 Poster: A snowHead
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We've enioyed Norquay each time we've been. It has a decent selection of runs and some really steep bump runs for those who like that sort of thing.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 1-03-20 23:10; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Bergmeister, makes sense to go there if staying in Banff. It is the nearest resort after all.
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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?
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I'm thinking of raiding my pension for one last trip to Banff...
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hmm so a bit of a mixed view on Norquay. Which is good as it would be heaving if everyone liked it
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| bambionskiis wrote: |
| Hmm so a bit of a mixed view on Norquay. Which is good as it would be heaving if everyone liked it |
I went up the unattended, 'experts only', left hand 'North American' chair to the top of the black diamond area, with my left arm in a sling, due to a recently dislocated & broken shoulder. It was fun.
Norquay is definitely worth a visit. It's whether it's worth two visits in one trip that's the big question.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I will probably go there tomorrow for a nose.
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We did Norquay to get our legs back on the first day with it being close. As Crosbie says the North American Chair and the expert only terrain is serious but fun!
I always find resorts/mountains are what you make of them? Norquay is smaller but there is still plenty to do and being so close to Banff, it is a great choice if you have other things planned such as visiting the hot springs, seeing some of the local lakes frozen over and other things.
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| crosbie wrote: |
| Norquay is definitely worth a visit. It's whether it's worth two visits in one trip that's the big question. |
Nicely put.
I wonder if a lot of it is from our European viewpoint, "why should I pay a lot to fly for 9 hours just for that when there is so much better nearby".
If I had it within 3 hours drive from my house, and nothing else, I'd probably be quite happy with it.
It has never occured to me to do half a day's skiing. What is this strange concept of which you speak?
The free tubing there, as opposed to ten bucks at Louise, is nice as a family event. Particularly when one has crocked one's knee trying to be down with the kids the day before 
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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.
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Went to Norquay today to see what I thought. Lovely and quiet. It is probably the most similar to an Alpine resort out of Sunshine, Lake Louise and Kicking Horse in terms of the chairlifts having the moving walkway when getting on and footrests on the chairs. Elsewhere not all chairs have footrests and definitely no moving walkway/timing barriers. Mind you it isn't difficult working out when to shuffle forward to get on it so it makes no odds to me.
It was all pisted in Norquay too except the mogul fields to the left on the piste map. I thought it was great little place for practising and thinking about your skiing in a bit of peace. There are some lovely tame moguls underneath one of the chairs and to the side of one of the pistes for those wanting to learn how to ski moguls. There is plenty of room on the pisted runs to practice your long and short turns. Most of the time I was the only one on that particular trail.
It reminded me a little bit of St Ulrich in Petersee near Fieberbrunn as it is about the same size and a bit like St Johann in Tirol (but smaller). Minus the mountain huts. Of course there is the big cafeteria place at the bottom.
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Oh I forgot to say there is a sizeable snowpark at Norquay too.
The food-hmm probably better to take your own although the macadamia and white chocolate cookie I had was good.
Couldn't tell you what the Lone Pine restaurant is like upstairs mind.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Yep definately going to give it a go (probably the first day) based on what everyone has said. Which is good because I had dismissed it
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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.
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Yes I enjoyed it. I don't know if I would go twice in a trip or not, maybe I would if it dumped. It would be great on a powder day as the majority of people would go elsewhere! The best place for steepish powder skiing would be that big bowl off to the left looking at the piste map from the top of the Norquay chair. With that said, for beginner powder skiers great and safe fun could be had everywhere else on the mountain especially as they had groomed the lot with a piste basher.
Turns out Norquay is pronounced 'Nork-way' not how we would produce Newquay (Cornwall or Wales).
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Oh-something else to mention.
The bus times back to Banff are 1.30pm 2.30pm 3.30pm 4.30pm.
I caught the first bus at 8.58am and came back at 1.30pm so if you want to come back earlier than 1.30pm for any reason you can't unless you call a cab or have your own car.
