Things are looking up for a strong spring season, though the pair that skied ALL of B.C. in six weeks are probably ready for a rest. Tele skiers finally get some new gear (for those that care) and probably the worst attempt at loading a chairlift ever.
SLIDING INTO SPRING AT TREMBLANT
With its season’s snowfall now at 371cm and a forecasted addition of 20cm for the weekend, Tremblant has recommitted itself to a closing date of April 14 this year. Visitors for Ontario March break will find at least two thirds of the terrain open, with spring conditions on the hill—and on the village’s many patio restaurants. Jamigo’s competition (party) will take over the terrain park, on March 16, which also marks the start of regular weekend après ski concerts at Place St. Bernard. Racers best be ready on March 17 for the ninth-annual Legends Classic GS race, open to all comers aged seven and older.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
B.C.’s lacklustre snow season turned a sharp corner recently as this Weather Network article explains. A Siberian air mass finally overpowered El Nino and dumped up to two metres of snow in places. Whistler Village, at 650m in elevation, was in the unfamiliar situation of having next-to-no snowpack on Feb. 27. A week later villagers were trudging through a third of a metre, with 80cm having fallen higher up. A quarter of Cypress Mountain’s expected annual total fell in just a week. And Revelstoke benefitted from almost a metre in time for spring break. It’s all welcome news, though probably not too impressive to skiers at Sugar Bowl in California, which saw 320cm fall over just four days last week.
WATCH OUT FOR THAT SAFETY BAR
Most skiers know to watch out for and avoid other skiers, trees and chairlift poles. One skier at Lake Louise knows to add airborne chairlifts to that list after taking a little too much speed off a lift and bouncing himself off an empty chairlift as it went about its business high above the slope. The skier wasn’t seriously injured, but did decide to sit out the big mountain competition scheduled for the next day. Resort officials were not impressed. “There’s a reason we have terrain parks,” said communications director Dan Markham.
FINISH STRONG AT CASTLE
Castle Mountain is crowing again about having the most snow in Alberta after receiving more than two metres in the past month. To celebrate, they are bringing back a special spring pass. Starting at $99 for kids and $229 for adults, the passes let skiers ski Castle for the last four weeks of the season, from March 11 until closing (April 7? Here’s hoping). Prices go up March 11.
TOUR OF B.C. ALL OF IT.
One father, one daughter, one tiny home on wheels, 44 resorts and 42 days. Those were the ingredients for the Skadi Tour, a marathon survey of all the lift-serviced ski areas in B.C., undertaken by Greg Scott and his daughter Hali. The tour, named after the Norse goddess of snow, promoted youth/mentor partnerships through the Tidbits of Change Foundation. The pair ended the tour on March 6 in SilverStar, where they appeared to be still on speaking terms.
TELE SKIERS FINALLY GET SOME LOVETelemark skiers have reason to genuflect in gratitude with this week’s announcement that the first new telemark boot in a decade will be on shelves by autumn. Scarpa has redesigned the TX Pro to make it lighter (1,545g per boot) with a greater range of motion (62 degrees) in walk mode. The NTN boot has three buckles, one fewer than its predecessor, plus a Booster Active Power Strap. Look for a review in our September, 2024, Buyer’s Guide.
