Whats New At Whitewater 2026/2027

The Nelson-area resort is investing more than $1 million ahead of the 2026–27 season, bringing the previously out-of-bounds Short Side into the trail network while upgrading lifts, grooming routes, avalanche-control access and base-area facilities.

For years, Short Side occupied an unusual place in Whitewater Mountain Resort’s landscape. It was close enough to the lifts to tempt adventurous skiers and snowboarders, but beyond the official boundary—unmapped, ungroomed and without organised patrol coverage.

That changes this winter.

Whitewater is adding approximately 75 hectares, or 190 acres, of Short Side to its controlled recreation area for the 2026–27 season. The expansion will introduce six new runs and extend the resort’s skiable terrain beyond 1,400 acres. Opening day is scheduled for December 4, 2026.

The project is the centrepiece of a summer programme valued at more than $1 million, covering terrain work, equipment, lift maintenance, snow removal, infrastructure and guest-service improvements.

From sidecountry shortcut to official terrain

Short Side sits between Giddy Up Gully and Sproulers, linking a section of the mountain near Buckshot with the Shrine and Backside Ski Way. Whitewater says the addition will create a more natural connection through the existing trail network while providing the fall-line and gladed skiing associated with the resort’s character.

Bringing the zone inbounds required considerably more than changing the line on a map. Whitewater partnered with F2 Logging, whose crews worked in the area for about a month. More than 50 hectares—over 120 acres—of glading was completed, alongside new road construction and two ski ways designed to connect the new terrain with the rest of the mountain.

The work formalises terrain that already attracted skiers, but it also changes the nature of the experience. Previously, anyone entering Short Side was leaving the controlled resort area. The zone was not patrolled or officially mapped, and assistance in an emergency was not guaranteed. With the expansion, the terrain will be integrated into Whitewater’s operating and safety systems.

That development has been welcomed by skiers who see the change as a safer way to access a popular area. But not everyone views it as a straightforward expansion. Some observers argue that the terrain was already reachable from existing lifts and that bringing it inbounds could mean more traffic and less untouched snow.

The debate reflects a familiar tension in modern ski areas: formalising access improves safety and accountability, but it can also reduce the sense of discovery that made sidecountry terrain attractive in the first place.

The next step in a multi-year expansion

Short Side continues a period of growth at Whitewater. The resort opened the Raven Chair in 2023, adding approximately 123 acres and 14 groomed and gladed runs. Goat’s terrain was subsequently brought into the official ski area network.

The latest project does not involve a new lift. Instead, Whitewater is using forest work, ski ways and improved circulation to increase the value of its existing lift infrastructure. The result is an expansion based on access and terrain management rather than a large new mechanical installation.

That approach is significant for a resort known for steep glades, deep snow and a relatively low-key identity. Whitewater is expanding, but the work is focused on making more of the mountain usable and connected without reshaping its essential character.

A summer of work across the mountain

Short Side is only the most visible part of the 2026 off-season programme.

Crews also brushed, limbed and gladed several established areas, including Tailings, Quicksilver, Monkey Trees, Jack Leg Glades and the tree island between Bonanza and Paydirt. Excavation and slope work were carried out on Upper Bonanza, Upper Sluice Box, Jackpot and the Hummingbird Ski Way.

A new access road up Upper Powder Keg is intended to improve ridge access and make morning avalanche-control operations more efficient. At the top of Glory, a new unload ramp will provide a more consistent surface for guests leaving the chair.

The improvements may be easy to overlook on a powder day, but they are central to operating a mountain safely and efficiently. Better access routes can reduce the time required for control work, while improved unload surfaces can make chairlift operations more predictable in changing snow and weather conditions.

At the base area, Whitewater replaced its former shipping-container-style washroom with a permanent bathroom incorporated into the Skier Services Lodge. The new location is designed to clear a busy route back into the base area and improve traffic flow on crowded days.