There is a tiny shop in the cafeteria/lodge building with quite a nice selection of gloves socks facemasks etc (balaclava style not the Coronavirus ones) 
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You know it makes sense.
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| bambionskiis wrote: |
| Yep definately going to give it a go (probably the first day) based on what everyone has said. |
Do give it a go, certainly. Not sure you'd want to do it on the first day, jetlag states you will be waking up at 4.30am, so to hang around for that first bus at just before 9 will seem like forever!! Get the early bus to Louise, arrive there and get the first lift up to mess about and explore empty pistes before the hordes arrive. I don't remember when the first lifts open, I do remember they open the front lifts much (1 hour?) earlier than the back. You are going at Christmas when the days are shorter, and I just checked that sunrise is supposed to be about 08.45, so get the bus that leaves your hotel around 0730 to get there for 0815 and sit in Whiskeyjack with a large coffee and a cookie until lifts open.
Going to Norquay would make sense for when you want a lie-in.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Orange200 wrote: |
| Going to Norquay would make sense for when you want a lie-in. |
such as to recover from a hangover and/or partying until 4am...
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Poster: A snowHead
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@bambionskiis I'm not sure I'd recommend Norquay for the first day getting your ski legs back. There are some really lovely, confidence building greens at Lake Louise. And Sunshine has some really gentle terrain too - a few more flat bits though. My recollection of Norquay (full disclosure, we didn't even go on our last trip to Banff) is that easy terrain was really limited and a bit boring and everything else was reasonably steep for a nervous skier. I did enjoy it there though so definitely recommend trying it and judging for yourself!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@VolklAttivaS5, I find the food in the main café there far better than most main cafes in the Albertan rockies. They have creative curry bowls, plant-based bowls , avocado stuff. Way better than the usual burgers.
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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?
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@VolklAttivaS5, I find the food in the main café there far better than most main cafes in the Albertan rockies. They have creative curry bowls, plant-based bowls , avocado stuff. Way better than the usual burgers.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Given the 50+cm of snow we've had this week with another 25-30cm forecast for the next 48hours I suspec VolklAttivaS5 is too busy skiing to be looking at snowheads 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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WTF! (Checks last minute flights to Calgary...)
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Heathrow - Denver- short transfer via Hime James - Winter Park
Done a few times , easy peasy
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Home James !!
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So interesting. Thanks so much for the tips. They’ll be printed off and put in my Canada ski file!!
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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.
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Prepare for the Calgary horde to arrive.. the only days it's worth getting there super early are the weekend.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@sweaman22, on Tuesday I was there in Sunshine ready before the Great Divide opened. Not early enough for Lake Louise yesterday but the earliest bus was 7.45 so I couldn't do anymore. I think next time I come to Canada I will hire a car 
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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.
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My TR says I got an 0645 bus to LL, for staff apparently!
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Is it really that busy then? Naively I had thought, given the size of all the resorts, that it would be quiet at Christmas.
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You know it makes sense.
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Busy is relative .. if I have to queue for more than say 6 lifts (so say 30 people ahead of me) then it's getting busy and 50 people ahead would be crowded....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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There will be more people than usual as it is a holiday. But the queues are very well managed. Pay for lessons on the busiest days and you are allowed to jump them 
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Poster: A snowHead
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Went to Panorama today on the pre-booked day trip from Banff which included the return transport door to door and the 1 day lift ticket. It was good value. You might be interested in going to Panorama @bambionskiis. It is a fair trip there and back but the scenery along the highway is nice.
Lots of intermediate pistes which were virtually all groomed. Automatic lift ticket recognition at the turnstiles of lifts like Alpine resorts as opposed to the 'zap the paper lift ticket with a handheld device' style at both of the Banff resorts, Lake Louise and Kicking Horse.
Plenty of advanced terrain in the Taynton bowl for those that want it. I would go back another time for a day or two.
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