@Bones, @abc, ok will look at adding in Castle and doing 1 week at Kicking Horse instead. Thanks.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
[quote="johnE"]
Quote:
the Grand Couloir in Courcheval..
Is that near Meribal?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Kicking Horse is the sort of place you either love or hate.
90% of its terrain is steep as hell. I would gladly spend 10 days there because I now love steep. Still, 2 weeks is probably too much even for me. Moreover, if the sun doesn’t shine, and you’re not good at skiing blind, it’s quite limiting.
My first time there, I borderline hated it. Though I could see (actually couldn’t see, but can sense) the potential. I’ll be going back 2020. Hopefully the weather will be more favorable.
abc, Know what you mean about KH, I do love it, but SWMBO can take or leave it Hence why we sometimes miss it.
Its main problem is the gondola, you need to catch it to ski top to bottom and if the weather is bad, winds etc. it runs slow or not at all. If you are there for a while and this happens it wont be good.
However Kicking Horse coffee is good , just had a couple of cups this morning
I'm biased but I think Fernie needs the 2 weeks ( and hope you don't get punched by a pineapple express in that time). It really rewards local knowledge and exploring micro lines in the trees etc. Plus you can daytrip to Castle from there with an early start too. KH 2 weeks is great if you are getting fresh snow. It might be a test of character if you get a sustained drought period.
In fact I'd stay a bit flexible as everywhere is basically within a long evenings drive. If a warm wet pineapple system comes in the Banff area is a safer bet than most of interior BC which are lower elevation.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
I'm hoping I just put two Banff TRs in my signature...
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Dave of the Marmottes, ok
I definitely wanted 2 weeks in Fernie yes because I won't be skiing every single day for the whole time, not over 10-11 weeks anyhow so it won't matter if I'm in a place a bit too long so to speak.
I'd be going Dec and Jan as that fits in better with work it misses the main Feb holiday period when prices seem to be generally higher for hotels and some are already booked up in February on the cheap deals with Expedia etc. I know it might be really cold in Dec and Jan mind.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@Dave of the Marmottes, ok
I definitely wanted 2 weeks in Fernie yes because I won't be skiing every single day for the whole time, not over 10-11 weeks anyhow so it won't matter if I'm in a place a bit too long so to speak.
I'd be going Dec and Jan as that fits in better with work it misses the main Feb holiday period when prices seem to be generally higher for hotels and some are already booked up in February on the cheap deals with Expedia etc. I know it might be really cold in Dec and Jan mind.
Better colder than warmer I reckon.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@bones perhaps a better way to put it is you need to tour to get the most out of the area. Like I said I've never been there myself it's what I've heard from others and seen some photos of the slack country there and it does look impressive.
Agree that kicking horse is a bit of a love it or hate it place (personally I love it).
Personally I prefer Feb to December. December snowpack can be low, lots of sharks (they don't call it the Rockies for nothing!), not everything will be filled in enough to ski. Christmas and New year is busy. Feb is not so crowded. The holiday long weekends yes, but tuesday-friday is still reasonably empty, especially in the more remote resorts. Perhaps not in Banff but everywhere else there is reasonably priced accomodation available if you are willing to spend holidays in a hostel.
I'm not sure how you plan to do it regarding season passes. Just turning up and buying tickets at each resort is going to be costly. Would agree with others that suggest keeping it as flexible as possible.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@boarder2020, yeah I definitely won't be buying day tickets.
I had a good plan for the lift tickets when I was doing just the Calgary to Banff to Revelstoke to Kicking Horse to Banff to Calgary plan but I'd have to look at it again if I was to add in the resorts on the bottom section of the BC map.
I wouldn't be spending Christmas and New Year in the Banff area no as I'd noticed it was considerably more there but Revelstoke and Kicking Horse were reasonably priced.
I'm doing hotels and motels with free laundry facilities in them that way I get my own room and can do the washing as I go.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
rogg wrote:
VolklAttivaS5 wrote:
@Dave of the Marmottes, ok
I definitely wanted 2 weeks in Fernie yes because I won't be skiing every single day for the whole time, not over 10-11 weeks anyhow so it won't matter if I'm in a place a bit too long so to speak.
I'd be going Dec and Jan as that fits in better with work it misses the main Feb holiday period when prices seem to be generally higher for hotels and some are already booked up in February on the cheap deals with Expedia etc. I know it might be really cold in Dec and Jan mind.
Better colder than warmer I reckon.
Yeah I've had enough of +10 degrees C days in Tirol in February and March this year, today it was +15 degrees C at 1300m. I much prefer the -10 days not that we had many of them, there were some in January for sure when we had all that snow but only maybe a couple in Feb and Mar.
That's partly why I'm going to try Canada next time actually because I find it too warm here for my tastes. I know some people love the fine weather but I'd rather have cold but nice snow. I don't care about sunbathing if I want to do that I will go to Egypt.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
The super pass covers sunshine, lake Louise, kicking horse, fernie, Kimberley. Not sure what the best option would be for the others. Red season pass is about £500 if you buy it early enough and would get you 25% (assuming things stay the same) off day passes at whitewater and revy.
Like I said I wouldn't pick December as snow depth is not guaranteed to have everything open and even the stuff open may be rocky and not really filled in. For example delirium dive didn't open till 1st Jan this year, the year before it was February. Ozone didnt open till Feb (but probably more due to fwt, which will be the same next year supposedly).
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@boarder2020, ok I will have a look at going Jan and Feb instead if you think the snowpack might be too thin in Dec and Jan.
What is fwt? And which resort is Ozone in?
