 Poster: A snowHead
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Ahh sorry! I didn't mean to offend anyone, definitely not my intention. I absolutely loved whistler, thought my post alluded to that quite clearly.
I didn't think that people talking to you on lifts was a bad thing, just completely different and I'm used to having my earbuds in, so it took a while to remember to take them out when I was queueing so that I could hear the person next to me instead of them thinking I was ignoring them. I found that when people asked where I was from, they were really interested and they asked about where we normally ski, how there's no snow in the UK etc etc.
I suggested eating sandwiches in queues because it passes the time in the queue and means more time out on the snow. I didn't try eating sandwiches inside the lodges because I really liked the food but it's great to hear that they don't mind. 
From a bar point of view, possibly to do with my confidence? But I'm ridiculously polite, so it won't be my manners. But the first few times I meekly asked if I could put the bar down I was laughed at and on one lift, a young lad said something that I didn't catch and the rest laughed  I'm absolutely petrified of heights, so after the 5th or 6th time, I just tried to time who I was getting on a lift with from then on and aimed for families with kids or always with my boyfriend. So I guess i didn't ask enough people before that to have a balanced opinion. I'll edit my post though  I just wish someone had warned me before I went because the first few times really scared me, I didn't know what was happening.
I saw 2 guys from mountain safety (sorry, to use the wrong name, my ignorance that I didn't know they were different) following someone down through the trees, he wasn't going particularly fast, but they stopped him and as I went past, I heard them talking about riding in switch. I'm not saying people should be allowed to career down the mountain out of control, but I wouldn't say switch is unsafe, the guy looked very capable to me. 
It comes back to the safety on lifts for me. It baffles me that it's considered safe to leave a safety bar up hundreds of feet in the air, yet unsafe to ski backwards or fast. Everywhere else I've been, if you don't put the bar down, the lift gets stopped... Simple! So I really do think it's worth mentioning to someone going for the first time. If you're like me and you don't want to sound stupid or annoy anyone, rather than like both of you who are clearly very confident and also have been there for years, then it's a scary learning curve. 
Spent ages writing that post last night, thought I was being helpful for the first time... i'll retreat back to my lurker box now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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<laughs> Whatever, WB speed cops won't stop anyone riding "backwards or fast", they'll only get involved if you're a danger to others.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| abc wrote: |
Let’s get one thing out of the way. The majority of off-slope activities happens in Whistler village.
Moreover, if any in the group needs lesson, go on a guided ski, those also meets at Whistler. |
That's a bit of exaggeration to claim there is no guiding or lessons on Blackcomb! Sure, Extremely Canadian (the steeps clinics) and the (formerly known as Dave Murray) Camp meet on Whistler, true. But the free guided tours and the whole range of group lessons are offered on Blackcomb side as well. When it's not an El Nino year, the Blackcomb (and Creekside) kids school base is the superior option, both in terms of less chaotic pickup and in terms of immediate access to snow.
For beginners who need good terrain progression, Whistler is vastly superior. But for people making the transition from beginner to intermediate, or low intermediates, the shorter lines and quieter slopes on Blackcomb side can be helpful.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@rhythmpig, @stuarth
I think poor @rhythmpig had the misfortune to ride the lift with stereotypical not-East Coast Americans. I wouldn't say putting the bar down is universal at Whistler, but 80-90% compliance. You should see the raging debates about putting the bar down on r/skiing, where I lurk with horrified anthropological interest - seems to definitely ties into the "my God-given right to liberty/guns/drive pollution spewing vehicles in your face" mentality prevalent in a significant fraction of the American population. It sounds like only 50-60% of the skiers at major Western US resorts put the bar down, so the increased proportion of American skiers at Whistler in the past 5 years would definitely be a contributing factor.
It honestly wasn't as bad pre-Vail**: It was immediately obvious in 2018 that Epic skiers thought it perfectly normal to wait for their friends *inside* the corral/maze, rather than waiting for everyone outside and entering together. I guess distracted device usage is partly to blame too, but it seems to me there's a lot more random clumping & unclumping so what you thought was a group of 3 turns out to be 5 etc - requires a lot more pro-actively asking "is there room for 2 to join?" to fill chairs - and a lot less of the active queue management that used to take place. 10 years ago they would have enough lifties staffed to really make sure every chair was full. I gather this still happens at e.g. Emerald and maybe Harmony because the 6-pack is a bit more complex, but my hazy memory is that this used to happen a lot more often in a lot more locations. (TBF, I've skied 1-2 weeks a year at Whistler for 20yrs, but only moved to Vancouver in 2016, so would have been skiing more peak weeks prior to that.)
Also: there's a non-trivial possibility that gender played a role too. I definitely get simmering, and sometimes highly verbalized, resentment about bringing the bar down at time that makes me wonder if the reaction would have been the same had I been a burly bloke - or the right kind of statuesque sporty young woman - rather than a small middle-aged woman (I saw your comment on ski testing - we sound very similar in terms of height & preferred ski lengths!)
