Whistler (BC), Canada – Whistler-area mountain bikers can ski and ride all in the same day beginning Saturday, as the Whistler Mountain Bike Park opens for daily operations with 16 trails and two skills centers to feed their adrenaline lust while the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort remains open for spring skiing and riding.nSignature mountain bike trails scheduled to open this weekend include A-Line, Crank It Up, B-Line, Karate Monkey, Ninja Cougar, Heart of Darkness and many more. The current early-season conditions are for intermediate and above skill level. More trails, including more beginner terrain, will open up as snowpack allows.
Riders can also get some indoor practice in the Air Dome starting May 15. The Air Dome, an 8,400 square foot indoor bike training facility with foam pit and wooden ramps, is open Friday to Sunday until June 13; then daily until September 6.
“At Whistler Blackcomb we enjoy one of the longest ski seasons in North America, but once May rolls around the anticipation builds for mountain biking. Keen riders watch the snow melt at the crucial elevation of 1000 meters knowing that the trail crew will be doing their best to clear the remaining snow patches for opening day,” says Brian Finestone, Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager. “The trails we have ready are in terrific shape for such an early start with more being added to the list every day. I can’t remember an opening weekend when trails were in better shape to kick off the season.”
The Bike Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 18 and then from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting June 19 through to Labour Day. Access is available via the Fitzsimmons Express chairlift with the Whistler Village Gondola opening in late May.
Early season adult day tickets for mountain biking cost $45, and Bike Park season passes are available. The Triple Play Card returns, offering three days of riding in the Whistler Mountain Bike for the adult Early Bird price of $119, if purchased before June 19 ($129 after). Riders save on any additional days and enjoy the convenience of going directly to the lift by connecting their Triple Play Card to their credit card.
First-timers can test drive the Whistler Mountain Bike Park with the Sampler ticket, which provides three lift rides. When the sampling turns into a full-blown addiction, riders can upgrade to a full day ticket with options to receive discounts on riding in the Bike Park for the rest of the season.
Full suspension bikes, helmets and body armor are available at Garbanzo Rentals in the Whistler Gondola building. Meanwhile, the Garbanzo Bike and Bean (GBB) in Carleton Lodge offers rental and repair services and features a retail section filled with top-end mountain bikes, clothing and equipment.
For those looking for opening day après, the Garabaldi Lift Company (GLC) will be hosting a triple play of entertainment with two live musical acts and a second showing of Anthill’s new movie “Follow Me”. The fun begins in the afternoon with a live acoustic patio session with the Artist KO, followed up by the movie and closing off the night with Metallica cover band “Damage Inc.” The GLC is open daily throughout the summer at the base of the Bike Park.