Day 22 - snow

Another busy day with kids lessons in the Whistler Village.  The good news is we received at least six inches of snow overnight and it snowed all day.  The temps are on the mild side so CLC area was quite sticky.  I was assigned level 3s.  Started with four of them and ended up with only one from a level two class.  Took three runs in the Emerald Zone where the snow was quite soft and fun to play around in.

Day 21 - New Years Week

Today was the busiest day in Whistler Kids Village for this season:  850 kids between all the different lessons.  Snow is finally forecasted so the week will just be getting busier.  We had over 50 kids in dailies snowboard lessons with another 15 in Adventure Camp.  I had a nice super level 3 class with three boys.  I quite enjoyed the day as the boys were super polite, encouraging to each other, and very engaging.  The snow was soft and temps were on the warmer side.

Day 20 - dropped into Sun Bowl

Today was the busiest day on the mountain for skier visits this season.  We got about four inches of fresh snow overnight.  Daily Riders had close to 50 kids, skiers were just over 200 kids.  It was the last day for Adventure Camp.  It was cloudy for most of the day.  Park laps in the morning with soft fresh snow on the sides of the runs.  Harmony in the afternoon where we dropped into Sun Bowl and found a ton of fresh soft snow.  We also picked up three level six kids from Destination so we rocked around the mountain with 9 kids in total and two instructors.

Day 18/19 - Harmony Opened

 Harmony opened on Christmas Day.  Not a lot of snow of there but the snow was soft (and real) so it was nice.  The sun was out so the views were amazing.  Boxing Day was quite cloudy but no snow fell.  Blackcomb Gondola has been broken and down for most of the past two days. (yay Vail!)  Whistler Kids riders on Christmas Day were about 30kids (plus our 20 in AC) .... Boxing Day only had about 24 riders in dailies and six instructors were sent home for lack of work.

Day 17 - Blame it on Zach

Christmas Eve.  Still no new snow.  Guns were blasting on the lower part of the mountain with hopes of keeping the ski out open.  Pretty busy is Whistler Kids with 230 skiers and 60 snowboarders.
I'm team teaching levels 4,5, & 6 with Laura and we shredded around Whistler.  It was cold but not freezing.

Day 16 - Snowboard Adventure Camp 2019

It's busy but it's not usual crazy crazy busy this holiday season.  Lack of snow seems to have been the cause of a few people cancelling their normal Whistler holiday.  No snow in the forecast this week.  Clear skies means cold temps.
I was assigned to super 3's but ended up with one super 2.  I got him up to level 3 by the end of the day so he will be joining a class of 3s on Tuesday.  Hoping that bumps me up to the split in the level 5/6 class for the rest of the week.

Day 15 - first day of six

Back to work and once again I was assigned to a carpet class (level 2s).  It was busy in ski land with 185 skiers but not so busy in snowboard land .... about 35 riders.  Blue bird day.  No idea what the conditions were up top as I was at mid station all day.  Temps are dropping and it's expected to get colder as the week goes on.  No new snow forecasted.

Day 14 - kinda still snowing

It's getting there.  Snow all day at all elevations.  It's not great but it's getting there.  I was assigned to level one supers and had a shadow.  Spent another day on the carpet at the CLC.

Day 13 - scrambled legs

Only a few centimetres of snow registered on the overnight snow fall however it snowed all day at the CLC.  I was told the snow up top was really good (light) and was beginning to cover up most of the rocks etc.  I spent the day on the carpet with level two's who were really level one's.  We had 50 kids in skiing and 15 riders including 3 Lil Rippers.

Day 12 - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

It started snowing today.  The crowds are beginning to show up for the holiday season.  I worked in Max 4 and had two guys from Australia, both level 1.  Spent the day at Olympic centre where it snowed all day.  It was so crowded.  It took a half hour to do a lap, wait in line for the carpet, then come up the carpet.  Not complaining as it helped the day go by faster.  Max 4 had about 50 snowboarders booked in.  Whistler Kids also had about 50 snowboarders booked in.

