SNOGS - Snow Blogs
Laura Evans, Whistler
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The snow is melting faster than a mini milk left under a light bulb - 22/4/2010 08:32Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - April 22, 2010
The snow is melting faster than a mini milk left under a light bulb. Last Wednesday, just before I skipped town to dance in the desert at Palm Springs Coachella festival, we were still eeeking out the last of the powder. Returning this week I was dismayed to discover that the meltdown was on. It seems during my absence the village has been hotting up and the snow is disappearing by the day. Doomsday reporters are saying that it's melting 5cm a day, and at the bottom the snow is a murky mixture of white and brown - as if a bear had pooped in a white Pamper. To continue the theme of doom: today saw the most dismal conditions I've experience on the hill - raining up top, pea-souper fog below, and everywhere slushy snow that drags your board down like quicksand. We managed four laps before we headed in to drown our sorrows. Out in the streets a few people were trying to dance to the musicans put on for TELUS festival. I wish they'd told me to stay in my pyjamas. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report The last days of decadence are upon us - 11/4/2010 23:56Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - April 11, 2010 The last days of decadence are upon us as the final few weeks of the season are swiftly getting scrubbed out on my internal calendar. Leaving parties are looming, seasonal love affairs are caving like crumbled cardboard. We're all desperately tryna cram as many days in as possible. Friday was a true blue day, and whilst the tourists headed up Whistler we skipped the queues and went up the locals' favourite - Blackcomb, instead. It was a good move. The glacier was glinting like a disco ball ready to party in the morning sunshine, and after a short hike, we dropped in through fresh powder, carving out smooth lines like a knife through a fresh pack of butter. It was a beautiful feeling; curving round the side of the glacier was like paddling across the edge of a massive globe. It's a long, leisurely shred down from the top, all the way to Accelerator chair. Even the cat tracks are fast on this part of the mountain and that's why locals love Blackcomb because you can ride and ride and ride until your legs beg for mercy. It looks as though the sun is set to continue here, and the weatherman seems to think it's going to be +11 degrees up the mountain tomorrow - crazy after last weeks -12C! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Whistler extends its season by a week - 7/4/2010 23:19Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - April 7, 2010
Spring is hibernation and there's no signs of it coming back any time soon. The sky has been kind to us lately, giving us new dollops every day - and while other ski resorts are using up the last of their powder Whistler has extended its season by another week - staying open until 25th April (Blackcomb is open until the end of May). There was a cruel wind blowing up top today though, so ignoring the signs we headed climbed the ladder to Spankey's and took the full brunt of it in search of powder. It was worth it but my face felt the cruel chaffing of wind and the face burn turned my chops numb. We resorted to sign language as directions - if you point at a cliff sign and roll your eyes back, that means "I ain't going anywhere near that".
No doubt, It's been another epic week, but we've had some bleak moments too, with two deaths on the mountain - a stark reminder that skiing and boarding are extreme sports. Be careful out there! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report When two became one in Whistler - 31/3/2010 19:23Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - March 31, 2010 The Spice Girls really knew what they were on about when they sang When 2 become 1. Today I had one of those magical days when I too became one with my snowboard, a daytime shred warrior in snowboarding gear, carving it up. It was pow-pow all the way on what has to be one of those epic snow weeks that will go down in my Whistler best days book.
The snow was stomping as the Alpine was open after a few days of being shut and the powder was knee-deep and spraying right up into our chops. Of course, with greatness comes trouble and it wasn't easy to see up on Harmony, but who cares when if you fall the only way you're going to land is face down in super soft powder? It was pretty breezy at the top of Peak making the access into Whistler West and Bagel Bowl hard to see, but once you were in and halfway down it was snow surfing all the way - making sure you didn't fall else you were hiking out. Lift lines were more hectic than usual, but it was fun watching rad boarders and skiers chuck themselves off cliffs and leap over waterfalls whilst waiting for the lines to diminish. Long live the sweet powder days! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Spring stops in its tracks - 30/3/2010 17:07Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - March 29, 2010 Just when we thought it was all over, the snow is back. Spring was in the air, the rabbits had started sprouting from their, err rabbit holes, the bears had been poking their paws out and the snow was melting to reveal golf courses, dirt and the rest. Downloading from mid-station was imminent and everyone was lamenting the end of the snow season. But Whistler's wacky weather has done it again: it's only gone and staged a ruddy snowback (similar to a comeback but with great shovel-fulls of snow). It's pouring from the skies like it's never gonna run out, we've been blessed with 48cm of snow in the last 48 hours. Last night we were drunk but not so drunk that we couldn't dance around in snow covered streets. Sadly I'm working so can't play today, but it's looking good for the rest of the week so the gloves are back on and the bbq's are off. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Spring shakes up the town - 25/3/2010 17:42Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - March 25, 2010 The air is warmer now, the snowing is melting and streets are hotting up. Spring can be unpredictable though. March is the month when we normally bag some big snow dumps and sure, we've had a taste of that, but as we're hurtling towards the end of the month the big question is will it snow again? Yesterday was a true blue day, with temperatures climbing and everyone stripping off on the patio at lunchtime hoping to catch the first few rays. With the weather, the mood is changing too. Spring is shaking things up, the Olympics are wrapped up and it's time for new challenges. For us seasonnaires, it's like we have one eye on the clock with the end of the season deadline tick-tocking away?. Now it's a battle to get as many days in as you can, to get as good in the park as possible and eek out as much snow as possible. Good news then that just in the nick of time, we've been forecast a dollop of snow this weekend. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Pow Pow POW - 15/3/2010 17:29Laura Evans reports on snow conditions in Whistler - March 15, 2010
Pow bam zonk: Whistler's done it again - it's snowing! When I pushed the pedal down on the accelerator to leave town the sun was giving out goggle tans like there was no tomorrow, so just imagine my glee when I returned to find a shovel load of snow. What a welcome home present. There we were, predicting the end of the snow season, but winter is back, and it seems like it's here to stay. In the last week we've had 88cm of new snow, as the sky had fallen on our heads in a puff of white powder. And the boarding has been epic. Friday was unbelievable; the snow was pouring down, the powder knee high and climbing. Fresh lines in every which way. We hiked up Spankey's to score some steep runs and it was tip top. It didn't even matter if you were following someone else tracks because the snow was so deep and fluffy. At times like this the rest of the world just melts away. Nothing matters but you and your board and your line, threading its way through the trees... Click here for our Whistler resort report. On the road in Vancouver and the Rockies - 12/3/2010 17:45Laura Evans reports back after her road trip in through the Rockies - March 12, 2010
After the madness of the Olympics it was nice to hit the highway and come up for air somewhere new last week. Despite some small anxiety pains about leaving Whistler I hadn't left the town since November and the real world had become a little bit blurry round the edges. It was high time I got out.