What makes it worse is that I'm so short that it's actually quite hard to pull the bar down, so I've definitely been guilty of bringing the bar down too quickly - I do shout "coming down" but I'm not pausing because I'm, erm, biomechanically impaired....I can't pull gradually with armstrength, I'm hauling with bodyweight like I'm ringing church bells!
** I did not write this, but this person shares all my complaints, so maybe it's a universal problem in N.America? https://www.reddit.com/r/skiing/comments/1b0mjvb/whats_some_poor_lift_etiquette_youve_noticed/
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Sun 10-03-24 18:21; edited 4 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| AndreaC wrote: |
| abc wrote: |
Let’s get one thing out of the way. The majority of off-slope activities happens in Whistler village.
Moreover, if any in the group needs lesson, go on a guided ski, those also meets at Whistler. |
That's a bit of exaggeration to claim there is no guiding or lessons on Blackcomb! Sure, Extremely Canadian (the steeps clinics) and the (formerly known as Dave Murray) Camp meet on Whistler, true. But the free guided tours and the whole range of group lessons are offered on Blackcomb side as well. When it's not an El Nino year, the Blackcomb (and Creekside) kids school base is the superior option, both in terms of less chaotic pickup and in terms of immediate access to snow.
For beginners who need good terrain progression, Whistler is vastly superior. But for people making the transition from beginner to intermediate, or low intermediates, the shorter lines and quieter slopes on Blackcomb side can be helpful. |
I don’t believe I’m exaggerating.
While there’re some lessons meeting at the Blackcomb base, the choices are far more limited. Whilst the majority of lessons meet are Whistler village. Even tours and lessons targeting Blackcomb terrain still meets at Whistler village for the most part.
Part of the reason for that setup is everyone knows how to get to Whistler village even if they don’t stay at Whistler. But for people staying at Whistler, the reverse isn’t so. Hence the limited offer of lessons and tours starting from the Blackcomb side.
It really only makes sense for people staying at the Blackcomb side to join lessons starting on that side. But there may or may not be as good a range of them to choose from.
I’ve mostly stayed on the Blackcomb side for most of my visits. Whilst I like that location for access to snow. But for much of other activities, I ended up going over to Whistler village instead. I would only advise a group to stay on the Blackcomb side if 1) for budgetary reason, or 2) they’re strictly there to ski.
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| AndreaC wrote: |
@rhythmpig, @stuarth
I think poor @rhythmpig had the misfortune to ride the lift with stereotypical not-East Coast Americans. I wouldn't say putting the bar down is universal at Whistler, but 80-90% compliance. You should see the raging debates about putting the bar down on r/skiing, where I lurk with horrified anthropological interest - seems to definitely ties into the "my God-given right to liberty/guns/drive pollution spewing vehicles in your face" mentality prevalent in a significant fraction of the American population. It sounds like only 50-60% of the skiers at major Western US resorts put the bar down, so the increased proportion of American skiers at Whistler in the past 5 years would definitely be a contributing factor.
It honestly wasn't as bad pre-Vail**: It was immediately obvious in 2018 that Epic skiers thought it perfectly normal to wait for their friends *inside* the corral/maze, rather than waiting for everyone outside and entering together. I guess distracted device usage is partly to blame too, but it seems to me there's a lot more random clumping & unclumping so what you thought was a group of 3 turns out to be 5 etc - requires a lot more pro-actively asking "is there room for 2 of use to join?" to fill chairs - and a lot less of the active queue management that used to take place. 10 years ago they would have enough lifties staffed to really make sure every chair was full. I gather this still happens at e.g. Emerald and maybe Harmony because the 6-pack is a bit more complex, but my hazy memory is that this used to happen a lot more often in a lot more locations. (TBF, I've skied 1-2 weeks a year at Whistler for 20yrs, but only moved to Vancouver in 2016, so would have been skiing more peak weeks prior to that.)
Also: there's a non-trivial possibility that gender played a role too. I definitely get simmering, and sometimes highly verbalized, resentment about bringing the bar down at time that makes me wonder if the reaction would have been the same had I been a burly bloke - or the right kind of statuesque sporty young woman - rather than a small middle-aged woman (I saw your comment on ski testing - we sound very similar in terms of height & preferred ski lengths!)
What makes it worse is that I'm so short that it's actually quite hard to pull the bar down, so I've definitely been guilty of bringing the bar down too quickly - I do shout "coming down" but I'm not pausing because I'm, erm, biomechanically impaired....I can't pull gradually with armstrength, I'm hauling with bodyweight like I'm ringing church bells!
