Mount Washington Extends Winter Season

COMOX VALLEY March 14, 2017 – Mount Washington Alpine Resort leadership announced they are extending the 2016.17 winter season for one additional weekend. The Resort will close for daily operations on Sunday, April 2nd and will reopen for one additional weekend on Saturday, April 8th and Sunday, April 9th. Favourite seasonal events, The Dummy Downhill and Slush Cup, will take place April 1st and 2nd as planned.

A solid snow base and great March conditions call for extending the winter fun.

“Throughout March, we have experienced some of the best skiing and riding conditions of the season,” states General Manager, Peter Gibson. “By extending our season, we can deliver an extra weekend of winter to our Season Pass Members and day ticket users – conditions are too outstanding to close just yet!”

The Resort will be operating the Eagle Express and Hawk SixPack with a partial Green Acres opening. Reduced lift ticket prices will be in effect and all 2016.17 Mount Washington Season Passes will be valid during the extended weekend, including the Midweek Pass. 16.17 Midweek Passes will also be valid the weekend of April 1st and 2nd.

The extended weekend offers the perfect excuse for a final ski getaway for locals and destination travellers alike. Book online at www.mountwashington.ca and make the most out of the final weekend of winter!

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year. In the winter guests enjoy five chairlifts and five carpet lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain. The resort also has 55 kilometres of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungy trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining. The resort also plays host to over 30 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can use WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air. Additional carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) includes Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month Hits Mount Washington

COMOX VALLEY – January is the annual Rossignol Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month at Mount Washington. During the whole month, Mount Washington focuses on providing the opportunity for as many people as possible to get out and try winter sports by offering significant discounts on lessons, rentals, and lift tickets and by supporting the effort with extra staffing and programs for beginners.  For a special “Learn To” week which is January 9th to 13th, the resort provides “Discover Packages” at 50% off for first-time skiers, snowboarders and cross-country skiers.

KyleHansen(web)“Winter is not for hibernation,” laughed Mike Manara, Snow School Director at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month is all about getting out and learning a new sport – fresh air and fun!  Our certified Snow School instructors and beginner-friendly terrain play a big part in making it easy to learn.’” Manara also noted, “All of our instructors are fully certified with the Canadian Ski Instructor Alliance, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors or Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors. The instruction we offer is of the highest caliber and our aim is to see the student linking turns and having fun after their first lesson.”

With a unique beginner area, Mount Washington boasts five ‘Magic Carpets’ which are widely recognized as the best method for beginners to get up the hill.  The ‘Magic Carpets,’ which most closely resemble a moving walkway found in airport concourses, gently whisk beginners up a covered conveyer to the top of the gentle Easy Acres slope. ‘We invested over 3-million dollars into our beginner area in 2012,’ explained Peter Gibson, General Manager. “We graded the slope to a much more beginner-friendly pitch and installed the magic carpets to create a world class beginner area. Since the development of Easy Acres, we have introduced over 20,000 participants to the sports of skiing and snowboarding through our certified Snow School programs.”

January also marks the start of the seasonal Snow School programs. For all ages, these 5 to 10 week programs will provide the foundations for novice and intermediate level skiers and riders to be confident out on the slopes.  More advanced participants will have the opportunity to reach the next level in your abilities.

Rossignol Ski and Snowboard Month at Mount Washington includes: 50% off alpine and Nordic Discover Packages during Rossignol “Learn To” week, January 9 – 13; Winterfest which offers 50% off alpine and Nordic day tickets, January 16 – 20; and this year the resort announced the introduction of Never Ever Days to the Resort which is all-inclusive package January 7 and 21 for just $25. Details can be found online at www.mountwashington.ca

ABOUT MOUNT WASHINGTON

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located just 30 minutes from the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia and hosts over 300,000 visits per year.  In the winter, guests enjoy five chairlifts and five carpet lifts accessing over 1,700 acres and 1,657 vertical feet of alpine terrain.  The resort also has 55 kilometers of designated cross-country skiing and 25km of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge.

Summer activities at Mount Washington include lift-accessed mountain biking, a new quad bungy trampoline, scenic chairlift rides, disc golf, miniature golf, boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping and dining.  The resort also plays host to over 30 weddings per year plus numerous group and corporate events.

Off-island visitors can use WestJet, Air Canada, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines which provide air service to the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ) or they can fly right into Comox Marina via Harbour Air.  Additional carriers serving the Victoria Airport (YYJ) includes Alaska Airlines out of Seattle.

Mount Washington opens Sunday!

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Happy Saturday!

What a difference a day makes! After getting absolutely inundated with snow over the last 24 hours, we’re happy to announce that our alpine operations will begin tomorrow at 9am. As the saying goes, better late than never! We’ve received over 60cms of new snow in the last 24 hours which brings our mid-mountain base to 110cms.

Our current plan is to open the Hawk Chair, Whiskey Jack Chair and Easy Acres beginner area with all Magic Carpets operating. Our new Tube Park will also be operating with 3 lanes. The Nordic Centre will have trails for skate and classic cross-country skiing. Snowshoeing will also be available. Alpine lifts and Nordic Centre are set to go at 9am, the Tube Park opens at 11am.

