TL;DR
For years, Whitewater's Short Side was where you ducked a rope and hoped for the best: unmapped, ungroomed and unpatrolled. This winter it's inbounds. Six new runs of glades and fall-line skiing add 190 acres (about 77 hectares), taking the resort past 1,400 acres in total. F2 Logging spent a month in the trees to make it happen, and opening day is pencilled in for 4 December. Bonanza now needs less snow to groom, too.
Whitewater's Short Side, long reached by ducking a rope, now sits inside the ski area boundary.
British Columbia's Whitewater Mountain Resort, near Nelson on the Powder Highway, has announced 190 acres (about 77 hectares) of new inbounds terrain, built around six new runs of fall-line and glade skiing. The Short Side sits between the Summit and Glory chairlifts, and two skiways will connect it to the rest of the mountain. Total skiable terrain now passes 1,400 acres (about 570 hectares). Whitewater is currently scheduled to open its 2026-27 season on 4 December 2026. In an Instagram post, the resort said:
"There's lots to look forward to this winter, and we can't wait to welcome you back."
From Sidecountry to Patrolled Terrain
The Short Side has historically sat outside the ski area boundary. It is close to two lifts, so sidecountry skiers regularly ducked ropes to reach untouched snow and heavily wooded terrain. Because it was out of bounds, it was unmapped, ungroomed and unpatrolled, and anyone who got into trouble there, whether from an avalanche, a crash or another hazard, had no organised help on hand.