First stop was Vancouver, where spring was in full swing warm sunshine bounced off the boats in the harbour. We spent some time strolling round Stanley Park, which is kind like all the best bits of London's parks rolled into one, with the added bonus of the sea washing up on the shore. A quick ferry hop took us over to the up-and-coming arts of area of Granville Island - think panpipes, artists at work and organic food stalls galore. We scoffed our fancy focaccia sarnies and tried to think of intelligent things to say. Next morning we gunned up the eurovan and headed off to Banff in search of some skiing, driving through the awe inspiring Rockies - where the scenery distracted us from the ten hour drive. Sadly the Banffies had been blasted by spring sunshine too, and the conditions where icy at best - patches of dust-on-crust were about as good as it got. But it was still great to hoon around a new resort and see what moves the locals were pulling. The day we were leaving though the snow started to fall again and we managed to stop at Lake Louise for a skate across the lake and found a castle sculpted out of ice....
Click here for our Whistler resort report. Back to earth with a crunch - 4/3/2010 20:30Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - March 3, 2010 Ah, time to breathe again! The Olympics are over. Structures have been deconstructed, the media and athletes have legged it and the blue-coated Vanoc warriors have marched out of town. It was unbelievable to have been a part of something so momentous and to have witnessed some inspirational events - six years in the making and it all disappeared in a day! But, it's also kind of nice to have a little rest and recharge - the town is tired. And so, we're back to normality: March has arrived and spring is in the sky. Whistler is in the midst of a mini heat-wave with highs of 9¢ªC. Suddenly we're rocketing towards the end of the season at a scarily fast pace. Days are roly-polying into the next. This week we're also hosting Pride, a gay friendly festival, so it's man-bags at dawn and super stylish ski-gear on the slopes. I'm skipping town this week. My boyfriend is jetting in from Smogdon (London) and we're off on a road trip to Banff and Calgary to check out the snow down there. So it's off to the remote wilderness of Alberta for me - Whoop whoop!! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report A kick-ass ending to the Olympics - 28/2/2010 22:51Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 28, 2010 Everyone likes a happy ending - except maybe the Americans tonight. And yeah, yeah, yeah, Canada killed it, what a kick-ass ending to the Olympics! And it wouldn't have been right any other way. Today the whole town turned out for the hockey game to end all hockey games. Every seat in every saloon in our little town was filled, bums were glued to benches and cold beers were held in warm hands. In the Crystal Lounge the atmosphere was pumping and it was an amazing game right down to the red and white knuckle, and when the Americans scored in the final minutes, the whole bar held its breath. You could have heard a Canadian flag drop in the dust. Sudden death extra-time was gut-wrenching until Crosby sliced the puck in for the winning shot. And then the bar went wild: chicks crowd surfed, tiles fell from the ceiling and strangers bear-hugged strangers. Out in the streets fans danced on roofs, beers were raised and sunk and everyone was super-stoked. Rumour has it that people were waiting outside the stadium willing to pay up to 20,000 dollars in cold hard cash for tickets to see the game. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report What a Swiss swizz - 28/2/2010 10:57Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 27, 2010 Last night we stole half the hoof of a goat. A Swiss goat. A foam Swiss goat to be exact, the one velcroed to the window of the Switzerland house. I apologise to the Swiss, but the goat was just to good to miss. We were on official Olympic business, attempting to visit at least one country's boozer before the end of the Olympics, when the goat caught our eye. We thought we might like to pilfer the life-size mountain goat, so during a beer or two, we tried to loosen his hooves from the window ledge when one snapped off. And so it seemed we might as well take the whole goat. Now a goat is not the easiest animal to stuff up your parka, so we tucked him under our arm and tried to stroll nonchalantly out with him. Unfortunately we were brought to a halt just metres from the door by an undercover bouncer who made us give little Billy goat back (Sigh - we would have cared for Billy like one of our own!). The Swiss are so strict. So instead we had to make do with picking chocolate of the Lindt Innuksuk outside, only to discover beneath the layer of choccie was plain old polystyrene. Oh, what a swizz! Switzerland, you had us fooled! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Legendary fresh tracks - 27/2/2010 19:01Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 27, 2010 Yesterday, a group of us dragged our sorry butts out of bed to head up the mountain for Whistler's legendary fresh tracks. Last time I did this, it was in the depths of a dark winter's morning and it was kind of nice to see that spring is creeping round the corner - it's now light before the stroke hits 7am. The line-up was also noticeably smaller, despite consistent snowfall this week. We were lucky and managed to make it to Harmony Chair before avalanche warnings locked-down all the alpine areas - probably just as well as a couple of small cliff drops caused scary ruffles in the snow and the vis sucked. It was totally worth the frozen fingers and toes though when the powder was spraying back in your face and the only tracks you can see are your mates' in front of you. Golden times. Speaking of Gold - Canada and USA are set to come face to face in the hockey final on Sunday, definitely one to watch. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Much Music, the Gingerbread man and Olympic hooching... - 26/2/2010 09:31Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 26, 2010 Much Music were filming on the hill today. As newbie park rats, we sadly had to decline their offer to film us doing jumps. Luckily, there was a giant gingerbread man to fill the spot and he was killing it. Running as fast as he could, no one could catch up with the gingerbread man (that's not totally true, but it's how the story goes). After tearing it up all day, doing knarly sh*t and that, we headed down to the GLC to see The Roots being interviewed and steamy chicks hanging out of the hot tub. The best thing about the Olympics is all the amazing free stuff you can do. With this in mind, we shook a leg and headed to the Medal Plaza to see if we could hooch a free ticket in the standby line to see The Roots - who were tonight's main act at the ceremony - perform. They were awesome, jamming up on stage with supersized trombones, guitar solos, synchronised dance moves and brilliant vocals. They even invited the bobsled gold medallists on stage to shake their booties with them, very entertaining. A big congrats to my friend Faith, who despite getting knocked to the ground and slightly mangled, still managed to grab the drummer's stick after a tussle with some ruuuuuuude boys. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report The end is nigh... - 25/2/2010 08:20Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 25, 2010 Aha, what a difference a day makes! Whistler is finally back in snow-business. I for one, start to have mild anxiety attacks when there's been no snow sightings for a while and it had been about a week. So it was a real treat to peek out the window this morning and see some flakes a fallin'. We headed up Whistler to check out the lie of the land and it was pretty sweet. All the alpine areas had been covered in a beautiful coating, but visibility at the top was pretty poor - of the motion-sickness-inducing kind. At one point, I came to a complete standstill but still thought I was moving - not cool. But once you'd fought your way through the fog, arm-wrestled through the snail (snow/hail) and crawled through the tunnel of mist, the result was awesome. Fresh tracks and enough pow pow for everyone, need I say more? The end of the Olympics is looming on the horizon and I have not completed my checklist of Olympic style events - tomorrow I aim to have a drink in every official Olympic house, starting with the Jamaica house. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Winter comes back to Whistler - 24/2/2010 20:22Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 23, 2010
Winter is staging a comeback in Whistler. After a week or two of scarily spring-like conditions (goggle tans were on the up by at least 50%) today was an icy blast to the past with temps finally dropping into the minus figures again. Up on Seventh there was an Arctic breeze blowing through to our bones, so we stayed low and tried out the snow cross course, all I can say is that on TV they make it look a lot easier than it is... And snow is on it's way, hurrah! The forecast is for a decent snow splattering over the next few days, with a predicted 10cm falling on Thursday night. It's about time too. Meanwhile, the Olympics is ticking over nicely with Ashleigh McIvor grabbing another gold medal for Canada in the ski cross and they're still in the running for the hockey too, beating Germany in tonight's game. Go team Canada! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report. The party continues - 22/2/2010 23:11Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 22, 2010
Monday and the party is still rolling...tonight we headed to Whistler's ledgendary Fire and Ice show. The evening was set to be pretty epic as Chromeo were behind the decks, dishing out the bass as local boarders and skiers dropped sick tricks. If you haven't ever witnessed a show, it's basically a show case of Whistler's local boys and girls (actually just one girl) pulling frontside 360s, 520s, backside 720s, through hoops set on fire. In honour of the Olympics they've upped the event so that it runs every night with a different DJ or artist playing alongside. And these kids are good. They jump through blazing hoops in pitch black whilst a crowd of drunken Olympic supporters yelp at them. And tonight was even better as they were jumpin' to the sounds of world class DJs. It was cold, the rings were hot, trainers were thrown and park rats fell dancing on the ice. Best of all, whilst others bars were charging ten bucks a pop to get in, this golden gem was free, free, free! I heart the Olympics. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report. Bobsleigh - 22/2/2010 07:33Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 21, 2010
After a much needed Sunday lie-in we headed up for a lazy sunday snowboard; the sun was shining, the snow was sparkling and boarding was beautiful. We did a few decent laps around Symphony and Harmony chair, had a snowjumping challenge (involves seeing who can jump the furthest and landing face down in piles of snow) and then mountain hopped across to Blackcomb. A quick whizz through the baby terrain garden, ping-ponging over the little jumps and we boarded down to the sliding centre for the two man bobsleigh final which was a-mazing.
The atmosphere was pumpin', cow bells were a-ringin' and the cheerin' was rowdy. It was unbelievable how close you could get to the track - you could have put your arm out and slapped the bob mobiles on the butt if you'd dared. We didn't. These guys are racing at speeds up to 150km an hour. One of the best things about the event was being able to walk round the whole track and catch them racing past from different angles. The best spot was in the grandstand where they shot through just before finishing. Germany smashed it winning gold and silver. My personal favourites though, were the Russian team; purely for the pre-sled hand slap and chant-off; nicely done boys, nicely done.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report. Celebrity sightings in Whistler - 21/2/2010 07:52Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 20, 2010 Shhhhh, the latest star studded gossip is that celebs Johnny Depp and Queen Latifah have been having a face off at Longhorn's bar. The whisper is, that while Johnny was having a quiet drink, all mild-mannered and well behaved with one male friend, queenie was acting rowdy, lairing it up and shouting 'no cameras' whilst the locals snap, snapped away. We know who our favourite was... In other news: Korea creamed Canada tonight in the Bobsled and London's Silent Disco made it to Canada's Merlins with locals dancing away to their favourite tunes with headphones on and no idea which tune their friends were dancing to. The stuff disco dreams are made of.... Click on the link for our Whistler resort report. Drunk on the Olympic spirit. And beer... - 20/2/2010 09:53Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 19, 2010 Whistler is drunk with the Olympic spirit; and I'm not just talking about the heady excitement that comes from watching world-class competition. Whilst athletes are winning medals left, right and centre, the spectators could be winning medals for drinking, and the town seems to have reached fever pitch over the last couple of days. And what's so great about a town full of happy drunks? Simple: everyone has a hangover in the morning, so despite no snow for a few days, there's still powder to be found with fresh lines to be carved. A-hu-ha.