** I did not write this, but this person shares all my complaints, so maybe it's a universal problem in N.America? https://www.reddit.com/r/skiing/comments/1b0mjvb/whats_some_poor_lift_etiquette_youve_noticed/ |
Yessss! I found exactly that Andrea! <3 Hence being fine on lifts with my 6ft boyfriend who experienced no repercussions pulling the bar down! Ironically, I posted it on IWD too  I'm also really short backed, so completely share the comical 'half jump trying to reach it bell ringing grab!' properly laughed at that! Such a spot-on description! I fail most times because I'll likely do something stupid in the process like hit the person next to me in the face or get my leg stuck or something. (although, that's massively reduced when I'm on skis, highly magnified when I have a board on! Almost certainly to do with the anxiety I have around lifts in general I think!)
Agreed! Giving a heads up when it comes down is common courtesy in any country isn't it! I *always* shout out first. Mainly because I'll be the one trying to find the glove I just sat on by accident and not drop poles etc, so it's second nature to me to not want to trap someone's head near their thigh if they're doing the same and definitely not the reason I felt intimidated when I asked!
I admit to feeling a bit like maybe I'd imagined the scenarios this morning and messaged our pals we were with to see if I was exaggerating, but turns out we all took quite a few pics of one of our group trying to "be like the cool kids" whenever he was on a chair with anyone else (whilst white-knuckled clinging to the seat back out of view to anyone but us from behind) I feel like if it's worse at western US resorts, I might need to get some hypnotherapy or something before we head out there to try and be more prepared.
Ahahaha!
The stopping in lift lines! To be honest I didn't really notice it or realise it was too much of a problem, but that's only because it's literally a given in any of the European resorts we go to. It def seemed to happen more around emerald though, you're right! I think sadly, we (not me - moving in a lift line is challenging enough for me, I'm certainly not going to add an extra layer and stop ) Europeans are also guilty of ruining that for you alongside epic pass users. but of course, I had forgotten that that was the reason I found myself in my own on a chair a number of times due to miscounting. It's fascinating (but sad for you) to know that you've seen such changes since the vail pass came in.
It really was lush! I loved it! I can't wait to go back and can't wait to try some more Canadian resorts! But I'm definitely getting more practice in wherever I can this time to make the most of it (although I seem to bring sun instead of snow with me when I travel anywhere, so don't often get a good amount of snow)
Hah the ski test! I was after some new skis for this season after a guy in a (supposed to be the best) servicing shop in
whistler destroyed my 1 week old black pearl 88s with a dodgy base grind he insisted I needed, and even though the manager tried to correct them, they never skied the same after. I didn't try any in the end, but I bought the dynastar e-pro 90's and I'm completely in love, I really think they're worth trying if you haven't already! They're so much fun! Can't stop grinning on them! I went for the 154s, as that's the smallest, but I loved them so much and they gave me so much confidence that I picked up a pair of 162s on sale for £180 and they're even more fun! Please give them a go! I feel like you'll love them too! Great skis for a shortass! Thanks lovely! the non athletic, non statue, solidarity is massively appreciated 
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Thanks again to everyone for adding their advice and thoughts….. a week and a half till we head for Whistler and so far , booked the Hilton, in process of using a shared shuttle service for transfers by The Whistler Shuttle company as just 2 of us and looking at using Spicysports for ski hire as recommended on here!! Anyone been recently to update on conditions? Do we need the full on clothing we use in Jan Feb skiing or is it a little bit warmer to be able to use more softshell type lighter gear ? Again appreciate any updates or feedback
Steve 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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On the bar thing I found WB was recently the best place in N America for bar coming down. Though I was there Brit half term week so perhaps more Euro tourists than Merikins.
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| TheHoeMan wrote: |
Thanks again to everyone for adding their advice and thoughts….. a week and a half till we head for Whistler and so far , booked the Hilton, in process of using a shared shuttle service for transfers by The Whistler Shuttle company as just 2 of us and looking at using Spicysports for ski hire as recommended on here!! Anyone been recently to update on conditions? Do we need the full on clothing we use in Jan Feb skiing or is it a little bit warmer to be able to use more softshell type lighter gear ? Again appreciate any updates or feedback
Steve |
You absolutely need to take your normal ski gear inc all the relevant layers. Don't underestimate how quickly the weather forecast and conditions on the mountain can change.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My daughter is sending us a daily picture from Whistler on BeReal and conditions look good. Plenty of snow and plenty of sunshine. I'm guessing that means things will be a wee bit heavy mid mountain down but they look way better than they were at Xmas.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Cheers guys, any information is very much appreciated
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I'm in Whistler at the moment - it's gorgeous weather - for a hike!
Snow was pretty decent up until Wednesday or Thursday after some substantial storms. Then got super hot at the weekend - think it's back to Winter again by the end of the week.
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You know it makes sense.
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Is it still ok for skiing though?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Not sure. I've not been up since Sunday - very spring like, but decent coverage (unlike a good chunk of the season earlier this year!).
If it snows a bit as forecast at the end of this week, should be fine
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Poster: A snowHead
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Jnr says Air Jordon is no longer doable, so not ok for skiing if that's what you had in mind! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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FAQ
