Four inches is better than nothing, as the cold dry weather at Whistler has moved out. More snow on the way.

The 10 centimeters of fresh snow that fell overnight was tracked out quickly this morning, after weeks of dry weather with arctic air. Warmer temperatures and more snow is predicted for tonight. Skiing today was in flat light for the most part and better than dust on crust, but some slick spots developed as the day progressed.

PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola linking Whistler and Blackcomb is an exceptionally smooth ride. It's also the World's longest free span and highest suspended.

The PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola turned one year old yesterday, and I took the 11 minute ride back to Blackcomb at the end of the day. Each of the 28 Gondolas along the 2.7 mile ride linking the two magnificant mountains trasports 28 people, but our cabin had but four...a couple from Vancouver, myself and a gentleman named Mike from Serbia who now lives in the United States. Mike has been at Whistler for over a month and won't return home till after the Olympic Games. A veteran of 8 Olympic telecasts, Mike works with international broadcast announcers as a technical facilitator.

A birthday ski at Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains on 12/12. Phenominal day on the slopes at the site for Alpine events at Winter Olympics

An exquisite 12/12 at both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains as the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola provided the transportation to both. Today marked the one year anniversary of the P2P Grand Opening and my 58th. There was snow in the Alpine and sun above the treeline. It remained cold, but not nearly as frigid as it's been throughout most of December. With the Winter Olympic Games 62 days away, the World will get a vivid look at North America's #1 Ski Resort. The highest and longest free span Gondola will also get plenty of play on NBC-TV as most of the Alpine events will be staged at Whistler. This International destination resort features over 8000 skiable acres, a half dozen Glaciers, tremendous hospitality on the hills and in the pedestrian village and breathtaking beauty...when visibility allows. Amazingly, with the Winter Olympiad only 2 months away...ski slopes are not crowded and lift lines are non-existent. As a result, some incredible bargains for lodging are offered at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

Friday December 11th at Blackcomb. A new weather pattern is developing and more fresh snow is accumulating after weeks of sun and extreme cold

Boarded the Blackcomb Gondola Excallaber at the
Village mid-morning, and the journey progressed from clouds to flurries and eventually snow at Mid-Mountain. The cold and sunny cycle that followed record breaking
snowfall in November appears to be history with more snowy weather expected this weekend.
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the PEAK 2 PEAK gondola's Grand Opening. We'll take a ride to celebrate the engineering marvel's birthday and mine as well.

Whistler Blackcomb was cold, sunny and firm on the slopes today. Skiers and riders enjoyed epic Snowfall in November, but no dusting so far in Dec.

November broke all records for snowfall at Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada, where in a little over 2 months, the Alpine events of the Winter Olympic Games will be staged. The World will see a pair of incredible mountains side by side and the historic PEAK 2 PEAK gondola that transports visitors between the pair of ski and snowboard slopes. The 28 passenger gondola debuted one year ago Saturday (on my birthday) and has been running ever since. Today however, was all about safety, as crews practiced evacuation techniques in the highly unlikely event of a needed rescue.

While Whistler is enjoying phenominal early season conditions..resorts in the Sierra are waiting for the first major dump of the season.

Winter in the Sierra may finally arrive on Sunday, as a wet weather pattern lasting 3 days is expected. Let's hope so! While a few Lake Tahoe area mountains have opened with very limited operation, overall El Nino has not been a factor. It's certainly been cold enough to blow snow, but mother nature has not been cooperative. Whistler Blackcomb in BC, Canada set outrageous snowfall records for November, but this month is off to a dry start at the venue where the World will be watching Alpine events in February's Winter Olympic Games.
Squaw Valley USA which hosted the Games in 1960 is celebrating it's 50th anniversary and 60th in operation. At the moment, only 5 lifts are running at Squaw. Sugar Bowl, the oldest Lake Tahoe resort at the summit of Highway 80 will open this weekend, with hopes the anticipated storm will allow for mid-week skiers and riders. Meanwhile, on the south side of the Lake, Heavenly has 7 chairs running, Kirkwood opens today and Sierra at Tahoe tomorrow. For a complete rundown of all the resorts in the Sierra, my buddy Curtis Fong, The Guy from Tahoe has his site: www.bikeandskitahoe.com running with daily updates.

Early season air:

Warren Miller's DYNASTY premiers at Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz. New approach without Miller's distinctive voice works with Jonny Moseley as host.

For 60 years Warren Miller has presented and narrated unquestionably the most recognized ski movies annually. This year's DYNASTY edition is without Miller's folksy story telling style. Jonny Moseley now voices the mind boggling segments. The Marin native and Tahoe legend who won gold in Olympic Moguls anchors the film that has Warren Miller type "bits", but presented in a high adrenaline music driven movie. The scenes are as always spectacular, with Moseley opening DYNASTY featuring Sugar Bowl's downhill icon Daron Rahlves carving incredible lines at insane high speeds. Extreme air over Lake Tahoe opens the flick, with Jonny getting into the act, but Rahlves is the skiing star of the show. Phenominal mono-ski action by disabled skiers, tributes to Klaus Obermeyer and Mike Weigle, outrageous rail rides, and a remarkable look at skiing with natives of Northeast China highlight some of the script. DYNASTY plays again Wednesday Nov. 25th at The Rio, and for a taste...www.12sportsonline.com. Scroll down Jerry's Snowblog for a peak at the trailer.