In the summer of 1963, Whistler founder Franz Wilhelmsen met a burly Finnish man named Seppo Jalmari Makinen. Upon hearing of Wilhemsen’s plans to build a ski area, Seppo proposed that he, and a crew the he hired, could clear ski runs on the mountain. Seppo wound up helping to clear nearly every run on the mountain leading up to his last in 1980. That final run wound up bearing his name.
Seppo Makinen continued to live at Whistler until his death in 1999, building a massive log house that would become a sort of community hub. His name continues through the trail named after him, “Seppo’s”, and a bar that bears the same title. Seppo’s Bar, and the Corona Mountaintop Lodge where it lies, has seen some massive upgrades, and it’s set to open this winter.
“Seppo’s Bar and legacy lives on in the newly upgraded Corona Mountaintop Lodge — open this coming winter season! Huge thank you to everyone involved in revamping this space. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements on upcoming events and activations.“
