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Piccolo quad will be open next winter

New quad lift will extend from bottom of Flute bowl to top of Piccolo
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After over four years of rumour and speculation, Whistler-Blackcomb at last announced specific plans to further develop the Flute basin/Piccolo/Burnt Stew area of Whistler Mountain.

Starting this spring, and finishing before the start of the 2006-07 season, Whistler-Blackcomb will build a high-speed quad chairlift from the bottom of Flute Basin, below the current cat track to Harmony Chair, to the top of Piccolo Peak.

According to Whistler-Blackcomb senior vice president Doug Forseth, who presented the plans at a Friday, March 31 press conference, the lift project met several important criteria set by the company’s 2014 planning documents – it increases access to high alpine terrain, it offers a mix of beginner and intermediate terrain, and it’s in an area that typically gets enough snow to open early and stay open through to the end of the season. A recent test in Flute Basin found snow depth to be well over five metres, while in some areas the snow depth is over nine metres.

The area is also thought to be underutilized, while areas directly accessed by the Harmony Chair can be extremely busy.

"(Flute Basin) is in-bounds, but it’s not accessible because of the difficulty getting in and getting out," said Forseth.

"It’s like when we opened Harmony Bowls, Symphony Bowls and Burnt Stew… the Harmony area has been a success for 12 years, and on many days it’s an area that’s oversubscribed because of the lack of terrain and other lifts in the area."

The Piccolo Express is a massive undertaking, costing an estimated $9 million of the $22 million set aside this year by Whistler-Blackcomb for on-mountain improvements. The lift itself will be over 2,100 metres long, similar to the length of the Garbanzo Chair, and the base area is only slightly higher in elevation than the base of Harmony.

The lift’s relative position in the terrain means that no hiking is required out of Flute Bowl, although skiers and borders will still have to hike up Flute Peak to access runs off that peak and into the Oboe drainage.

In addition, the area below Burnt Stew Trail will also be open to skiers and borders, including the area below the cat track off of Robertson’s Trees at the end of the Harmony Ridge.

Some runs will be cut in the area to collect traffic but the emphasis for the lower part of the bowl is on gladed skiing. There will be a "minimal" amount of thinning up top, according to Forseth, and slightly more work near the bottom.

That fits in with Whistler-Blackcomb’s environmental goals, said Forseth, adding that most of the logging and tower installation will be done by helicopter and snowcats while there is snow on the ground, to minimize the disturbance to the landscape and reduce the need for service roads. A biologist has also been hired to oversee the construction.

In addition to opening new terrain possibilities, Forseth also believes the peak of Piccolo will offer visitors an unparalleled viewscape.

"From the top you can look down on Cheakamus Lake, and Black Tusk and Garibaldi Glacier – it’s visually stunning whether you’re skiing, riding or just hanging out. I’ve already got my picnic spot picked out the first sunny day up there next season."

Dave Brownlie, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Whistler-Blackcomb, said the terrain served by the Piccolo Express is larger than the terrain at Aspen Mountain, while offering high alpine terrain for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers.

While the lack of snow in the 2004-05 season underlined the need to open more alpine terrain, he said the Flute area has been slated for development for a long time.

"We’re committed to improve on our product, what’s best for the community, or our employees and our visitors, and we see that it’s important to continue to grow our product as well to offer new and unique experiences… and this will deliver that."

Whistler-Blackcomb acknowledges that there will be negative opinions, but Forseth said this project has been in the works for five years and that the decision was made after consulting numerous stakeholders, including environmental organizations that initially opposed the expansion into the Flute area. Whistler-Blackcomb acknowledged that an earlier proposal to build a lift to the top of Flute Peak was contentious, but believe Piccolo is a better choice in the long run.

Forseth noted that there was also opposition to the Peak Chair and Harmony expansion.

"There was a huge concern that we were going to the top of Flute, and that’s not happening. There’s always someone who doesn’t like it, that has a negative view, but we can’t be part of that world.

"We feel the option we’re presenting today strikes the right balance… it’s the right project, the right solution and it covers all of the basics."

Sea to Sky Parkwatch and the Whistler chapter of the Alpine Club of Canada, a local group that opposed the initial boundary expansion into Flute, as well as a proposal to build a lift to the top of Flute Peak, has not met to discuss the Piccolo expansion, but one member says he is breathing a sigh of relief.

"Ideally there would be no lifts on Flute or Piccolo, but if one had to go there this is a good compromise," said Bryce Leigh.

"The lift is clearly well within the eastern boundary of the ski area tenure, and in that way it’s much better, and I think the area where the top unload station is going to be isn’t as fragile as the area on Flute."

One of Parkwatch’s main concerns about a lift to Flute is that it would run against the border of Garibaldi Provincial Park. As a result they feel more skier traffic would spill over into the park, which would have an impact on environmentally sensitive terrain. With the Piccolo Express, Flute will remain a kind of buffer that will keep most casual skiers out of the park.

Leigh also sees a potential upside for the Piccolo Express.

"We live here so we see (the view from Piccolo) all the time. But for someone from Winnipeg or Nebraska or somewhere who has never seen that, it is amazing. It might inspire them to come back and get into backcountry skiing or do some hiking in the summer, which can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment."

Piccolo Express Chair at a glance:

• Opening 2006-07 season

• Will access approximately 1,000 acres of terrain

• Chair length is 2,112 metres (6,929 feet) with a vertical rise of 509 metres (1,670 feet)

• Top elevation of 2,034 metres, bottom elevation 1,525 metres

• Estimated trip time seven to nine minutes

• Hiking trails, including a new access to Singing Pass Trail from the peak of Whistler will remain open through the summer.