 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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DebbieD, yes, Mrs L and I did Whistler / Blackcomb the first week of this January. Mrs L mainly stuck to groomers while I took on bumps, chutes, etc. It was pretty easy to take separate routes and meet up regularly. The double blacks are a bit more serious than the average US resort I'd say. There's also more vertical than most US resorts and it's quite extensive, so it's sort of in between a typical North American and large Alpine resort. Locals say it was the worst start to the season for 12 years, but it was fine. One or two runs near the village closed and a few exposed rocks in places, but there was plenty of scope for all round fun. Oh, and I had an awesome day heli skiing, where coverage certainly wasn't a problem. It did rain one day at village level, but not too inconvenient. We stayed at Blackcomb in an apartment, which I was think was better value for money than most options in the village. Creekside is a good value option too I suspect.
Enjoy 
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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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We 2 seasons ago. It was pouring with rain at village height when we arrived and was mild for quite a few days. The upper lifts didn't open as the wind was too strong, so basically we were skiing the lower half of the mountain in rain and sleet along with everyone else.
Don't let that put you off too much, I just think we had bad luck, and it was a slow start to their season. The skiing is excellent once it gets cold.
We stayed in Blackcomb in a piste side condo the first time we went (March-when the snow was good) and then in an excellent location between Blackcomb and Whistler village in the rainy year (50m to the piste).
I think the skiing down to Whistler Village and Blackcomb has more variety and might suite your mixed ability group better, and Creekside seems a bit out on a limb compared with the Village/Blackcomb end of things.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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It's the same as most other places - some seasons there's tons of snow, others not so much. This season wasn't great early - the whole of Western North America was like that, although the snow machine is on now. I'm usually there just before/ after Xmas and usually conditions are good. Even this year, when I will bitch about the conditions, for on-piste stuff it was all fine, the visitors were many and happy.
Check the weather reports for Whistler to see what the conditions are like. The key thing is the level of the village and the freezing level. It's coastal, so the snow's wet, and even in excellent conditions you will have rain low down. Ok, sometimes "low down" is below village level, but it's not uncommon for it to rain at village level, and that isn't really the problem it sounds. In warm weather many people just download from the bottom lifts, although personally I've Burton GoreTex Ak so I just ride through it (snowboards are good in slop). Without checking, I'd just say that conditions can be like this at any time of the year. Usually it snows pretty much every day, the issue's just where the freezing level is.
If you're into off-piste, then you find that the sun and temperature messes with the snow, so the best quality is actually to ride in the storm, not after it.
Whistler is a bit of a zoo, and attracts party people as well as skiers, but it's big enough and polite enough to be amusing. It's mixed terrain-wise so I think you could easily accommodate a mixed group, and they have lots of speed cops and "family" terrain to keep piste behaviour civil.
January... well it'll be busy on New Year's and maybe the weekend after with locals from Vancouver, but otherwise it's not peak season, shouldn't be particularly busy, and it's well organised enough anyway. The temperature comes and goes - look at historic records if you like. 4/5 times it's great, it's always ridable.
Creekside is away from the main "village", which is ok if you're aware of it. There are restaurants and stuff there, so you don't need to travel. The local buses will get you to the centre; not sure if they're free from there or not (some of the short-distance stuff is free, but it's a "toonie" to get to some of the further flung places which tourists will not go to ).
The descent to Creekside ("Peak to Creek"?) is easy enough, like a European red I'd say, no particular bumps and lots of different aspects. Like all the Whistler runs it kind of suffers from a "funnel effect", which is that there are fewer runs at the bottom than at the top, so people kind of funnel down. However not everyone will ride down to the base. The run down there is not as busy as the ones down to the Village. In any case they have speed cops and speed control fences etc so it's not hugely an issue.
Oh yeah, this season was slow to start, although I've seen significantly worse and the tourists were actually all happy, it was just that we were about 2m short of snow in the off piste for the first 6 weeks or so. That's called "weather", and it happens everywhere, but I've been in Whistler for New Year for about the last 30 years and always had stuff to ride.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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+1 ^
I would add that you can always down load from mid station to either the village or Creekside if you don't fancy the run down. Creekside is more tricky that getting to Village or Blackcomb bases as there is no Green down to their and it can be tricky late on.
Like all resorts that are near a main conurbation you will get it busy when there has been a powder dump or the weekend. If you get away from the nearest to the villages runs it is not as bad. The queues are managed brilliantly which does help and in Jan that is the quietest time if you miss new year week.
We have never had rain there (7visits) though there does seem to be a lot of people on here have had it. But as above if there was you just go higher up the mountain. This year has been the worst snow quantity for a long time and it was still all open as bad snow for them is still 2 metres ! I find the worst bit is the amount of snow you can get in a day and the bad visibility that comes with it.
I would suggest you stayed in the Village as there is more options but Creekside would be cheaper for the nearer lift position. We stay at the Delta and accept the 5 min walk. As the Skis are left at the hill in storage so it is no problem. You will also get good deals on Blackcomb which is Ski in/out then its a 10min walk to the Villiage. Creekside is a Taxi or Bus to the village.
The good news is that off every lift there is an easy way down, medium and hard. They call them green,blue and black but they are not that equal and some blues can be very tricky in places. There are free guides that show people round the resort who are well worth tying up with. Also Ski Club does have "hosts" there too.
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Was there in January 2011, had rain, snow, sun, cold, warm etc all within 2 weeks!!
Basically you never know! Great ski area and town, go for it. 
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