly for sitting outside, but we did. The snow is fabulous and plentiful. Best runs: Sun Bowl, Cockalorum.
Anyone know why the Peak 2 Peak gondola stopped and closed yesterday afternoon? It was not a wind issue.
Thanks for the reports – sounds like some decent skiing at the moment. I hope to be up there tomorrow (finally).
Re: Peak2Peak closure. Here’s info from The Question newspaper, posted April 1 at The Question website. A friend of mine was on it and said that a lady with a baby in the stroller was stuck at Blackcomb and we wonder how she ended up getting down.
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Whistler – The Peak 2 Peak Gondola was shut down Sunday (March 29) after a drive motor on the new conveyance’s frequency acceleration/deceleration mechanism malfunctioned, a Whistler Blackcomb (WB) official said.
No guests were in danger either during or after the shutdown, which occurred on Sunday at 12:46 p.m. and last 19 minutes, WB communications officer Amber Turnau said on Monday (March 30). Guests inside the sky cabins at the time were kept abreast of the situation by intercom, she said.
After lift maintenance workers arrived at the Blackcomb station and briefly assessed the problem, a secondary electric motor was engaged to drive the cable system and evacuate those who were on the cabins at the time, Turnau said.
Shortly thereafter, maintenance workers decided to close down the gondola for the remainder of the day. After the drive motor was replaced, the gondola re-opened for service on Monday, Turnau said.
Doug Forseth, WB senior VP of operations, said the motor is one of eight used on the Peak 2 Peak — four on each mountain. The motors drive the systems that help cars leaving the station accelerate as they depart the station and decelerate as they arrive, he said.
“When the grip comes off the rope and it detaches, the frequency drive motors drive those wheels that move the cabin through the station,” he said.
He said the motor that failed was sent to an electrical shop in Vancouver to determine why it failed. A spare motor has been installed in its place, he said. (c) The Question