We spent the morning hooning it around Harmony and Symphony, having loads of fun in the sun. What's more he wind up top was having a tug of war, pushing the snow upwards so it made the mountain look like it was giving off steam and meant that the slopes were given a fresh covering of the white stuff. Even better, some of the runs have been groomed better than a thoroughbred pony, especially for the athletes to practise on, so it's the perfect time to be race each other down them. The day was rounded off nicely when we heard that Amy Williams had brought home Britain's first Gold medal in the women's skeleton. The first of many, we hope. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Warming up in Whistler - 18/2/2010 22:56Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 18, 2010 The temperature is rising in Whistler town: +7 degrees and counting. Today was the Super G, and we were all super stoked to hear that the Swedish downhill chick who stacked it yesterday (ed: that'd be Anja Paerson) was back in the game, a massive cheer for her as she managed to pocket third place despite the previous day's injuries and a nicely blued bum. Sadly, I was working today, but we managed to score tickets to the medal ceremony to see Deadmau5, which was the evening entertainment. Much merriment and casual mosh pit shoving ensured and proved once again the strength of the Olympic spirit. Despite a technical hitch towards the end, Deadmau5 must surely have been the best act in Whistler town.
Crowded Village Square. Photo: Whistler Tourism Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Ringside seats at Whistler - 18/2/2010 09:54Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - February 17, 2010
Waking up to a perfect bluebird day is enough to get anyone hyped up and throwing back the duvet, and it's even better when the Olympics are on in your own backyard. It was like someone had said 'let there be light' this morning, and poured down a sunshine spotlight for the women's downhill - the slopes were beautifully lit in the warm sunshine.
Of course, the best thing about working in an Olympic resort is that if you don't want to stump up for tickets for a race you can just ski/snowboard down and join everyone ring-a-ding-dinging their cowbells by the side of the course. So we duly schooched down from the top of Whistler mountain to find a top spot for the women's downhill. It was slightly manic with skiers toppling on top of snowboaders and grown men with cow bells where their, er, other bells normally are. Stewards were going crazy yelling at everyone left, right and centre, and the noise was deafening. We were just below the start gate, and it was pretty amazing to see the racers swoosh past. We didn't have a clue who we were cheering, but we were loving it all the same. A big congrats to the lovely Lindsey Vonn for bagging the top spot.  Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Whistler's new currency - 17/2/2010 09:41Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler: February 16, 2010 It pains me to write about this, but it seems I am about to sink to a whole new level. Whilst athletes are battling it out for gold medals, locals are arm wrestling over pins. Yes pins, the little sharp things that your grandma sticks into her flowery blouse. Pin mania has gripped the town, we are officially a town of pinheads. Even people I consider to be 'friends' (I use this term loosely) are collecting the sharp little feckers and adorning their scarf's with them. So bad is the situation that my own housemate found herself reduced to new lows, bartering for a pair of Olympic mitts with a collection of Visa pins (that she had lifted from her shop) only to be rejected, because her pins were not deemed worthy of the exchange. Another friend was accosted on the bus by a gang of pinners trying to exchange a handful for a hockey jerseys. Jog on, pin face. Luckily her pockets weren't filled with them or else she might have pricked him in the face. Still, I think it's best to pop a handful in your handbag just for emergencies - I'm thinking of taking them into MacDonalds tomorrow night to see if I can blag a free big mac. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Wild weather and wild women in Whistler - 16/2/2010 17:49Laura Evans reports on yet more snow (and yet more disruption) in Whistler, February 16, 2010
Oh wild, wild Whistler weather, what are we going to do with you? So it seems that while athletes are battling it out for medals, Whistler is beating them all with its crazy weather. Snow has fallen on our pretty town again, which is great for us, but it's playing havoc with the schedule. What looks like a sprinkling in the town was in fact a big fat snow storm higher up the mountain, overnight, and the super G has been postponed. Bode Miller will have to wait another day to win his next gold medal! Of the four alpine races, only one has gone off so far. Thank golly gosh we have curling to fall back on... In other news it seems Italy's ski team may have met their match in Whistler's resident population of cougars. You don't know what a cougar is? Then take a good-looking 22 year old man - aka fresh meat - and leave him tethered to a table at Buffalo Bills Bar and Grill in Whistler on a Sunday night. Sit back and watch the predatory 30- and 40-something females come hunting. Anyway, Italy's finest wandered into Bills on Sunday thinking they'd have a quiet beer or two; and they set off a feeding frenzy. Word is the left in a hurry. We're also developing a new sport here in town: testing VANOC security. One of my friends talked his way down to Cypress Mountain and into the snowboard cross yesterday without being rumbled! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Not everyone in Whistler is feeling sporty today - 15/2/2010 22:22Laura Evans reports on the Olympic scene in Whistler - from the comfort of her own bed: February 15, 2010
It's the Olympics and I'm at home in my pyjamas. Yes, in a dramatic, almost allergic reaction to the sporting greatness that is surrounding me, my body has decided it's had enough. It's thrown in the sweaty towel. I've tried to get out of bed but it seems to be counterproductive, yesterday I made it to the mirror, only to find that I look worse than I feel. After an Olympic sized pep talk I made it to the corner shop in my pjs. Only to discover on my return, that my housemate had in fact received my SOS text for cold and flu tabs and orange juice and bought them for me. Confirming that getting out of bed had been an utter waste of time, in my fragile state it was enough to push me over the edge. Best to get back into bed where it's safe, I thought. So to all my fans at home, no you won't have seen me waving like a gerbil on acid behind a cameraman yet, but tomorrow is a day of great things - I predict a riot. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Star spotting and vying for attention - 14/2/2010 07:56Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 14, 2010
Photo: Whistler Tourism Whistler is more packed than Primark at an end of season sale at the moment. Minus the chavs of course. Instead we've got a pick 'n' mix of different nationalities all roaring for their own side. Drums are being banged in the streets, cow bells rung non-stop and in each square there's a TV screen showing the action. The GLC bar has even decked themselves out with a hot-tub for the occasion. Our latest celeb spot from the shop was the US Vice President Joe Biden, complete with bodyguards swatting away pesky fans like flies. Cindy Crawford has also flown in, along with a host of A-listers.