I think what I shall do (so it's not too expensive in total) is do the northern resorts on the map first in one trip over say 6-7 weeks using the Rider Express so Calgary Banff Revelstoke Kicking Horse Banff again Calgary and then another year hire a car from Calgary and do the southern resorts on the map and Fernie. Less time off work in one go (I'm self employed) and that way I can still have a good stint with my original plan regarding how to best do the lift passes. I can take my time exploring the northern ones then and no driving on my very first trip to Canada. Can save that for next time if I want to go back which I'm sure I will.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Fwt = freeride world tour. It's the top competition in freeride skiing and kicking horse is the only north American stop. http://youtube.com/v/LYjjJKf29QM
I was thinking you would be dropping a lot of cash to do your original plan - will still be over £1.5k in lift passes though! You wouldn't get bored with 6 weeks spread between revy, kicking horse, sunshine, and lake Louise (arguably you could ski one of those for 6 weeks and still be finding new lines at the end. As you said transport is pretty straightforward. I would look into ridshares too as probably cheaper than shuttles. If you tour Rogers pass is also excellent and there is a lot of nice slack country around.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@boarder2020, yeah I think a while ago I did look into doing north and south over 3 months but it came to so much money (without even considering 'lost' income from not going to work) I think that was how I came up with the Calgary Banff Revelstoke Kicking Horse Banff Calgary plan. Think that's plenty. I'd sooner take my time over it and not have to drive anywhere after skiing when already tired as I'd be on my own doing all the driving rather than splitting it across two.
I will see what happens with the exchange rate after Brexit as that could make a big difference either way and if the € drops against the £ it will make my European Alps option more attractive (or less if the € strengthens!).
Not sure how it will affect the £ against the CAD if at all. We shall see.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I understand now about the FWT, I've seen in it Verbier and it was in Fieberbrunn a few weeks ago which is very close to where I'm staying
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
February is (on average) the best month. Still cold snow but plenty of coverage and a bit warmer then the depths of winter (although this past winter was coldest in February). Cold in Banff is so cold the lifts might not be running or running slowly.
You say Delerium Dive didn't open until 1st Jan this year? Was everything else open?
Re snow cover, I guess another difference between Canada and the Alps like in the Revelstoke example posted above, is that even in early Dec there was at least 200cm of snow whereas in the Alps some resorts don't get that amount all season! With that said, because the terrain in the Austrian alps can be meadowy it doesn't take much snow to make it skiable, even 50cm would make a big difference there.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
The Revelstoke link is cumulative snow and not actual snow pack thickness (in case wasn't clear); settled base is often much less (e.g right now it's 2m at Revelstoke which is actually pretty low for time of year).
It's certainly not unusual for steeper bits of terrain at Sunshine, Louise, KH to not open until later in January.
@sweaman22, I noticed it didn't seem to be snowing as much in Revelstoke and Banff this year compared to what I expected to be normal as a couple of months ago I added the resort pages on FB.
Thanks for the info I will definitely re-price going Jan/Feb to give it a bit of time to fill in.
It's probably nowhere near as busy as Feb was in Tirol anyway! OMG never again especially during UK half term.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
VolklAttivaS5, Bit of a dry season north of the border, due to El Nino effect, pushing south into Colorado and New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming getting it too.
Luckily we Started in UT and road tripped, through CO and NM back to UT As it was forecast last April.
Probably heading to Canada to road trip BC again next season, so you should be ok
After all it is free
After all it is free
@VolklAttivaS5, I loved Revelstoke, great hill and terrain, nice enough village if you stayed away from the trailer park area, but just a word of advice (warning), take everything you read and or see on the Revelstoke Facebook page with a pinch of salt.
I was there about 4 years ago, before going I was watching the Facebook page, "look at all the powder" "Faceshots for days" "Another storm, more Powder" and accompanying photos. It was only when I started looking at the forecast and comparing that to the 'Stoke' posts I realised the disconnect. Freezing levels were high all season until I went, just the photos were taken higher up. Yes powder and faceshots, but only from 1900m up, top lift around 2000m.
I also listened to the two fellas working in the Thrift/second hand gear shop laughing about the reported snow depths on the page, both seemed to think there was a man with a shovel involved.
Don't get me wrong and you really should go, just be aware of the Facebook False News.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@rogg, ok good to know thanks. I usually have a look at the weather forecast and the freezing level myself anyway but the resort pages are handy for when there are events going on etc and to see what they are talking about generally to get an idea.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Personally I'd say the overnight snowfall estimates from resorts are pretty accurate. They mostly now have some sort of webcam set up so you can see for yourself. Although the location is clearly somewhere sheltered so you might get some drifting etc but it's indicative.
"Settled base" is another matter entirely and I agree that it's often very unrepresentative of actual snowpack. It's probably somewhere behind a building completely in the shade with no skier traffic etc. Right now Louise is claiming a base of over a meter but I was there on Sunday and there were plenty of bare patches (recent hot weather has taken a significant toll)
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
As said above this year has been a little dry compared to normal. Expectations of locals and snow needed to cover the type of terrain are very different to Europe. I know BC locals that only ride their rock skis till the base is over 2m!
The resort snow reports are usually pretty accurate but the Facebook posts - especially photos, are not always a good reflection. For the photos it's pretty common practice for them to find a patch of untracked snow just out of bounds (the kind no one skies as it's only big enough for 1 turn and leads to some kinda dead end), skier straightlines from the top and does some kinda hockey stop turn aiming to kick up as much snow as possible. Photo looks like a nice powder day - actual conditions are that it hasn't snowed in days and everything is really hard packed.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
, just had a couple of cups this morning 
