Whistler, BC – December 23, 2022 – The wait is finally over. Whistler Blackcomb's upgraded 10-person gondola at the Creekside base area officially opened to the public today. The event was commemorated by a traditional welcome from cultural ambassadors of the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), which included a cedar rope ceremony and unveiling of Creekside Gondola’s name in the languages of the Squamish Nation (Facing South: Ch’it ta Swá7elt “beside the creek” - Skwxwú7mesh Sníchim) and the Lílwat Nation (Facing North: Sq'útsa ti Tsawewéca "by the creek” - LiÍwat7úl Ucwalmícwts). The new gondola will significantly improve wait times for guests and improve out-of-base uphill capacity.
“The opening of our newly-upgraded Creekside Gondola is a monumental occasion that deserves to be celebrated,” said Whistler Blackcomb VP & COO, Geoff Buchheister. “Today is the culmination of many months of hard work and resilience – I am honoured to share it with members of the Squamish Nation and the LíÍwat Nation, along with our team members who worked so tirelessly on this project, and our guests who have patiently waited for it to begin spinning.”
Creekside Gondola’s capacity is improved by four people per cabin (from six total people to 10) with this upgrade. It comes on the heels of the opening of the upgraded, new six-person, high-speed Big Red Express - (Kwemkwim K’aýk in the Squamish language, Tseqwtsíqwa Q'ilq' in the LíÍwat language) - which started spinning last week at an increased lift capacity of 30 percent. Both upgrades are part of Vail Resorts’ Epic Lift Upgrade project, an initiative aimed at significantly improving and enhancing the guest experience by making getting around its mountains easier, faster and more enjoyable.
Whistler Blackcomb is grateful to operate on the shared unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Lilwat7úl (Lil'wat Nation), for the opportunity to listen, learn and work alongside each Nation, and for the grace and guidance of the SLCC cultural ambassadors.
For real-time operational information, please visit the Whistler Blackcomb operations Twitter feed (@wbmtnops). Guests are also encouraged to download the EpicMix app, which provides real-time information about lift lines and wait times, and check out the snow & weather widget in the top right of every page on our website for the most up-to-date weather and trail information.
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About Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN)
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading global mountain resort operator. Vail Resorts' subsidiaries currently operate 40 destination mountain resorts and regional ski areas, including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte in Colorado; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada; Whistler Blackcomb in British Columbia, Canada; Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham in Australia; Stowe, Mount Snow, Okemo in Vermont; Hunter Mountain in New York; Mount Sunapee, Attitash, Wildcat and Crotched in New Hampshire; Stevens Pass in Washington; Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, Laurel Mountain, Liberty, Roundtop, Whitetail, Jack Frost and Big Boulder in Pennsylvania; Alpine Valley, Boston Mills, Brandywine and Mad River in Ohio; Hidden Valley and Snow Creek in Missouri; Wilmot in Wisconsin; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Paoli Peaks in Indiana. Vail Resorts owns and/or manages a collection of casually elegant hotels under the Rock Resorts brand, as well as the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning and development subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.