Snowmaking may help save disappearing glacier
By Julie Dugdale, Outside
The disheartening rate of glacial retreat in the face of climate change isn’t a new concern for scientists and outdoor enthusiasts. But ski behemoth Whistler Blackcomb has a particularly vested interest.
As one of two North American resorts to offer summer skiing and snowboarding on a glacier, the revered ski area—specifically, Blackcomb Mountain’s Horstman Glacier—has become a summer training destination for ski and snowboard teams from around the globe.
The problem: A couple of sparse snowfall years combined with rising summer temperatures have caused the glacier’s mass balance to dwindle, which puts the resort’s summer season—and the revenue it generates—at risk.
The proposed solution: snowmaking. The idea is to stabilize the glacier’s movement enough to support resort operations and, ideally, to reverse the recession—eventually.