After a long wait during the pandemic, North America’s largest destination ski resort prepares to welcome vaccinated skiers to the slopes.
September 20, 2021 – Whistler, British Columbia – Crews work to maintain snow preparation machinery. (Photograph by Jimmy Jeong)
Last year’s ski season at Whistler Blackcomb, North America’s largest destination ski resort, was disrupted by the pandemic and an alarming number of local COVID-19 cases fueled by vacation travel from spring and festivities in the tourist town. The travel restrictions further reduced any views that skiers may have had of dust-covered peaks and glistening, exciting slopes.
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Preparing to welcome the (vaccinated) world back to the slopes for next season is no small feat. Before the first snowflake falls, the resort’s fleet of 39 snowcats must be dismantled, repaired and prepared to face it. Every night of the season, as skiers dream of fresh slopes, snowcats will smooth out the ridges and ruts of the day before in a uniform corduroy pattern. Like Santa’s elves, their efforts are invisible, wrapping the mountain in soft, white snow destined to be enthusiastically shredded in the morning. For those who are eager to get back to skiing in the big mountains, these simple pleasures – cutting slopes on a pristine trail, a squirt of fluffy powder – will probably never be taken for granted again.
This year’s Whistler Blackcomb ski season will run from November 25 to May 2022.
This article appears in print in the November 2021 issue of Maclean’s magazine with the headline: “We welcome the (vaccinated) world back to Whistler.” Subscribe to the monthly print magazine here.
Reference-www.macleans.ca