As for runs, we don’t know the total number that will be open yet for opening day. We literally have crews out track-packing and grooming the slopes as I type this. We will announce runs tomorrow morning.

Due to massive traffic volumes to our website and webcams over the course of the day today, we’ve been unable to access and update our snow report. In addition to the snow report problem, I haven’t been able to send a media release like I normally would due to our web server issues. We plan to update our totals and information once we can access our site. Needless to say, thousands of snow-starved Islanders are checking out our webcams to see what’s going on up here!

To see some visuals, I put a video report together this afternoon. You can view it here:

So great news from your Island Mountain! We look forward to seeing you on the slopes.

Mount Washington passholders ski/board for free at Whistler Blackcomb this January

To all Mount Washington Season Passholders,

Believe us when we say we understand how frustrating the start of this season has been. We appreciate your business, your patience and your loyalty to Mount Washington Alpine Resort. We are happy to provide you with this opportunity to get on some snow before it arrives in earnest on Vancouver Island.

Here are the details you will need to know before skiing and boarding for free from January 6-31, 2014 on Whistler Blackcomb:

ride-for-free-whistler-blackcomb

WHO GETS THE DEAL?

  • Applies to 2013-14 Mount Washington Gold, Alpine, Midweek and Student seasons passes only
  • Midweek passholders get the deal from January 6 – 31, weekends included
  • Does not apply to Mount Washington Volunteer or Staff passes
  • Deal does not apply to pre-purchased 6Paks, multi or single day tickets

WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE?

  • All eligible Mount Washington passholders are entitiled to receive one Whistler Blackcomb day ticket per person when they show up at a Whistler Blackcomb ticket location between January 6 to 31, 2014
  • Mount Washington passholders must show their current 2013.14 winter season pass to receive a day ticket. This process must be followed for each day the Mount Washington passholder wishes to ski/board
  • No multi day tickets will be issued by Whistler Blackcomb as part of the deal, single day tickets only
  • You will be requested to attach the day ticket to your jacket at the Whistler Blackcomb ticket window location with your seasons pass

HOW LONG DOES THIS DEAL LAST?

  • The free ticket deal lasts until January 31, 2014 or until Mount Washington opens enough terrain for a full-price lift ticket, whichever comes first.
  • If Mount Washington opens before the end of January with a full price ticket, the deal at Whistler Blackcomb ends (with a three-day grace period)

WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW?

  • Mount Washington passholders will need their current 2013.14 winter season pass plus a seperate piece of photo ID. additional paperwork required by Whistler Blackcomb will be needed

Whistler Blackcomb has provided a link to last minute accommodation deals, please visit Last Minute Hotel Deals

Outback Opens This Weekend

Mount Washington Alpine Resort will open the Outback, the mountain’s steep and deep backside, this weekend. The move will give skiers and boarders access to 100 percent of the mountain’s alpine terrain.

In addition to alpine, the resort also plans on opening an additional 27kms of its Nordic terrain, bringing the Nordic Centre to full mid-winter operation in only the second week of December.

The Outback will open to skiers and boarders Saturday, December 15th! Photo: Mount Washington Alpine Resort
The Outback will open to skiers and boarders Saturday, December 15th!
Photo: Mount Washington Alpine Resort

We’ve been fortunate enough to open the entire mountain this early only a handful of times in our resort history,” says resort spokesperson Brent Curtain. “We are experiencing snow depths and conditions that you would normally see in February. It’s been a phenomenal start to the season.”

Forecasts are calling for moderate snow fall beginning Friday evening into Saturday morning with another system expected to bring more snowfall Sunday. This will add to the current snowbase of 200cms, which is already the deepest snowpack in Canada.

To take advantage of the amazing early season conditions, Mount Washington is offering Winter Wonderland accommodation packages right before Christmas. Book a three or five night accommodation package starting December 21st and receive 25% off regular rates. To book, call 1-888-231-1499.

To gain access to more deals around the rest of the resort, check out Mount Washington’s Christmas Advent Calendar. Access daily deals on everything from Snow School to Food and Beverage. Check the daily calendar deal every morning online at mountwashington.ca. Deals will continue up to and including December 24th!

For more information on what’s open, what’s happening over the holidays and Winter Wonderland specials, visit mountwashington.ca.

Mount Washington is open and the conditions are stellar! The resort is located 30 minutes above The Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air, and Pacific Coastal Airlines service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll free or locally at 250-338-1386. Surf to www.mountwashington.ca for additional information including live webcams.

Mount Washington – Integrated Resort Community Plan

Mount Washington Alpine Resort

The Comox Valley Regional District is conducting an update to the Local Area Plan that includes the Mount Washington Area.

The main intent of this planning exercise is to build upon and update the current Mt. Washington Local Area Plan with recent CVRD strategies and policy direction and complement it with public input. The CVRD Regional Growth Strategy for the Valley has recognized the Mount Washington area as a new settlement node.As such, many policies must be updated or created to address important matters such as land use, community services, infrastructure, transportation, the environment, design guidelines and the need to adapt to climate change.