Photo: Whistlerblackcomb.com Big news this week is the official house's attempts to win favour. Currently vying for top spot are the Canadians, with their 'free pancake mornings'(hard to refuse) and the Swiss, who are hitting big by flying in Lindt chocolate makers for demonstrations and the promise of fondue. The French on the other hand have taken over 21 steps, booting out the current workers and replacing them with their own. And despite not making it into the Olympics, the Jamaican's have conquered the Savage Beagle bar and are charging the princely sum of $60 to meet the bobsled team, 'Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! It's Olympic time...'. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report A tragic start to the Olympics - 13/2/2010 09:46Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 13, 2010
Photo: Whistlerblackcomb.com The Olympics is officially upon us. And it's as if someone (the snow god I suspect), has been peering down at us from above and thought, ''go on then we might as well show off and give the town a big old dump of snow''. Thanks very much snow god, because this morning we had 20cm of the stuff and we had a jolly nice time frolicking about in it. And it had been a while. Since our little ski town has been preparing for the great 'O' event and generally everyone had been talking up how much of a BIG DEAL it was going to be, it seemed the village had become to resemble something of a ghost town. Literally, you could hear the wind whistling through the streets with not a soul to be seen - apart from media guys hoisting up TV screens the size of small mountains. So, I was kind of pleased to share the new powder this morning with a larger pack of powder-hunters. It was even better to see my housemate trying to run with his snowboard to the bottom of the lift to get the first chair up into the alpine such was his excitement - slightly retarded but enthusiastic. Sadly the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during the Olympic training wasn't the start we'd been hoping for and served to highlight the dangers of winter sports. However, it did show the depths that these incredible athletes go to, to train for and be part of such a unbelievable event. Perhaps the most poignant moment of the opening ceremonies, was the minute silence dedicated to his life. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Whoo-hoo, three days to go! - 9/2/2010 11:00Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions as well as Olympic fever in Whistler - February 8, 2010
This weekend I realised a couple of things: Both statements proved to be true at the lighting of the Olympic torch in Whistler this weekend. As Steve Podborski carried the mighty flame into town, we were enjoying a casual crushing whilst lip-synching along to the 'O-Canada' national anthem along with hundreds of Canadians all decked out in crayon red. It was great to see that everyone had turned out for the event and the spirit of the Olympics is well and truly alive in the village. The only thing that could have improved the evening was if old Stevey had done a 360 over a jump with the torch - just a thought for next time, love! So, now the village is swarming with athletes, media and Vanoc workers dressed in blue, as they patrol through the streets like oversized smurfs. Gossip (leaked from a unnamed source planted in the athletes village) is that the lady athletes from the eastern block have been bulk buying condoms, and we just saw a couple of Romanian athletes carrying a crate of beers. All in the name of training, of course. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Celeb-tastic in Whistler - 7/2/2010 19:49Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 6, 2010 Back when I was at Newcastle University, I met Jonny from Big Brother (for those of you not familiar with z-list celebs, he was the giddy Geordie with a perma tan). Now, even though I knew that he was - and I don't mean this unkindly - a day-glo moron, I was still reduced to knee-wobbling awe and insisted on getting my picture taken with him. The whole experience was satisfyingly degrading.
And so, it seems wherever I go, celebs follow. Take yesterday for example, I - a humble sales assistant - was happily folding and refolding Olympic t-shirts when who strolled into the shop to get his boots fitted (by George McConkey, my boss and the best boot-fitter in town) but rugby legend Colin Woodward. Now, I'm not gonna lie, I knew he looked vaguely familiar but I wasn't altogether sure where from (when you're rubbing shoulders with celebs as much as I do, one face blurs into another).
Anyway, it turns out Col is only the director of performance for the GB Olympic team. Of course, I was reduced to twiddling my hair round my finger, giggling and asking for a picture. Oh dear. Sadly, Colin didn't invite me to any parties and declined to tell me where he was staying in town, but I do know that he wears Fischer boots and skis with atomics. Oh, and during the photo shoot he touched my shoulder.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Where are the Olympic crowds? - 2/2/2010 16:22Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 2, 2010 As a wise bird once said, when one door slams shut, another swings open. And it ain't no different in Whistler. Yesterday we put the nail in January's coffin and waved in February with an Olympic shaped mitten. As the town is being tarted up for the Olympics with new medal plazas, media centres and flags flapping in the wind, down on the ground all us local people really care about (besides the new, crazy bus timetable) is that the old classic aversion theory is working a treat. The slopes are empty. Lines are long gone, weave through the trees and the only company you'll have is the occasional squirrel. Today we lay on the sloping sides of Rhapsody Bowl and yelled, the only sound was the echo of our own voices. It's like owning your own mountain and sharing it with your mates.
We tried to out run the classic Whistler lowlight and chased a glimpse of the sun all the way to Harmony chair. When we got there the sun was shrouded in mist, but them's the breaks when you're in Whistler. World class skiing but only a whiff of sunshine, edges loomed and steep sides fell away. We skied by numbers dodging through the tree runs on the left side of Symphony chair, making the odd plunge into fresh powder. It hasn't snowed for a few days so conditions are a touch on the icy side, with temps strangely spring like but without the sun. The best runs were offpiste, my favourite today was hooning it down under the t-bars, it felt like we were in a computer game with the groomers looking like perfect brush strokes that hadn't been smudged. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Hot super-techy ski style - 1/2/2010 16:32Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - February 1, 2010 Our bosses at McCoos spent last week ogling all the spanking new kit at Denver's SIA show. A trade show rammed to the rafts with the slew of new gear that will be out on display next season. I haven't had chance to quiz them yet but new techy, super stylers Trew, got the thumbs up; Canadian brand Orage are still hitting big with their outerwear; Head have some slamming new graphics on their skis and Tanner Hall is teaming up with Armada to produce some sick suits that are off the hook. Elsewhere we've also been gabbing about Nike 6.0's own personal salute to the Olympics - they've pledged to recreate six iconic urban features at Vancouver's local Mount Seymour. The six features are well known to any regular page turners of ski and snowboarding mags and feature in loads of films and shoots. Boarders and skiers have the opportunity to ride them for the season, the first five will be unveiled in the coming weeks and the sixth is up for grabs, so get your votes in - mine goes to the back breaking, body slamming Utah Wallride. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Boardshorts and bikinis - 27/1/2010 10:42Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - January 26, 2010 In case you didn't know, Whistler is basically Australia on ice - the town is full of aussies! Today was the big one, only flamin' Australia day! And my, oh my, it was a ripper. Bluebird skies, sunshine, beers on the roundhouse terrace, aussies dressed only in boardshorts and bikinis playing snow cricket in the town plaza... Alf Stewart would be proud.
