 Poster: A snowHead
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Just tossing a few ideas around for my big 50 birthday. Thinking of Whistler and was just wondering what time of year would you recommend as best time to visit.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's quite nice this time of year 
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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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I haven't been, but I've heard that rain is a risk (at resort level anyway) in Whistler early- and, particularly, late-season. So perhaps Jan/Feb? Canada can get particularly cold midwinter, but Whistler's proximity to the coast should make that less of a risk.
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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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Any time is fine.
It's coastal, so it's warm and wet. In winter you will get rain at village level now and then. It's more frequent early or late season, although some Decembers it'll be minus 10 (interior quality snow), so you never can tell.
It's not much of an issue, as so long as the freezing level's below the top, which invariably it is, then you can ride there. Most people do that, leaving the bottom stuff to people like me with decent boards and GoreTex. It's coastal (I know I said that, but it matters), so the best snow's in the storm itself, and it snows a lot in a normal season, when "the machine" is on. It settles out fast, so the quality's best just as it falls.
The first few months of the season have the short days, so not great for tourism: you have to get out when the light's there.
Whistler doesn't really get cold. You need the interior for that. If you land at Vancouver in December, sometimes there's snow down there, sometimes not. If you land in Calgary you can expect minus 25 or colder. But you tend to get less snow over there, because it mostly blows in from the Pacific and dumps first on the coastal stuff because it's in the way.
Like anywhere else you're always subject to the weather, but I've ridden in Whistler in December/ January every season since 1989 and although there's been a couple of times I've driven elsewhere, the risk of that is less than pretty much anywhere I can think of where you don't have a helicopter. Last season "the machine" started 6 weeks late, so the snow wasn't at the normal level early season. Even so, I rode in Vancouver city (Cypress) on December 20. That's somewhat lower, warmer, and generally wetter than Whistler.
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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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Snow is good in March/April and you get longer days on the hill too. But anytime really other than Christmas-Newyear. Did that once and the cost was silly everything and everywhere has a special uplifted price.
Yes the snow was late last year, but they still opened early and skied every day.
Easter is normally a good time as it is not as busy as a EU resort would be as Easter is not a big holiday over there. Also the valley is clear and village easier to get round.
As has been said there is rain in the village sometimes but up the hills it is snow. Most of the skiing is above the alpine so I have never seen it raining that high up - though there are people on here has experienced it so it must. I think they must have been very unlucky.
I love it at any time of season really.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thank you guys, really not convinced Whistler is worth the 10 hour flight and the 2.5 hour Transfer, we can fly to Salzburg, little over 2 hours and be in our resort in 30 minutes. Don't know if I will ever bring hubby around to Whistler.
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2waterford, I've done both Whistler and Lofer, where you usually go. Whistler is definitely worth doing, even with the 12+ hour journey. It's a once-in-a-lifetime destination, so ideal for your once-in-a-lifetime 50th Lofer is a nice small resort but Whistler is far larger without feeling overwhelming. If you steer clear of Christmas and New Year, it is not too crowded either. March is good, or Easter next year as it is relatively early in April. Long days, warm and sunny in the valley but still plenty of great snow up top.
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Thank you Quinton. 
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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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2waterford,
And go for more than a week. - That's just long enough to clear your jet-lag, before having to face it on the return. If you're going half-way around the world, it's worth a 2-week stay, and it's certainly a big enough area to keep you amused for a couple of weeks.
You're only 50 once!
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I feel like I've been 50 twice, and I'm not yet 40.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
And go for more than a week.
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Definitely. Go for a minimum of 10 days; 14 if you have the time. If you go in late March/early April, consider doing at least one day's sightseeing in Vancouver on your way back. When you get home, go on your company intranet see if your job also exists in the Vancouver office, and how do you apply
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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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Well it's mostly the same as here - the temperature is 29 in Cambridge today. I would not worry too much about that. People from Arizona spend their summers in BC because of the heat down there: Canada's cool. Ho ho.
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You know it makes sense.
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Jake43,
There was a heatwave. We often spend summers out on the island. Never been that hot.
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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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| gryphea wrote: |
Jake43,
There was a heatwave. We often spend summers out on the island. Never been that hot. |
Though it is quite often high 20s - low 30s in Whistler in the summer - a bit cooler on the coast.
Not sure I'd go to Whistler in the summer for more than a few days anyway - so many other great places in BC to go in the summer (most of which I've not managed to go to yet because the one we live in is pretty nice!)
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