Two of the four major groundhog weather forecasters in Canada and the U.S. are predicting a long winter and late spring this year, which pretty much sums up the unpredictability of the weather right now. No doubt most Whistlerites are hoping that the groundhogs that did see their shadows, Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Shubenacadie Sam in Nova Scotia, know more than their rodent cousins Wiarton Willie in Ontario and Balzac Billy in Alberta.
The impact of a Pineapple Express that dropped record amounts of rain on Whistler in mid-January is starting to be felt around the valley, with staff seeing hours cut, and hotels and businesses going to extraordinary lengths to offer value to visitors.
"We do need to put out a balanced message," said Michelle Comeau Thompson, the director of communications for Tourism Whistler.
"This isn’t what we would normally see in January, but it’s still great up top. And if visitors don’t decided to ski every day during their visit as they normally would, there’s still lots to do in Whistler, which I think gives us a competitive edge."
According to Comeau Thompson, the most important thing to do at this stage is to get the message out that the snow conditions are good at the higher elevations, that more than 60 per cent of the terrain is currently open, and that there are a variety of other options in Whistler.
"Apparently today (Tuesday) was a really great day up top, but from the bottom it doesn’t look like anything is up there. That’s what people need to know," she said.
Tourism Whistler is still collecting numbers from its members to determine the impact of the storm, but according to Comeau Thompson the pace of bookings is down approximately 1.5 per cent from the same period last year.
In addition, hotels have been proactive, offering to reschedule bookings for customers and giving discounts. As a result, there have not been too many cancellations at this point.
The biggest impact is being felt from regional markets, which tend to book at the last minute and are "snow sensitive".
"We’re not seeing the in-fill bookings we normally would from Vancouver and Washington state," said Comeau Thompson. "In terms of long-term bookings, most are still coming, although some are changing those bookings, moving them to later in the season or to next year. As far as cancellations we’re not seeing a massive number, but there are definitely people doing that."
One of the challenges with regional customers is the state of other ski resorts in coastal B.C. and in Washington. Mount Baker is currently closed, and likely won’t reopen until operators see another 30 cm of snow. In the Lower Mainland, Cypress Mountain, Seymour Mountain and Hemlock Valley Resort are closed, and Grouse Mountain is offering limited skiing and snowboarding on a handful of runs.
According to Comeau Thompson, the lack of skiing elsewhere in the region is hurting Whistler. "People look around where they’re living and they see what it’s like and they can’t imagine that we have any snow up here."
The rumour that Whistler-Blackcomb was closing also did a lot of damage, and both the mountains and Tourism Whistler immediately responded with a PR campaign to assure people that the mountains are still open.
"Those kinds of rumours spread like wildfire, so we’re really sensitive towards those kinds of things," said Comeau Thompson.
Some regional advertising is being planned to get that message across, as well as advertising that emphasizes the other activities that are available.
Whistler Women’s Week, Feb. 5 to 13, is an example of the resort’s response, says Comeau Thompson.
"The event was already established long before we knew we were going to have a rainy week, but it’s grown since then," she said. "We have everything from spas offering discounts, to specials on snowshoe tours and ski clinics, to specials for hotel and restaurant bookings. It’s an example of how we’re working as a resort with Whistler-Blackcomb, and encouraging everyone to come up with ideas to make this a fantastic week."
According to the Whistler Community Services Society, there has been increased activity at the Whistler Food Bank in recent weeks, "although it’s not the impact we were expecting to see, yet," said WCSS executive director Janet McDonald. The impact may take a few weeks, she added – unless conditions improve, in which case it may not happen at all.
"I would expect that with people not getting the work hours they would normally expect at this time of year, it will have an impact. It’s early still."
Tour companies are being more creative. Canadian Snowmobile Adventures, which can no longer offer snowmobile tours on Whistler-Blackcomb, is offering Hummer/snowmobile tours in the Callaghan Valley that end with a tour of Alexander Falls. They are also offering Hummer tours, and, starting this week, combined ATV and snowmobile tours that are very successful.
Blackcomb Snowmobile Adventures is on standby, and is hoping to run the combination ATV/Snowmobile tours the company offers in the spring once a little more snow falls.
Cougar Mountain is still offering dogsled tours and snowmobile tours in their tenure area.
"We’re still fighting the good fight," said Cougar Mountain general manager Eric Sinclair. "Some of the things we’re doing are weather related, but right now our biggest challenge is to get the word out that we’re still running.
"We run into the same kind of problems in the springtime, too."
Because of the location of their tenure in the Soo Valley, Sinclair says the dogsled trails are still in good shape, with seven teams available. In addition, they are running two snowmobile tours – one for experienced sledders that starts with a Hummer ride to the higher elevations, and a beginner tour on a trail lower in the valley.
Cougar is also renting a snowmaking machine to patch up pockets of snow that have been hit by the rain, after asking Whistler-Blackcomb for advice.
Business is down slightly in recent days, but with a few changes Sinclair says he is happy with the amount of business.
Staff hours have been cut, and some staff members have had to get part-time jobs, but nobody has been laid off. "A small percentage of our workforce is job-sharing… but we’re holding onto everyone. As conditions improve with colder temperatures, we expect things to get busier," said Sinclair.
Bringing people back to Whistler will be a challenge, he continued.
"We’re paddling upstream, and the more effort we put in now the better off we’re going to be," he said. "There’s a perception out there that the conditions can’t be that good, but if you talk to the guests you hear a different story.
"One of our partners, Yes Tours, said that even when it was raining, the guests said it was still better skiing than where they came from. We have to get out of this black hole we dig for ourselves when it rains or the conditions aren’t good, and see things from the customer’s point of view. The snow is better than in most places, we’ve got great restaurants, a great nightlife, great hotels, and everyone is offering policies that people are very appreciative of. Perception is everything."
Tourism Whistler and Whistler-Blackcomb are doing more to ensure that people see the conditions up top, and don’t make decisions based on the conditions at the bottom. The snow phone now mentions snowfall in the alpine, as well as the conditions in the sub-alpine around the weather stations, and they have included recent pictures on their websites.
"It’s important to be honest, and show people that this isn’t a normal season for us. At the same time, being completely honest, things are better than most people probably realize. That’s what we’re trying to get across," said Comeau Thompson.