It might have even been the best day on the mountain so far, the powder was still fresh, the sun was slicing across the peaks, the trees were crystallised with snow like a secret Narnia for snowboarders. We dropped down into McConkey's, sliced through thick wedges of powder, went back up Peak, down Whistler bowl, down into the unfortunately named VD chutes, into Christmas trees and out the other side to Red Chair. An awesome day on the hill. And now we're off to celebrate Aussie day in style, with a can of cold stuff at the legendary Longhorns.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Snow-crazy in Whistler - 20/1/2010 09:27Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - January 19, 2010
Wowzers the weather in Whistler has been going bonkers! Last week we had rain, rain and more rain. Then on Thursday and Friday came a HUGE dump of snow, avalanche warnings went through the roof and on Friday, Whistler was shut above mid-station after two patrollers got caught in a massive fall just off Pony Trail. Luckily they escape unscathed. Then Saturday opened its eyes to the most perfect bluebird day ever with unbelievable snow and every day since it's been snowing like crazy. Yesterday the pow was unbelievable, you had to keep speed up for fear of falling in waist deep and never getting out. The village has also been chocker with Americans over for the Martin Luther King long weekend and college kids have been being shipped in all over the shop. Mini-skirts have been to all the bars in town and rumours of hot pashing on the dance floor. Thankfully yesterday they all left again.
This week I've had my old dears in town, so we've been getting gnarly with some snow shoes and cross country skiing. Today we spent the morning show shoeing in Callaghan Valley, I now want to build an igloo and live in the wilderness forever - British Columbia is so vast and unexplored. Our guide took us up Eagle Summit. The going was pretty tough as it had snowed over night and the tracks were totally untouched, but we didn't see another soul and the views of Black Tusk were out of this world.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Rain, rain, go away - 11/1/2010 18:43Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - January 12, 2010 Whistler is a washout at the moment. It's been raining cats and dogs for the past two days, the streets are soaked in the filthy stuff and in the village it's a case of puddle-hopping from one shop to the next. Up top though, it's been snowing proper, but alpine winds have kept everything closed. Despite the drizzle, we refused to be fair weather riders and went up Blackcomb today. Now, if the mountain was a cake (it's not, in case you didn't know) then the top would be the fat sticky icing that makes the roof of your mouth go all tingly. The middle would be fluffy, slightly too buttery icing cream and the bottom, the leftovers of a soggy Viennetta. In non cake eaters terms, up top it was blizzarding, with snow so sticky it felt like your board was super-glued to the snow. In the middle vis was better but it was raining and the snow was a pleasant slushiness and at the bottom, well it was just wet. Still the mountain is always fun and we took to the mini terrain garden trying to do the jumps. All was going well, until a bunch of seven-year-olds on a ski lesson whizzed past doing 180's. Show offs. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Chair-lifts anonymous - 9/1/2010 08:19Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - January 9, 2010 I have something important to tell you: my name is Laura Evans and I have a phobia of chair-lifts. I know what you're thinking, I probably had some sort of horrific accident as a child - got knocked off by Uncle Billy's mate, Trev, and was left swinging from a bar by the string of my mittens whilst people below pointed and laughed. But no such thing happened. I know not from whence this irrational fear came from but I'm starting to get a reputation. I can see it in the glint of the lifties' eyes as I reach the top and friends are starting to avoid sitting next to me. I fear that soon I'll be become 'Lozza, the lonely chair-lift rider'.
Things came to a head last week when I accidentally sacrificed my own housemate to save myself from falling off the Franz chair. Now, in my defence, Franz is a nasty piece of work. For starters, he's one of those old school wannabee cast-iron affairs that viciously scoops you up, only to proceed at a pace so slow that even my 90 year old arthritic grandma could walk faster. Unfortunately, Franz's steady pace had a soporific effect on me and I was happily shooting the breeze as we reached the top, when, out of nowhere, flaming Franz sped up at the last minute and shoved us off. Being a little slow off the mark and on the left side of the chair, my leg got whacked. Naturally, I think you'll agree, my first thought was 'Save yourself! Save yourself!!' and thus my arm curled around and without warning shoved John, my beloved housemate, under the chair. Quite understandable I think you'll agree. But poor John was mortified when the whole lift then had to be stopped whilst he was helped up. I of course was standing perfectly, slightly bent from laughing so hard. Both John and I were relieved to hear that the Franz chair has been laid to rest this week and will no longer be in action. RIP Franz.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Purrfect powder (if you don't hit the snooze button) - 5/1/2010 01:33Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - January 5, 2010 As a wise old bird once said, you snooze you lose. And I've been doing a lot of snoozing lately. New Year's Day dawned blanketed in snow, but where was I, I hear you ask? Erm, covered in my very own blanket, the remnants of last nights excesses scattered around me: make up, marker pen and toast crumbs; my tights still on and my pillow upside down. Ah, there was no way I was going up any mountain before working at 12. And today, after diligently checking the forecast and seeing 11cm of snow predicted overnight, instead of trotting home after work like a good girl, I went for a beer and one led to another and another, and, erm,maybe another... By all accounts the fresh powder was purrfect this morning. I can only say that at 11am it was all rather tracked out. Still fun though and it was great to see that the Christmas crowds had diminished and the line-ups were no longer. Harmony and Symphony were coated in fog but the vis cleared up as the day progressed and there was a sun hiding behind the clouds. We checked out Ode to Jeff, the flute, McConkeys, which were bouncy but still fun. Tonight I'm going to bed early and rising early, hopefully. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report The ghost of Christmas (just) past - 30/12/2009 10:30Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - December 30, 2009 Whoops, it seems I've been in Chrimbo limbo, all that festive feasting has made my fingers so pudgey I'd forgotten how to type. So, please faithful people, be patient with me as I retrace the last few days and think of me as the ghost of Christmas (just) past...
