Whistler's Nordic season

Whistler, B.C. - Skinny skis are set to hit the tracks and trails as the Nordic season kicks off in Whistler.

Trails at the Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley opened at the end of November and thanks to a snowfall of nearly 70 centimetres (28 inches) in the past week, the Lost Lake cross country ski trails will open on Friday, December 3.

The opening marks the earliest cross-country ski season in Whistler in several years. More than 30 kilometres of groomed and track-set cross country trails in addition to 10 kilometres of snowshoe trails will be available at Lost Lake starting on Friday. Overall, with the Lost Lake and Callaghan ski areas, Whistler offers a whopping 120+ kilometres of cross country trails ranging from beginner to expert.

Lost Lake trails are maintained by the Resort Municipality of Whistler and travel through Lost Lake Park and alongside the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club and the Nicklaus North Golf Course. Day rates are $20 for adults, $12 for youth 13-18, $10 for children 4-12 or $40 for a family. Monday nights after 3 p.m., rates are half price for Lost Lake trail users. In addition, Cross Country Connection is offering $20 adult all-inclusive ski rental packages on Monday nights. Four kilometres of trails are also lit for night skiing.

Ski Callaghan, which includes the Whistler Olympic Park - site of the Nordic events for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and Callaghan Country Lodge offer public cross country skiing on more than 90 kilometres of trails groomed for both classic and skate skiing. In addition, there are 20 kilometres of dedicated snowshoe trails. Ski Callaghan offers a variety of passes including single or multi-day and season's passes. Day passes are $20 for adults, $12 for youth 13-18, $10 for children 4-12 and $48 for a family. Mid-week and evening rates are $15 for adult, $10 for youth, $8 for child and $36 for family.

Visitors to the Lost Lake ski area will also have access to the new day lodge, the Lost Lake Passivhaus. The building provides an indoor seating area, washrooms, trail pass ticket sales booth, cross country ski and snowshoe equipment rental and a concession. Known as a Passivhaus because of its unique design which essentially allows it to heat, cool and ventilate itself, the Lost Lake Passivhaus served as Austria House -headquarters for the Austrian Olympic Committee as well as the daily broadcast studio for the Austrian Public Broadcaster ORF during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It was also a gathering place for social events during the Games period. Post Games, the lodge remains in Whistler as a permanent building, to be used by the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association (WORCA) and the Whistler Nordics.

Winter packages are available with amazing rates starting at $224 CAD per person for two nights' accommodation and a two-day lift ticket, $243 CAD per person for a three-night getaway with two-day lift ticket and $395 CAD per person for five nights' accommodation and a four-day lift ticket. To book your winter vacation package, visit www.whistler.com 

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Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America for the past 12 years in a row, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 9,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com - Whistler's official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.