33 ~ Sunday, October 9, 1988 ~ North Shore News TRAVEL reports that four new hotels will be- ready for the coming winter season — Lake Placid Lodge (160 rooms) WHISTLER — Work is going so well on Whistler Moun- tain’s new 10-passenger gondola that it is expected to be up and running ahead of schedule and likely to make this year’s Nov. 24 opening day. The $18.5 million. Whistler Ex- press will run from Whistler Village to the Roundhouse area in 18 minutes. Up to now the mile- high plateau (location of Roun- dhouse and Pika restaurants) has been served by a series of chairs from the village with a journey time of 45 minutes. The French-built Poma gondola, which will be the longest in North America, can carry 160 cars for a capacity of 2,600 skiers an hour. Skiers will board with their skis, rather than putting them on racks outside, which will speed up loading time. Three new gondola facilities are nearing completion — called the Village Station, the midway Olympic Station and Roundhouse Station. Skiers riding the Whistler Express will be able to buy tickets ($34 a day), rent skis, book lessons and drop off Ski Scamps at the Village Station, which will make this Whistler Mountain’s most visible lift-off point for the coming season. travel talk David Wishart This switches Whistler Moun- tain’s main focus from the Gon- dola Station, now known as Whistler South, with its four-per- son gondola and olive chairs, although Whistler South with its huge parking lots will remain at- tractive to skiers who come by car. Future plans call for a high- speed, detachable quad chair to replace this gondola, olive and red chairs, which would rendezvous with the Whistler Express at Roundhouse Station. Skiers disembarking Whistler Express, meanwhile, will exit the Roundhouse Station close to Pika’s restaurant. A large deck is being buiit for basking in the sun- shine. . Skiers will also be able to load and off-load at Olympic Station, earmarked for two major real estate developments, including hotels, Linking the three stations are 62 towers up to 93 feet high and flown into place by a giant Skycrane helicopter. More runs have been cut, in- cluding a new Little Olympic of- fering a comfortable cruise from the westside Mid-Station (top of present gondola/olive) through the lower slope of Tokum across to the Olympic Station. Meanwhile Blackcomb Moun- tain, which last year got everybody’s attention with a $25 million series of high-speed quad chairs that resulted in a 74 per cent jump in skier visits to more than 500,000 — more than Whistter for the first time — does not intend to take a back seat. It has spent another $14 million this summer on seven major pro- jects, including the expansion of ski terrain by 400 acres to give Blackcomb the largest high Alpine ski area in North America. A bridge gives access to Blackcomb Glacier, which is three times the size of the Horstman Glacier, and a new trail opens up Crystal Ridge, 75 spectacular acres of open powder and rolling gladed terrain between the two glaciers. Horstman Glacier now has a se- cond T-bar, snowmaking equip- ment is doubled and a $1 million investment has been made in the slope grooming fleet. Meanwhile it’s almost topping off time for the Chateau Whistler Resort, which at 350 rooms will be Aue we sie ‘a geet sede "ws i WHISTLER MOUNTAIN'S new high-speed gondola is likely to be built in time to make this year’s Nov. 24 opening day. Whistler’s biggest hotel when it opens in the fall of next year. Debbie Williamson, director of sales, says interest is high with more than 30 conventions already booked in the May to November period. The hotel is being developed by Canadian Pacific Hotels. Whistler Resort Association CKNW/98 is the talk of the town Rafe Mair and Bill Good. Rafe is ready to talk from 9 to 12 mornings and at Whistler South, Glacier Lodge (100 rooms) and the Wildwocod (50- rooms) both at the Blackcomb base, and the Brandywine (50 rooms), in the village. Don Armour, WRA reservations manager, said skiers will have ac- cess to about 1900 hotel, condo and bed and breakfast rooms, 300 more than fast year, and 656 up on 1986. He said demand was already high, particularly for . weekends and holidays. Armour advises that while the Christmas holiday is a busy time, there is still space be- fore Christmas Day and after New Year’s Day. “Another good time,” he add- ed, “‘is up to Dec. 16 when we've got low season rates, lots of powder and nobody here. That’s when I get a lot of skiing in.” with B.C’s most talked about radio personalities. Bill keeps the talk going from 12:30 to 3 afternoons. They want to talk and they want to listen. Mair and Good. And wrap up your day with “Inside B.C.” 6:30 to 9 evenings. Talk about great talk. We've got it weekdays on CKNW/98 B.C’s most listened to radio station.