Christmas Eve dawned bright and beautiful, but as I am now a slave to retail, I was chained to the till register from the get-go (8.30am). A huge splash of whiskey added to our morning coffees made everyone's customer service skills all the better and Eggnog in the afternoon only added to the fun, as the happy swipe swipe of cashed-up Whistler holiday-makers slowly bought out the place. After a few beers, we were safely tucked up in our Christmas pjs, ready for our first orphan's Christmas.
Christmas day was a scorcher and we headed up the mountain to find it was +5 degrees! It was absolute bliss. We tried to escape the crowds and hit up Harmony and Symphony chairs, where there was less traffic, moseying along Harmony ridge and the Saddle with just the occasional flying Santa whizzing past. A pre-lunch Peak to Creek run, was nicely groomed if a little hard to see, but took us right into Creekside in time for one of Dusty's famous pulled pork sandwiches. Mum would have been, oh so proud! After a few more runs we headed in to prepare the veggies for a festive feast at our friends' house, where 20 orphan's were gathering to get floozy on the boozey. Much feasting and merrymaking ended in a fair amount of debauchery - drinking white wine from the bottle in the hot tub. A classic Christmas all round.
Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Sticky snow and blue skies in Whistler - 22/12/2009 23:08Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - December 22, 2009 The dutty boom, boom of avalanche bombs has been waking us up this week. On Sunday a big dollop of snow landed on the village and I was like a green eyed goblin working while everyone else was playing. But it turned out we had a case of the nasty inversion business on our hands and while the village was a white winter dream, up top it was raining, making for a damp day on the slopes. Monday awoke full of powder promises, but the snow was sticky up top and slushy and fast in the middle. We had fun off pisteing on the powder hunt on Blackcomb but visibility was pretty poor and there were some fun, near accidental river jumps. After a few more runs we called it a day and instead decided to prep ourselves for a night of dirty electro at Garfs, where Steve Aoiki was playing.An evening of mosh-pit shoving and sweaty dancing more than made up for a frustrating day on the slopes. This morning, after a bleary eyed start, we scootled up the mountain to find brilliant blue sunshine. It's days like this that make you never want to leave Whistler. The lines for harmony were hurting our eyes so instead we bombed around Emerald, Red chair and Franz. The sky was amazing. In one direction, the sun seemed to have turned into the moon with light filtering around it like something out of the shining. On the other direction we saw a huge circular rainbow which was incredible. The slopes were a touch on the icy side but there were still patches of powder to be found. We went off the side of Pony Trail through the natural almost half pipe, nipped down around Jokers dozen and the Dave Murray downhill. With lots of fun runs, the slopes are busying up for the Christmas hols and little nippers provide an extra obstacle on the slopes. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Smug as a bug in a rug - 17/12/2009 19:13Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - December 17, 2009
Yesterday, when it was still pitch black outside and not a sight could be seen through a foggy window, we pulled back our duvets, wrapped up warm and crept out the house. It had been snowing all night, proper snow - not the piffle wiffly attempts of last week, but thick and deep. Feeling pretty jammy, we'd decided to use our fresh tracks tickets to get up the mountain before any other scally wags could sink their boards into the snow. After a nifty queue jump (it pays to have friends on the minimum wage these days) we were up the gondola en route to the Roundhouse for an all-you-can-eat scoff off. After stuffing our chops with pancakes, bacon, maple syrup etc, we ventured outdoors into blizzard-esque conditions.
Peering out into the unknown, you see nothing but snow whipping about. Visibility was a right-off which only added to the adventure. Only Big red and Emerald were open so off we scarpered, whooping all the way. The powder was unbelievable; it felt like bouncing over clouds. If you could surf in the sky I think it would be the same feeling. Every run was full off fresh, untouched snow. Round the edges it was so deep that if you fell, you'd be stuck flapping around like a drowning snowman. Further down some of the blacks were a little bit tracked out but there was still powder to be found everywhere. We spent most of the day bombing around, went through a couple of run trees where there was the odd crash and bash and then boarded all the way down, smug as bug in a rug. The best day so far - fact. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report New snow - Whoop, whoop! - 15/12/2009 17:04Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - December 15, 2009 I'm so happy I could slide across the kitchen floor in my reindeer socks. It's been snowing! The world is white once more. On Sunday and Monday little flurries fell from the skies, like Santa shaking dandruff from his beard. Landing on our shoulders, sticky little flakes kept getting caught in our goggles. Once again, there's a new dusting of snow covering the ice like a crisp layer, making carving down the runs much more fun. There was 11cm overnight, so I'm off up the slopes now to check it out and will report back later... Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Frozen and frankly quite disgusted! - 10/12/2009 10:25Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - December 9, 2009
Whistler is freezing. An arctic front has blasted in turning the town into one big icicle, temperatures are seriously sub zero. The snow machines are working double over-time providing a thin layer of powder puff over the ice and making the bottom half of the mountain a good option. Skiing into the village is the perfect finale to the day. The sound of boards and ski's sliding on the ice is a crunchy warning when you're peeking down from the top of a chair. If you don't fancy skating your way down the mountain, the Peak Chair has opened and is still pretty cushy, the peak to creek ride is a nice 3-miler down to Creekside (or Creek Bread for a free slice of pizza), or mosey left to The Saddle where you can spend the day bombing around off the Harmony Express and the Symphony Bowls.