The consultants for the project are seeking the public’s feedback through an online survey.

More information about the project is here : http://www.mountwashingtonircp.ca/

The online survey is available here : SURVEY

Yeti Snowshoe series kicks off this Saturday Jan 29th

2011 marks 10 years of snowshoeing for The Yeti. We are very proud of what we have achieved but always want take it to the next level. New for 2011, The Yeti XC is offering Canada’s first Winter Duathlon. Cross Country (XC) skiing will be incorporated into our snowshoe events. We are still offering the Snowshoe Sport (approx. 5km) and Enduro (approx. 10km) courses, but if you are looking for a new challenge this winter, try our Winter Duathlon as a Solo or team of 2.

The Yeti Snowshoe Sport course is a great option for the beginner snowshoer, and our Snowshoe Enduro course will give any runner or hiker the challenge they’re looking for. These courses are designed so you can use all your snowshoe skills like climbing, descending and winding yourself through undulating single-track while doing it all at a faster pace.

Don’t be intimidated, anyone can snowshoe and these courses will be a challenge to anyone, whether you run or hike! Frontrunners will take about half an hour for the Sport course and the back of the packers will take about an hour

For more information check out http://www.theyeti.ca

Race Details

  • Date: Saturday, January 29, 2011
  • Location: Mount Washington Ski Resort
  • Registration Deadline: Pre-Registration: Wednesday January 26th at midnight.
  • Day of race registration is also offered.
  • Registration: Click here to register.
  • Directions: Mount Washington is located 25 km west of the Comox Valley, 50 km south of Campbell River and 100 km north of Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island. The Nanaimo Ferry terminals are serviced from Horseshoe Bay and Tsawwassen on the Lower Mainland. Call BC Ferries for schedules at 1-888-223-3779 or visit www.bcferries.com. To view a map click here.
  • Check-in & Race Day Registration: 9am at the Raven Lodge
  • Start Time: 11am for Sport, Enduro and Winter Duathlon
  • Distance: Sport Course (~5km) and Enduro (~10km) Winter Duathlon (Sport Course / 10km ski / Sport Course)
  • Terrain: Cat track, single track, powder sections, hiking trails and some hills.
  • Refreshments: Energy Drink, fruit, bagels, cookies and much more. You won’t leave hungry. Don’t forget to bring some money in case you want to have lunch at the Raven Lodge.
  • Washrooms: Located inside the Raven Lodge.
  • Parking: There is plenty of parking outside the Raven Lodge.
  • First Aid: There will be First Aid at the finish line and also as the course sweep. We will be able to access anyone on course in the event of an emergency.
  • Spectators: There will be First Aid at the finish line and also as the course sweep. We will be able to access anyone on course in the event of an emergency.
  • Awards/Prizing: As soon as the last person arrives. We are known for the great prizes we give out so you don’t want to miss out. You have to be there to win!
  • Snowshoe Rentals: The Yeti has snowshoes available to rent for all races. Click here for details.
  • Course Map:
  • Accommodations:
    • Riding Fool Hostel – www.ridingfool.com – 1.800.313.FOOL
    • Shantz Haus Hostel – www.shantzhostel.com – 1.866 603 2060
    • Coast Westerly – www.coastwesterlyhotel.com – 1.800 668.7797
    • Mount Washington – www.mountwashington.ca
  • Results: Will be posted shortly after the race.
  • Kids Race: Entry is free for children under 10 with paid adult entry. Each racer receives a race number, a pair of snowshoes to use for the race, and a picture with the Yeti. Each participant must register on race day morning and a parent/guardian must sign a waiver.

Outback Opens Tomorrow

Winter blasted Mount Washington again this week as Tuesday’s weather system dumped upwards of 50 centimetres of new snow on the mountain. The resulting conditions will allow the resort to open the popular Outback area tomorrow.

Mount Washington has a base of over 176cms with deeper depths at higher elevations, bring on the Outback!

“We will now have 100 percent of our terrain open for skiing and snowboarding this Friday,” says resort spokesperson Brent Curtain. “The coverage in the alpine is excellent right now so we’re definitely stoked that we can open the Outback in early December.”

Mount Washington was able to open earlier than expected this season and is seeing some positive early-season effects from the La Nina weather phenomenon. “We’ve seen consistent snowfall over the last month and our snow depths are accumulating quicker than we would see in a normal season,” adds Curtain.

The mountain wants to remind skiers and boarders that early season conditions exist over the lower third of the Outback. “The Outback isn’t groomed so natural hazards exist,” says Patrol Director Jesse Percival. “So use extra caution and ski and board with care.”

The long range forecasts are calling for continued snowfall throughout the weekend and into next week. The Outback and the rest of the mountain appear to be headed towards epic conditions leading into the busy Christmas season.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort opens the Outback on Friday, December 10, 2010. The resort is located 30 minutes above The Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. WestJet, Central Mountain Air, Pacific Coastal Airlines, and Island Express service the Comox Valley Airport (YQQ). To find out about accommodation and package information, call Mount Washington Alpine Resort at 1-888-231-1499 toll free or locally at 250-338-1386. Surf to www.mountwashington.ca for additional information including our live snow cam.