May 20th. Thus starts another season of awesomeness.

While skiers and snowboarders are still enjoying spring snow on Blackcomb Mountain, mountain bikers are gearing up to hit the dirt in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which opens for the season on Friday, May 20.

Trails are in excellent condition and the entire Fitzsimmons Zone will be open to riders this weekend.

"With some help from Mother Nature and an extreme amount of hard work from our crew, the trails are in incredible shape," says Brian Finestone, Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager. "We are all really excited about the product we have to offer right from opening day."

This Friday, official Whistler Mountain Bike Park partner, Giant Bicycles, will be handing out free lift tickets to the first 35 riders to show up on their own Giant bikes between 9am and 10am at the base of Whistler Mountain. Giant will also host an athlete autograph session from 12pm to 1pm in Skier's Plaza, featuring Giant athletes Josh Carlson and Reese Wallace, and Liv athlete, Katie Holden.

From May 20 until June 10, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will operate from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 10am to 8pm on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Operating hours will extend from 10am to 8pm daily starting June 11. Upload on May 20 will be via the Fitzsimmons Express Chair, with the Whistler Village Gondola opening for the season on May 21.

Pass holders are encouraged to avoid the opening day rush by picking up their passes and signing updated waivers before May 20. Guest Services is open daily in the Blackcomb Daylodge from 9am to 5pm and the Whistler Village location will be open from 9am to 5pm daily beginning Wednesday, May 18.

The Creek Zone and Garbanzo Zone are scheduled to open on June 18 with access via the Creekside Gondola and Garbanzo Express lift. The Creekside Gondola will operate from 10am to 5pm daily from June 18 to September 5 and then on weekends only from September 6 to 18. Raven's Nest, the restaurant perched at the top of the Creekside Gondola, will be open during the summer season this year, providing a convenient food and beverage location for bikers riding in the Creek Zone.

Throughout the season there will be significant upgrades made to the Whistler Mountain Bike Park Learning Zone at mid-station on the Whistler Village Gondola, as well as upgrades to several bike park trails including Freight Train, Easy Does It and Blue Velvet.

WB+ will be available to eligible bikers this season, allowing riders to track their days, lifts, and vertical ridden, while collecting badges. More information about WB+ is available at plus.whistlerblackcomb.com or on the free mobile app, Whistler Blackcomb Live powered by Telus.

More information about the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, including hours of operation, ticket information and trail updates is available at: http://bike.whistlerblackcomb.com/.