Whistler (BC), Canada – Add Whistler Blackcomb to the growing list of North American ski resorts coming online for the 2012-13 season ahead of schedule.

Whistler Mountain will open five days early this Saturday. With five lifts running, guests will have the option to upload from either the Whistler Village Gondola or the Creekside Gondola. Blackcomb Mountain will open, as scheduled, on American Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 22.

“In addition to new snow and a great forecast lining up towards the end of this week, our fleet of 220 state-of-the-art snow guns has converted over 70 million gallons of water into snow over the past few weeks. This ensures excellent on-piste coverage for quality skiing and riding on opening day,” says Doug MacFarlane, mountain manager at Whistler Blackcomb.

First upload on the Whistler Village Gondola and Creekside Gondola will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. Emerald Express, Big Red Express and the Franz Chair lifts will also be running, giving guests access to 1,800 vertical feet of skiing and riding terrain. Six ski runs will be open, including Ego Bowl, Upper Whiskey Jack, Upper Franz, Papoose, Orange Peel and Pony Trail.

Along with a surprise musical act for guests waiting in line on Saturday at the Whistler Village Gondola, the first 1,500 people to upload either gondola will receive a gift. Tokens will range from hot chocolate to EDGE Cards, Snow School lessons, retail and rental gifts and surprises from partners including Scandinave Spa Whistler, The Adventure Group Whistler, Extremely Canadian, Canadian Snowmobile, Coast Mountain Photography, CAN-SKI, Showcase, Powerade and Milk2Go.

Whistler Mountain dining locations will also be open on Saturday, including Essentially Blackcomb Cappuccino Bar in the Carleton Lodge, Dusty’s Bar & Grill in Creekside, the Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain, and the Garibaldi Lift Co. for après ski.