Day 11 - 88% level ones

There is still no significant snow coverage in Whistler, however the snow guns have built the snow base up to 50cm.  It's unusually slow in Whistler Kids, most likely because of the lack of snow.  There were almost 100 skiers and only 17 riders today.  Out of the 17 riders, 15 of them were level ones.  I split a class of 12 with another instructor named Chris.  They were a mix of Jr and Super aged kids, but most of them are good skiers so they all picked it up quite quickly.

Day 10 - IT SNOWED!!!! ( just a little bit)

I was rescheduled again for Max 4.  I didn't get a class in the morning but was able to shadow a "Gopher" and wander around making sure that all the classes were good and every client was in the right level.  We had to shuffle a couple of level 3's down to level 2's.  In the afternoon I was able to pick up a beginner lesson with three people.  It snowed most of the day at Olympic Station and 4 inches fell overnight.  Still nothing big coming in the forecast though.

Day 9 - Torah Bright

Got to spend another day with the Roxy girls.  We worked on turning at the Olympic Area then headed up to the Rendezvous for lunch.  Pretty fun day that went by quite quickly.

Day 8 - Roxy Private

Kids was slow again today (10kids) and I was sent to Adult Max 4.  I'm thinking about switching my job from kids to adults so this was a perfect opportunity to give it a try.  At the last minute, I ended up with a corporate private for Roxy.  Two marketing girls from the States, doing some Roxy promos with Torah Bright .... Olympic gold medal, women's halfpipe, 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

We learned some edging on the adult carpet for a couple hours, then headed up to Roundhouse for lunch.  The girls then needed to do a photo shoot with Torah so I finished early.

Snow base is 30cm of man made snow.

Day 7 - FREE PASSAGE

The snow making team has built the snow base up to a whopping 37cm!  We are all still praying for some snow but nothing so far.  It was a clear and chilly day.  Very busy on the hill with weekend Club skiers and tourists (I guess).  I was assigned to junior level 1s and ended up with a level 2 class with a 7 year old and a Lil Ripper who has been in lessons for the week prior.  The Mexican Ripper was turning down the carpet so I took him up the hill after lunch and got him down to Red Chair where he basically passed out because he was so tired.

Day 4, 5, & 6 - Life at the CLC

It's been super slow this week with an average of 11 skiers in Destination and an average of 7 riders taking snowboard lessons.  I've been on the carpet all week, at first teaching level 2's and then getting a little ripper on Wednesday.  Snow making has managed to get the snow base up to 30cm but warm temps by Wednesday has brought that brought back to 27cm.  Snow making has stopped and there is more brown and mud than white snow everywhere.

Day 3 - Little Ripper ripper

I wish I had more to report about the snow but the skies are still clear and the only new snow is man made.  The temps have risen as the arctic flow has moved on.  It was a slow day with only 13 riders, and three of them were Lil Rippers.  I was assigned to the four year olds, and one of them could turn and ride the mountain, so I took him and did one lap in the afternoon.

Day 2 - team Mac + cheese

The snow gun blew all night bringing the base up to 24cm.  There were a lot more death cookies on the run today.  Had four kids, a split between and level 3 and level 4 class.  Team taught with Jo so that made the day easier.  It was cold.  Single digit temps again.  Oh and it was crowded!

Day 1 - Opening Dud

WELCOME TO CLIMATE CHANGE!!!!  This is the first season (that I've experienced) where Whistler has not opened early, not even a day early.  This is the first season where the snow base is only man made snow!!!!  This is also the lowest opening day snow base I have ever seen (been here since opening day 2007) .... a 14cm (6 inch) base of snow.

Whistler Kids was surprisingly quite busy.  We had about 28 snowboarders and I had one kid from Seattle who was a level 5.  Well once we got riding, it turns out he was only a level 3.
It was super cold today, about -12C in the Alpine.  It didn't feel super cold when the runs were in the sun, but I did have about five layers on with toe warmers and hand warmers.

The two runs that were open, Whiskey Jack to Red Chair and Ego Bowl to Emerald Chair, were quite crowded but the grooming team did a great job of making snow and getting those trails covered.  It was typical man made snow so nothing exciting to report.