WHISTLER, BC, Nov. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. announced today that as a result of cool temperatures, significant snowmaking production and natural snowfall, Whistler Mountain will open five days early on Saturday, November 17. With five lifts running, guests will have the option to upload from either the Whistler Village Gondola or the Creekside Gondola. Blackcomb Mountain will open, as scheduled, on American Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 22, 2012.

"In addition to new snow and a great forecast lining up towards the end of this week, our fleet of 220 state-of-the-art snow guns has converted over 70 million gallons of water into snow over the past few weeks. This ensures excellent on-piste coverage for quality skiing and riding on opening day," says Doug MacFarlane, mountain manager at Whistler Blackcomb.

First upload on the Whistler Village Gondola and Creekside Gondola will begin at 8:30 a.m. on November 17. Emerald Express, Big Red Express and the Franz Chair lifts will also be running, giving guests access to 1800 vertical feet of skiing and riding terrain which will include six trails.

The latest version of Whistler Blackcomb's Live Pass, Powered by TELUS app is available for download for iPhone and Android. The app allows skiers and riders to track their runs using GPS, share their speed and vertical as well as take and share photos with friends via Twitter and Facebook. More information can be found at whistlerblackcomb.com/app.

For Canadian and Washington State residents, Whistler Blackcomb offers the EDGE Card, allowing guests to ski/ride from $65 (CDN) a day. EDGE Cards are valid for use all season long, and are available at early bird pricing until November 19 at whistlerblackcomb.com/save.

Guests interested in planning a trip to Whistler can take advantage of the Early Season Winter Deal which includes two nights lodging and a two day lift ticket deal from $109 per person, per night. To book a trip to the # 1 rated mountain resort in North America, visit whistlerblackcomb.com/lodgingdeals or call 1-888-403-4727.

ABOUT WHISTLER BLACKCOMB HOLDINGS INC. Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. owns a 75% interest in each of Whistler Mountain Resort Limited Partnership and Blackcomb Skiing Enterprises Limited Partnership, which, together, carry on the four season mountain resort business located in the Resort Municipality of Whistler, British Columbia.  Whistler Blackcomb, the official alpine skiing venue for the Olympic Winter Games, is situated in the Resort Municipality of Whistler located in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia 125 kilometres (78 miles) from Vancouver, British Columbia. North America's premier four-season mountain resort, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain are two side-by-side mountains, connected by the world record-breaking PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, which combined offer over 200 marked runs, over 8,000 acres of terrain, 14 alpine bowls, three glaciers, receive on average over 1,192 centimetres (469 inches) of snow annually, and offer one of the longest ski seasons in North America. In the summer, Whistler Blackcomb offers a variety of activities, including hiking and biking trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and sightseeing on the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. Whistler Blackcomb Holdings Inc. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WB".  For more information, visit www.whistlerblackcombholdings.com.

SOURCE Whistler Blackcomb