I am thinking of planning a family trip during the second week of April. Any idea as to how the ski conditions will be then? Thanks for the help.

Not good

That's not necessarily true. This winter has been cooler, (except for the last ten days), and wetter than normal meaning much more snow. The more winter snow the longer it will stick around. April will likely see gradual warming in the alpine areas of Whistler and Blackcomb but not likely enough to put a major dent in the snowpack. So I would think unless there's an unusually warm March, conditions should be fair to good in mid-April.

We are also booked for a family trip the first two weeks of April. Looking forward to good skiing weather but if not what other things are there to do with two children 11 and 13yrs. Also can we get private family ski lessons and book when we arrive or book in advance? We have a 10 hr trip to Canada and would like to get straight into holiday and not be disappointed with booking lessons if it is better to book in advance. Any tips would be gratefully received.

We have skiied Whistler several times during mid-April, and had a great time. Last April, it snowed almost every night at the higher elevations, creating really fine skiing off the uppermost lifts. There was essentially no snow at the base, and the snow quality on the lower trails was poor - slushy crud. The key to Spring skiing is to immediately ride to the upper lifts (Peak and Harmony on Whistler; 7th Heaven and Glacier on Blackcomb) and stay there all day, then download the lifts to get back to the base at the end of the day. We much prefer skiing Whistler in the late Spring, because you can ride the gondola all the way back to the bottom, without skiing any crud at all. You have to ski to a much lower elevation to easily download to the bottom of Blackcomb.

You should locate your accommodations accordingly. Last Spring, we got a fantastic deal on a ski-in-ski-out condo in Woodrun, near the Blackcomb Base, Unfortunately, in April, it was walk-in-walk-out. We either had to make a long uphill trek at the end of the day, or ski down really slushy snow to get close to our condo. I'd suggest staying in Whistler Village so you have a reasonable walk to and from the Whistler gondola. The other option would be to stay at a more distant location (which is commonly cheaper), then drive to the Whistler base.

We found the shuttle bus system to be overcrowded in the morning and afternoon, when you most need it. My opinion is that you should park in the Pan Pacific parking garage. Not cheap, but right next to the gondola.

You can easily book group or private lessons ahead of time, or at the last minute - online (http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/school/). I think that Whistler & Blackcomb have fantastic kid's programs - we have put our kids in several lessons there, and I thought the facilities and instructors were great. They also have a telephone number where a very helpful person can work with you on the most appropriate ski school choice.

There's a number of non-skiing things to do. Our kids really like the municipal sports complex, which has a huge recreational pool and an ice rink.

Thank you ALF for skiing tips - really helps. Does it matter that we are all beginners regarding the higher elevations - or is this for the experts. Also, we have booked ourselves in to Whistler Village for the very reason of not having to get a shuttle bus! Is the municipal sports complex far from Whistler Village?

The Municipal Sports complex is about 2 K's from the Village on Highway 99.