Whistler Blackcomb Like a Local: Spanky's Ladder, Pond Skims and the Winter SkiBuds Was Built
SkiBuds
SkiBuds was built at Whistler. In the 2018/19 season, founder Stephen Phillips lived in a four-bed dorm, rode every day and wrote the first version of the app between laps. As Stephen put it in the history of SkiBuds, much of it was based on ideas that came up “while talking to people on chairlifts.” This story follows the SkiBuds Instagram posts from spring and summer 2019, plus a few from December 2019, March 2020 and January 2021, with their publication dates. It is a picture of Whistler Blackcomb through the runs the account kept coming back to, from Sapphire chutes to Spanky's Ladder.
Coding on the chairlift
On March 25, 2019 the account posted a cloudy alpine view with a short caption: “Another great bluebird day. Meeting people on the chairlift helps inspire ideas. Did lots of coding on the lifts today.” The hashtags were the app's tech stack, React Native, JavaScript and Firebase, next to the usual board and goggle brands.
Our About page puts that winter at 153 days on snow. A chairlift ride gives you a few minutes with strangers who are about to ride the same mountain, which makes it a natural place to trade ideas and find someone to ride with. Our guide to chairlift etiquette and how to talk on the lift has openers that work at any resort.
Sapphire chutes before Blackcomb closed
By late April the season was running out. On April 20, 2019 the account posted a photo of a steep, rocky alpine face under a deep blue sky: “Another sick day on the mountain. Blackcomb is closing soon so hit sapphire chutes.”
Three days later came the photo at the top of this story, a rider throwing spray on a soft, slushy run between the trees, captioned simply “Sliding into spring.”
Sapphire comes up again almost two years later. On January 1, 2021, with “Whistler and Blackcomb” getting “absolutely nuked,” the account asked whether it gets much better than Spanky's Ladder on a powder day, and listed the options: Garnet, Sapphire, Ruby and Diamond. “Get out there, go shred and pick your chute,” it said. “Which is your favorite???”
Spanky's Ladder
Spanky's Ladder is one of the runs the archive returns to most. On June 10, 2019, after the season ended, the account posted that it was “dreaming of pow days” and “reflecting on the sick lines I took this year,” tagged Spanky's. On March 10, 2020 it posted the Spanky's Ladder sign below, with a SkiBuds sticker on its pole: “One of my favorite runs of all time.” On New Year's Day 2021, with Whistler and Blackcomb getting “absolutely nuked,” it posted the same photo again.
Look closely at the sign: it carries a double-black-diamond symbol. Our Whistler Blackcomb guide notes that alpine and advanced routes need their own ability and conditions check, so check what is open that day and ride them with a partner who rides at the same level.
The first run to show a visitor
Two days later, on January 3, 2021, the account reposted a March 2020 photo taken from inside the glacier ice cave, with the blue SkiBuds flag on the snow: “Nothing like a glacier lap with the flag. This is always the first ski / snowboard run I take people to when they come to Whistler Blackcomb for the first time.” The caption says it is reached from the Blackcomb Glacier run, off the back side of the T-bar. Glacier caves carry serious hazards that change from day to day, so only go in with the right training and equipment, or with a guide who knows current conditions. The March 2020 trip, and the ice cave, are in Chasing the end of the 2020 season.
7th Heaven, a season later
By December 2019 Stephen was living in Colorado, but Whistler kept showing up in the feed. On December 2, 2019 a story read: “Whis is getting dumped on... have fun friends.” On December 27, 2019 the account shared a snowy chairlift photo as a throwback: “Throwback to last season's opening 7th laps. Good to see 7th heaven is finally open. Wish I was there to do a pakalolo or chainsaw ridge lap.”
The park channel
The first SkiBuds app had channels. On May 8, 2019 the account posted a snowboarder grabbing high above the trees on a blue-sky day: “Find some riding buddies to cap out the season with some park laps. If within 50km of whistler check out the park channel.” In other words, a place in the app for riders near Whistler who were looking for park laps.
That version of the app has been retired, and SkiBuds is being rebuilt for iOS and Android. The idea behind the park channel still applies. Riding with people who want the same kind of day makes it easier to stay together. If your group mixes park riders, groomer cruisers and chute hunters, our guide to skiing with friends of different abilities covers how to split up and meet again.
A spring pond skim
On May 18, 2019 the account posted a snowboarder in red carving across turquoise meltwater: “When you find a sick little pond skim of ice cold blue water in the middle of a run. New things everyday at Whis.”
Pond skims are safest as organized resort events with staff on hand. Don't ride into meltwater pools you find on the hill, and follow signs and closures.
A bear under the lift
Three days later, on May 21, 2019, the account posted three bear photos taken on green, snow-free ground: “I love bears,” it said, “especially when you see them while skiing down the hill.” In two of the photos the bear is grazing in the grass beneath a chairlift.
If you see a bear while riding, give it plenty of room. Don't approach it or stop close by for a photo, keep moving away calmly, and tell lift staff or ski patrol where you saw it.
The next day, May 22, the account posted a photo of avalanche debris below a rocky chute, with a reminder: “Stay safe and find a friend to ride with.” On May 31 came the end of the season: “Season might be over in whistler, but that doesn't mean you still can't play outside!” That summer the work continued. On July 9, 2019 the account announced: “Added in the ability to check into a mountain,” thanking an Instagram user for the idea.
How to plan a Whistler Blackcomb day with people you just met
- Pick a meeting point by base and mountain. Our March 2020 Whistler story covers where to meet.
- Warm up on progression runs. Our guide lists Emerald on Whistler and Catskinner on Blackcomb as steps beyond the first lesson. That is a good way to see how a new partner rides before you head higher.
- Treat chutes and glaciers as a separate plan. Alpine and advanced routes need their own ability and conditions check. Read the avalanche forecast if you are going anywhere near the boundary.
- Check parking before you drive. For 2026/27, some lots require reservations on select weekends and holidays. Sharing a car helps, and our ski carpool planning guide covers how to arrange it.
- Swap contacts before the first chair. Our ski buddy meetup checklist covers what to agree on before you meet.
For more ways to meet people to ride with, read how to find ski buddies and how to plan a powder day with friends. Other resorts in the province have SkiBuds guides too; start with British Columbia ski resorts.
Questions riders ask
Is Spanky's Ladder hard?
The sign in the SkiBuds photo carries a double-black-diamond symbol, and our Whistler Blackcomb guide notes that alpine and advanced routes need their own ability and conditions check. Check what is open that day, and ride it with a partner of the same ability.
Where do beginners ski at Whistler Blackcomb?
Whistler's Olympic learning area is at the gondola's mid-station, and Blackcomb has the Magic Chair area at the base. After a first lesson, Emerald on Whistler and Catskinner on Blackcomb are the next steps. Lesson check-in locations vary by program, so check your confirmation before you park or rent.
Do you need a parking reservation at Whistler Blackcomb?
Sometimes. For the 2026/27 season, some parking lots require reservations on select weekends and holidays. Check the lot, dates and hours before you arrive.
Photos and quotations come from posts on the SkiBuds Instagram account between March 2019 and January 2021, and from Stephen Phillips's 2021 history article. Dates are the dates the posts were published.