Big White spun its first chairs of the season at 8:45 a.m. on December 4 with 19 runs available, served by the Ridge Rocket Express, Bullet Express Quad, Plaza Chair, and the village gondola. Five centimetres of overnight snow pushed the alpine base to 73 centimetres, or 29 inches, giving opening day skiers and riders a softer surface on groomed runs. A group of guests camped out and lined up by 8 a.m. on December 3 to secure first chair ahead of the official launch.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort will open for the 2025-26 winter season this Saturday following a week of new snowfall and improving upper-mountain conditions. Resort staff have spent recent days preparing lifts, grooming designated routes, and assessing terrain, and the resort says it is ready to welcome skiers and riders for the first turns of the season. The recent storm delivered what the resort described as "a substantial refresh," but early-season hazards remain across the mountain.
Departing from Calgary, I was optimistic about my first ski day of the year at SkiBig3's Lake Louise. Even though there was no snow in the city, the mountains in the distance were snow-covered, with 15 inches reported to have fallen the week prior. With a sunny day in the forecast and the full 3,250-foot vertical drop available for the first time this season, I was excited to get in my first turns of the season.