Best snow in North America requires best groomers – Tag along for a nighttime adventure in Whistler

Whistler, B.C. – With the best snow conditions in North America, boasting more than 15 feet of snowfall to date, Whistler offers the chance to ride shot-gun with one of the professionals responsible for helping groom up to 1,500 acres of skiable terrain each night.

Skiing and riding Whistler slopes are two ways to enjoy the fresh powder of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains; but have you ever envisioned yourself on the slopes at midnight, preparing the snow for the next day’s runs?

The snow groomer is a vital component to the ski operations at Whistler Blackcomb. Whether you call it a heavy equipment operator, craftsman or cake decorator – the snow groomer belongs to an elite club of snow sport aficionados who take their skill to the slopes in a whole new way – at the controls of the machines working behind the scenes each night to prepare the mountains for the next day’s onslaught of adventure seekers. Whistler Blackcomb grooms more terrain each night than any other ski resort in North America. New grooming equipment includes three new winch cats, three regular groomers, one park cat and one new summer mower in addition to the already impressive grooming fleet which includes the state of the art 22-foot Global Pipe Cutter.

Like a tailor with a steady hand, Stan Kelly, Whistler Blackcomb’s grooming supervisor, has made a career of molding snow into perfect corduroy tracks for mountain visitors to enjoy. This week, as part of the Whistler Sabbatical Project, Kelly offers an up close and personal chance to ride shotgun on a grooming shift followed by a custom First Tracks experience.

And Whistler, with average annual snowfalls of approximately 10.4 metres (34 feet) is the best place to join the ranks of the snow groomer club.

Last year the resort received more than 52 feet of snowfall, shattering the average annual accumulation, and La Nina is helping pave the way for a repeat performance this year. The first two months of Whistler Blackcomb’s 2011/ 2012 winter season have been outstanding with 488 centimetres (192 inches) of total snowfall, 73 centimetres (29 inches) in the last seven days and 36 centimetres (14 inches) in the last 24 hours. With almost two weeks of straight days of fresh snow and a snowbase of 195 centimetres (77 inches), Whistler Blackcomb currently boasts the best snow conditions in North America. The forecast is calling for another 30 centimetres (12 inches) of snow on the upper mountains today and up to 10 centimetres (four inches) tomorrow.

Whistler Blackcomb offers two mountains with a total of 8,171 skiable acres, more than 200 trails, three glaciers, 37 lifts and 16 alpine bowls. Rising one vertical mile from the valley floor, Whistler Blackcomb has the most terrain on the continent for skiing and snowboarding – and the longest season, running through late April and summer glacier skiing and riding until late July.

The Whistler Sabbatical Project, Tourism Whistler’s winter-long promotion offering weekly prizes in addition to the ultimate grand prize of a month-long Whistler stay – including accommodation, lift tickets, equipment, transportation, a salary and a series of amazing Whistler experiences.

This week’s Whistler Sabbatical Project question: Would you spend the night with a groomer?

To watch the vignette featuring snow grooming in action and enter for the prize, visit the W
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