Preparing the mountain for thinner early-season coverage

One of the most practical projects took place on Bonanza, a popular run returning toward the Summit Chair.

Historically, the run required approximately 120 to 150 centimetres of snow before a snowcat could groom it safely. A specialised spider excavator spent about two weeks redistributing rock and reshaping the slope, with the aim of lowering that threshold to approximately 100 centimetres.

If successful, the work could allow Whitewater to prepare Bonanza earlier in the season and make better use of limited early snowfall. The improvement is part of a broader effort to increase the amount of terrain that can be groomed before the mountain reaches full mid-winter coverage.

The distinction matters as ski areas contend with increasingly variable starts to winter. A run that can be groomed with less snow gives operations more flexibility during the opening weeks, when a few extra centimetres can determine whether a route is available to guests.

The Bonanza project is not intended to replace natural snow. Rather, it reduces the amount required to cover exposed rock and create a workable surface for grooming.

Behind the scenes: lifts, power and snow removal

Some of the most important work will be invisible to guests.

Whitewater’s lift-maintenance team removed chairs and completed rope inspections, carrier work and line work across the resort’s lifts. A bearing on the Glory Chair was replaced in a major maintenance project intended to extend the lift’s service life.

The resort also added a CAT 930 loader to improve snow-removal operations. That equipment will support work around access roads, parking areas and base facilities during storms and heavy accumulation.

Power resilience has also been improved. The generator was connected to both Guest Services and the Skier Services Lodge, allowing essential services to continue during power outages.

For a mountain operation, these upgrades are not merely conveniences. Mechanical reliability, snow removal and backup power all influence whether the resort can open on schedule and maintain services during severe weather—conditions that are part of life on British Columbia’s Powder Highway.

Expansion with a lighter footprint

Whitewater’s programme reflects a broader trend in the ski industry: resorts are looking for ways to expand terrain and improve operations while limiting the cost and environmental impact of major construction.

The Short Side project required extensive forestry work, but it did not require a new chairlift. The use of existing lift access, new ski ways and managed glading allows the resort to add terrain without building a new high-capacity lift into the zone.

That does not eliminate questions about forest management, habitat and long-term snow reliability. Any terrain expansion changes how skiers move through the mountain and may increase pressure on previously quieter areas. The success of the project will depend on how carefully Whitewater manages tree work, drainage, snowpack and skier traffic over time.

The resort’s own description of the investment emphasises both visible and invisible changes. New runs and glades will be immediately apparent, while lift bearings, generator connections and improved service routes are designed to be noticed only when something works smoothly.

What guests can expect

When the 2026–27 season begins, Whitewater visitors will find:

• six new runs in Short Side;

• approximately 190 acres of newly inbounds terrain;

• new ski ways connecting Buckshot, the Shrine and Backside Ski Way;

• additional glading in several established zones;

• improved early-season grooming potential on Bonanza;

• new access for avalanche-control work near Upper Powder Keg;

• an upgraded Glory Chair unload ramp;

• improved lift reliability following major maintenance;

• expanded backup power for key base-area facilities; and

• a new washroom integrated into the Skier Services Lodge.

The changes represent a substantial off-season programme without altering Whitewater’s basic proposition. The resort is still selling natural snow, tree skiing and a mountain experience built around terrain rather than spectacle.

Short Side may be the most exciting addition, but the more important story is the combination of projects. Whitewater is increasing its official terrain footprint, improving circulation, preparing key runs for earlier grooming and investing in the infrastructure that supports day-to-day operations.

The result will be tested when the snow arrives. If the project delivers as planned, skiers will gain new terrain, safer access to a historically informal zone and more reliable movement across the mountain. The best improvements, meanwhile, may be the ones guests barely notice: a lift that runs smoothly, a road cleared after a storm, a run groomed before the season’s deepest base has settled.

At Whitewater, the summer work has been about making more of the mountain available—and making the entire operation ready for whatever winter brings.