Editing Mount Washington Alpine Resort

{{Short description|Ski hill in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{advert|date=February 2020}}
{{COI|date=February 2020}}
}}

{{Infobox ski area
|name= Mount Washington Alpine Resort
|logo= 
|picture= 
|caption= 
|location= [[Vancouver Island]], [[Canada]]
|nearest_city= [[Courtenay, British Columbia|Courtenay]], [[Comox, British Columbia|Comox]]
|coordinates = {{coord|49|44|18|N|125|17|55|W|type:landmark_scale:50000|display=inline}}
|top_elevation= 1,590 m (5,216 ft)
|base_elevation= 1,083 m (3,558 ft)
|vertical={{convert|507|m|ft}}
|skiable_area= 
|number_trails= 82
|longest_run= Linton's Loop
|liftsystem= 5 [[chair lift]]s<br>3 surface tows
|terrainparks= 2
|snowfall= avg. 11 m (36 ft)/year
|external_link= 
||website={{Official URL}}}}
[[File:Looking SE from Mount Washington Nordic Lodge.JPG|thumb|View from Mount Washington Nordic Lodge]]
'''Mount Washington Alpine Resort''' is a year-round recreation destination located on [[Vancouver Island]], British Columbia, Canada. The resort is the island's only full-service ski and summer resort hosting over 250,000 visits per year. Located Mid-Island, the resort is situated more than one kilometre above sea level. It overlooks the [[Comox Valley]], [[Strait of Georgia]], [[Coast Mountains]], and the [[Beaufort Range]]. [[Strathcona Provincial Park]], BC's oldest provincial park,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kirellos |first=Gabriel |date=2021-11-06 |title=Here's How Much It'll Cost You To Drive Up To The Summit Of Mount Washington |url=https://www.thetravel.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-drive-up-mount-washington/ |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=TheTravel |language=en-US}}</ref> is a {{convert|106|km|adj=on}} drive from the Mount Washington Alpine Resort.

In the winter, guests access over 688 hectares (1,700 acres) and 507 vertical metres (1,663&nbsp;ft) of alpine terrain, 55&nbsp;km (34&nbsp;mi) of cross-country skiing and 25&nbsp;km (16&nbsp;mi) of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge, Tube Park and Fat Bike trails. The resort receives some of the largest snowfall in North America at over 11 metres (36&nbsp;ft) annually on average.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Washington Alpine Conditions |url=https://www.mountwashington.ca/alpine-conditions.html |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=Mount Washington Alpine Resort |language=en-gb}}</ref>

Summer features include a 2.3&nbsp;km (1.5&nbsp;mi) ZipTour [[zip line]], lift-accessed [[mountain biking]], quad bungy trampoline, chairlift rides, [[disc golf]], [[miniature golf]], boardwalk chess and checkers, shopping, and dining.<ref>[https://mountwashington.ca/explore/about/mt-washington.html "About Mt. Washington"], Mt. Washington Alpine Resort</ref>

== History ==
Mt. Washington Alpine Resort was established in 1979 by Henry Norie and Alex Linton, two Campbell River businessmen. The idea originated in 1975 when Linton, an avid [[Skiing|skier]] and local [[Businessperson|businessman]], was impressed by Mt. Washington's height and snowpack. Together with Norie, who owned a [[helicopter]], they surveyed the mountain. After 16 months, they acquired the land from Crown Zellerbach, a forestry company, and enlisted Ecosign, a mountain resort planning company, to develop the resort. Construction commenced in 1977, making Mt. Washington one of the first master-planned resorts in [[British Columbia]], similar to Whistler Blackcomb.<ref>Manara, Mike. [https://cvcollective.ca/life-begins-at-40/ "Life Begins at 40"], Comox Valley Collective, Vol. 21</ref>

In 1989, George Stuart and a group of shareholders purchased the founders' interests and invested in upgrades for the resort, including lifts, terrain, base area buildings, and infrastructure. In 2015, Stuart's group sold the resort and a significant portion of the developable land near the base area to a Canadian subsidiary of Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.<ref>[https://pgri.us/news.php#washington "Pacific Group Resorts Buys Mount Washington Alpine Resort], Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.</ref>

== Transportation ==
* The resort is located at #1 Strathcona Parkway, Mt. Washington, BC, approximately a 15-minute drive from the Inland Island Highway, [[British Columbia Highway 19]]. Various bus services connect to [[Courtenay, British Columbia|Courtenay]], and during the winter season, the resort operates a ski bus shuttle service with stops in Courtenay.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}{{tone inline|date=February 2020}}
* [[BC Ferries]] offers daily ferry connections from [[Vancouver]] to [[Nanaimo]], as well as from [[Powell River, British Columbia|Powell River]] to [[Comox, British Columbia|Comox]].{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}
* The [[Comox Valley Airport]] (YQQ) and [[Campbell River Airport]] (YBL) on Vancouver Island are the closest to Mt.  Washington, approximately a 40-minute drive from either.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

== Etymology ==
Mt. Washington is named after [[John Washington (Royal Navy officer)]]. For several years Washington was assistant to Sir [[Francis Beaufort]], after whom the range of mountains down the centre of Vancouver Island is named.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{Official website}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*[https://pgri.us/ Pacific Group Resorts, Inc.]
*[http://www.mwskipatrol.com/ Mt. Washington Ski Patrol Association]
*[https://visasweb.ca/ Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports (VISAS)]
*{{BCGNIS|57137|Mount Washington}}
{{Ski areas and resorts in British Columbia}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ski areas and resorts in British Columbia]]
[[Category:Mid Vancouver Island|Washington Alpine Resort]]