British Columbia’s Whitewater Mountain Resort recently announced the addition of 190 acres of new inbounds terrain, giving Whitewater’s skiers more to explore when the season officially kicks off. The resort had worked extensively this summer to clear out space in its Short Side, adding six new runs in the area for more fall-line and glade skiing. The new runs add to Whitewater’s already extensive in-bounds terrain, bringing its total skiable acreage to over 1,400.
“There’s lots to look forward to this winter, and we can’t wait to welcome you back,” the resort wrote in an Instagram post.
The new runs improve access across Whitewater’s trail network. Skiers and snowboarders will be able to easily move from Buckshot to the Shrine and back to the Backside Ski Way.
Historically, the Short Side had sat outside of Whitewater’s ski area boundary. Because of its location near two lifts, sidecountry skiers easily accessed the Short Side by ducking ropes to find untouched powder and heavily wooded terrain. However, because it sat out of bounds, it was unmapped, ungroomed, and unpatrolled. Skiers attempting to ride the Short Side could end up in dangerous situations — avalanches, crashes, and navigating other hazards — with no way of being assisted.
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Now, skiers at Whitewater can ski the Short Side without the immense risk. It was already an area that saw high traffic, and by making it in-bounds, skiers who want to enjoy the glades and powder of the Short Side can do so in a much safer environment.
The process of clearing out the Short Side required a massive coordinated effort throughout the summer. The resort partnered with the professional company F2 Logging, whose crews spent an entire month working intensely across the zone. They managed to clear out about 123 acres of tightly packed trees to make the forest safely navigable for everyday resort skiers.
The expansion follows up on Whitewater’s past several years of terrain expansion following the opening of the Raven Chair and the addition of the Goat’s Slide terrain. The Raven four-seater chairlift opened in 2023 and allowed for access to Goat’s Slide — a 60-acre zone of open, south-facing alpine bowl skiing into the resort’s iconic Ymir Bowl.
The terrain expansion was not the only thing that Whitewater worked on this summer. Crews have been brushing, limbing, and glading various spots across the rest of the resort. On Bonanza, Whitewater brought in a specialized spider excavator, which spent approximately two weeks redistributing rock and improving the slope to allow for grooming with less snow. It previously required approximately 120 to 150 centimeters of snow before it could be groomed, but Whitewater officials hope to bring that number down to 150.
The resort also spent time working on its chairlifts. The lift maintenance team completed rope inspections, carrier work, and line work across the resort. It also replaced a bearing on the Glory Chair in an effort to extend the lift’s lifetime.
With six new runs in the Short Side, alongside various other improvements, this summer was a busy one at Whitewater. The resort is currently scheduled to begin its 2026-27 season on December 4, 2026. When it opens, skiers will finally be able to enjoy the pristine glades and deep powder on the resort’s Short Side.