Today, I was a shadow of my former snow-bombing self. A night of foodie-booze bingeing at RimRock for our Christmas party took its toll. Free scrumptious food, posh frocks and unlimited wine resulted in wobbly snowboarding legs and a couple of slams on the ice, meaning my knees have taken on the shape of a 90-year-old arthritic camel's. Delightful! My personal highlight from last night though, was winning The Book of Dicks a special kind of perverted picture book, great for the cold winter nights in front of the fire... Click on the link for our Whistler resort report What should you do when you see a celebrity in a ski resort? - 4/12/2009 12:43Laura Evans reports on a special Whistler greeting for Paris Hilton (as well as the snow conditions, of course) - December 4, 2009, Whistler has become a celeb-spotting hot spot. For starters, Paris Hilton has been rolling around the town. Rumours are rife that she'd been paid to show her blonde locks at a birthday party for $30,000 and that she's be partying at all the local spots - beer-guzzling in the GLC, and joining private parties at Bearfoot Bistro. Whistler whisperings are that tips in the Bearfoot Bistro mounted to a whooping $10,000. All that we know for sure is yesterday whilst walking through the town, Paris - or PH as we've started calling her (now she's one of us) - got wallopped on the head with a snowball. I know it's true because I saw it with mine own eyes. It wouldn't have happened in LA that's for sure... Meanwhile, gossip in Mc Coos (my new place of work) is that the lastest celeb to wander our snowy paths is Johnny Depp - I'm keeping my frostbitten digits crossed this one is true! Up on the mountain the temperature is dropping, -12C today. We haven't seen snow fall for a few days, but the forecast is for a big splurge early next week. In the meantime everyone's been hitting the top of the mountain where there's still powder to be found if you search hard enough - and you're prepared to the hike up the glacier. Yesterday we had fun bombing around on the blue runs off harmony chair. The grooming machines have been working hard and the slopes are better than earlier in the week when there were some serious icy patches and ice balls - which provided a bumpy ride down the slopes. Blackcomb Mountain is open for business - 27/11/2009 14:13Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - November 27, 2009
Wednesday was a wash out with dark skies and rain pouring down all day. Overnight, though, things picked up and a little flurry of snow came down (11cm) to help celebrate the opening of Blackcomb. We woke up to bright skies and a hazy purple sun that was just on the rise, making it the best day for a while.
Everyone was stoked about the opening of Blackcomb and up top on the glacier there was champagne powder to play in, but further down it was icy in patches and the lines bulged for a while, so we hopped across on the newly opened Peak 2 Peak gondola to see how Whistler was shaping up.
Conditions were mixed with long icy patches contrasting against nice sections of powder. Up top it was gloriously sunny but down past mid-station it was foggy. There was no snow over night so we'll see how the mountains are shaping up today, Friday! Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Back to basics - 25/11/2009 20:23Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - November 25, 2009 Oooo-eeee! Mother Nature is still on our side with the white gold stuff blasting down from the skies overnight, perfect for my first day shredding the narrrrrr on the, ahem, nursery slopes. Yup, Saturday was a big day: my first snowboarding lesson. I'm not gonna lie to you, hanging out with the kids on the nursery slopes was a special kind of humiliation, especially when the little ankle biters are attempting 360s while you're wobbling around like a melting choc ice at the top of the slopes. Patience? No, no, no thank you. I was also hoping that the heaps of powder might provide a soft cushioning for my ass... So, kitted out with my rental gear and feeling like a shining beacon of cluelessness, I headed up to the slopes with my group, armed with Mike, our instructor. We spent the morning learning the basics: how to get up, starting and stopping using our heels and toes, progressing to the falling leaf formation down the hill, which is similar to snow ploughing for skiers (and just as degrading!) Yes, there was a lot of falling, skidding to the sides, unintentional 360s and a general lack of skill. It wasn't pretty. After about three hours we all headed up to the Roundhouse for refuelling, a bowl of chicken miso soup. And then it was back to the slopes to start on S turns - apparently once you have the heel-toe-heel-toe S-formation down pat, you're good to go. Pushing your weight onto your heels is pretty natural but the toe part? Way harder. But when you did get it, even for a whiff of a second, it felt amazing. With my hair whipping around my cherry-tomato red face, I had a glimpse of what it must be like to be Shaun White - well, kind of! Afterwards we headed down to the Crystal Lounge for a post-snowboard eat-till-your-stomach-aches chicken wing off. As every local knows, they have they have the best birds in town. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report Powder all the way - 24/11/2009 15:00Laura Evans reports on the snow conditions in Whistler - November 24, 2009 Ah snow, glorious snow, I'm not one to brag but I might as well: it's official - it's Whistler's snowiest November in history. We're all pretty stoked right now, it's puking it down. 12 days in and we've had 418 cm of the white stuff, 51 cm overnight and there's still 12 days left. I'm so happy I could chuck myself head first into the fat pile outside my bedroom window.
Today was my first day on the slopes; the atmosphere was pretty amazing with everyone psyched to get back out onto the mountain. The powder is unbelievable, really dry and deep, so deep you can lose yourself to the waist if you're not careful. Plus the temperature is -3°C up top so perfect for the big fat sticky snowflakes.
At the moment there's just three lifts open so there are lots of queues, but once you're on the runs you can ski free, on groomed or powder runs from the gondola down to the mid-station. Actually, it's still a bit icy at the bottom but for the rest it's powder, powder, powder. Big, beautiful runs that seem to last for an eternity, especially with first day quivering legs.
Gossip on the gondola: Blackcomb might open this weekend as well. I'm off to soak my weary legs in the hot tub tonight in preparation for my first boarding lesson on Saturday. Click on the link for our Whistler resort report | ||
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