Insider skiing tips from the Mt. Washington crew
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Score the best skiing at Mount Washington Alpine Resort with these tips from #MYMW staff. It's so good, you may decide to take it up a notch and join the crew! #MYMW
The drive up through the clouds along Strathcona Parkway towards Mt. Washington Alpine Resort makes it too easy to leave it all behind. As the roadside snowdrifts stack up, the gloomy headlines and work deadlines gently melt away. Good vibes greet you at the top of this Islander’s reprieve that’s as much of a getaway for staff as it is visitors.
With five chairlifts, a quality terrain park and tube park, and nordic trails, Mt. Washington offers something for everyone. And who better to give you the inside goods on the best skiing and experiences the hill has to offer than hill staff. So read on to uncover this Island gem: if it’s not already on your "explore skiing in BC this winter bucket list," it certainly should be!
Watch this video for a taste of the #MYMW vibes and read on to get ready for opening day, December 9, 2022.
Want to ski like an insider at Mt. Washington?
Here’s a roundup of favourite runs and insider tips from Mt. Washington ski resort staff to help make your time at Mt. Washington a magical one.
Check out the Mt. Washington trail map here, and follow along with these run recommendations.
Jennifer Crabtree
Snow School Manager, 22 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: I feel like having been here for so long, each run has its own set of special memories whether that’s skiing with friends or guests or family. Now that I have two kids of my own, there are runs that I love to ski with them and there are ones that I love to ski by myself. But if I was going to commit to one I would have to say O’Henry. Mt. Washington is a family resort. It offers something for every age group for sure.
TIP: Be open-minded. Mt. Washington gets crazy storms that are bigger than anywhere else and there are these crazy heat waves like what just happened. It’s as much about the family you create here as it is about the skiing and snowboarding.
Photo:
Nora O'Malley
Jennifer Crabtree knows where to score the goods on a powder day.
Catherine Kelly
Eagle View Bistro Supervisor, 3 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: Top of the Eagle Chair then Linton’s Loop to Rainbow to Daybreak on the Sunrise Chair.
TIP: Grab a day old pocket muffin for $1.50 at the Eagle View Bistro and hit the slope! Also Sunday Music Bingo at Ted’s is my favourite night. It brings a lot of staff together.
Get the inside track at Mount Washington.
Jenn Macklin
Lift/Tube Park Manager, 15 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: On a good powder day, it's fantastic off the Sunrise Chair with all these little pockets of trees.
TIP: Get here early and find a parking spot or carpool. If you want to work in the ski industry, Mt. Washington is a place of opportunity.
Photo:
Nora O'Malley
Jenn Macklin helping skiers load the chair.
Nicole Robbins
Reservations, 3 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: It’s tough. It definitely depends on the day, but I really love O’Henry when it’s really bumpy.
TIP: It can be really fun to spend a day going from chair to chair. You can do every run from viewer’s left to right and it gets harder as you go. The Sunrise Chair in the afternoon is really nice, but if the Boomerang is open, I’ll be back there all day.
Paula Simpson
Terrain Park Manager, 15 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: The Terrain Park or Rainbow down to Sunrise.
TIP: Wait until about 11 a.m. on a freeze-thaw cycle because the Terrain Park is softer and has slushier snow. Follow @mwterrainparks for MW park content.
Photo:
Nora O'Malley
Paula Simpson throws it down in the Mount Washington terrain park.
Erin Rautenberg
Heavy Duty Mechanic, 3 years on the hill
FAVE RUN: Nice long powder laps on Invitation off the Sunshine chair.
TIP: Don’t come up in a two-wheel drive car. Have winter tires. Don’t race down the hill and drive safe. Check the forecast before you go.
Make it a Mount Washington insider ski day.
Hikari Sakamot
Bartender and Server at Ted’s, first season on the hill
FAVE RUN: Anything on the Eagle Chair. I love it. There’s so much diversity on the terrain.
TIP: If you have the option to buy your lift tickets in advance, do it. Then you don’t have to wait in line and it’s usually cheaper. Try coming on a weekday, they are so much slower, especially if you want a lesson. Our Caesars are great for apres ski.
Photo:
Nora O'Malley
Hikari Sakamot enjoys a Caesar at Ted's.
Mt. Washington is legendary for its storm cycles that drop huge powder dumps followed by bluebird days, and with these insider tips from ski resort staff you can score the best of it.
WHEN YOU GO
Mount Washington Alpine Resort is just 40 minutes’ drive from Courtenay/Comox. From Vancouver, take BC Ferries to Nanaimo, just 1.5h drive from the hill.
Want to ski like an insider? Take a First Tracks Lesson and be first to get the fresh, with a pro who knows the hill.
Or, take it up a notch, and score the mountain life by applying to work at Mt. Washington. The resort is hiring all season long.
Why work at Mount Washington?
Beyond getting the inside track to all the best skiing, staff enjoy a range of perks including:
- $17/hour minimum starting wage
- Casual, part-time and full-time roles available
- $50 recruiting bonus when staff refer friends who get hired
- Free shuttle bus transportation for staff from the Comox Valley/Cumberland
- Free season passes and resort discounts on lessons, rentals, food and more
- Reciprocal lift ticket deals at other BC ski resorts
Start your dream career at #MYMW here.
More inside tips to Mount Washington
Keen on cross-country skiing or fat biking, or just after the gladed pow runs? Read on for more.
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