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Canadian Rockies Tour

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thinking of something like this

Calgary-banff
Stay in Banff -
3days ski lake louise, 2 days sunshine,
lake lou - golden
1 day kicking horse (1hr, 83k)
kicking horse - panorama (2hrs, 150k)
1 day panorma
panorma - kimberley (1hr45 140k)
1 day kimberley
kimberley - fernie (1hr15 115k)
2 days fernie
fernie - calgary (3h10 300k)

would be a sat-sat trip so i have three spare days, one would be a rest day after about a week and the other two additional skiing, any suggestions for the extra days?

the distances and times are from google, are they realistic? bit worried that its looking like a tiring trip, could also miss out one of kick, pan or kimberly, any comments?

we dont own skis, but i dont want to go back to calgary via banff - anyone know a hire place in calagry or at a convenient place?


are there group rresort tickets or would it just be day tickets?

any other ideas or suggestions?

cheers
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
hobbiteater, we did a similar trip to this a few years ago, going a bit further afield and for 2 weeks. It was enjoyable but tiring as we didnt have a rest day and moved on after skiing each time. Discounted tickets were obtianed form our accommodation where possible as most places did deals from the ski hills, however Fernie didnt and we ended up paying the day rate Shocked

We only booked our first and last nights accommodation, the rest we sorted enroute, so we werent tied to places if we wanted to move on.
our route consisted of,
Kicking Horse
Revelstoke
Silver Star
Big White
Red Mountain
Whitewater
Fernie
Castle Mountain

The times /distances form google are a good guide, dependant on weather and traffic.We managed to shave a bit off most times wink Longest one was Big White to Red - 4 hrs approx, and Nelson to Fernie was quite long too.
You could go for a day at Castle after Fernie, as its on the way back and some great B+B's to stay at. You could also ditch Panarama and Kimberley and go Revelstoke then down to Nelson ( ferry crossing needed too )skiing Whitewater and/or Red then loop back to Fernie. you might want another day at Kicking Horse and a day less at Lake Louise Confused

We are planning on doing it again at some point, and fine tuning it wink During our trip we met a couple of other couples doing a similar trip and our paths crossed a couple of times along the way, one was a snowhead who we met/skied with /ate with during the curse of the trip.

We missed Banff resorts as we were there the previous year so didnt need to ski them again. As for hiring skis there probably will be somewhere in Calgary, no idea where but gryphea lives there so could advise possibly.

Anything else you want to know just ask/pm me

you will have a great time, if tiring a bit, and living out of a suitcase isnt for everyone on holiday.
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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?
hobbiteater, this sounds like a great trip. I'm not over familiar with these resorts or travelling between them so can't really comment much on that. But I wondered if you've had a look at:
http://www.skisafari.com/Ski-Canada-Rockies-Loop-Safari-Details.aspx
My experience of Ski Safari has been very good but even if you wanted to put this together yourself the page might help with planning, accommodation etc.
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hobbiteater,

There are ski hire places in Calgary. This one has been used by some friends of mine

http://www.sportsrent.ca/

Its on 16th Ave and therefore is kind of on your way to banff

The U of C also rents stuff:
http://www.calgaryoutdoorcentre.ca/gear_rentals/downhill_ski_rentals (but parking can be a bit of an issue/expensive)

This one isn't as handy:
http://www.outlawsports.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=189

Ski cellar on 16th by COP used to do rentals but I am not sure they still do so contact them
http://www.skicellarsnowboard.com/demos.html

There is another ski rental place on 16th but I can't think of its name and you may be able to rent at COP but I think those are designed more for day renters.

If I were dropping a resort it would be Kimberley. For your extra days I would spend them at Panorama and Kicking Horse (but it does depend on the type of skiing you prefer) or do an additional day at fernie. You could throw in a day at Castle for a different experience. I would allow more than 1 hr for LL to Kicking horse and agree with Bones, that you could drop a day at LL. Some people rave about it but its not my favorite.

You would really just be on day tickets BUT if you are a Costco member you could certainly save some money on your way past in Calgary. I think pretty much all those resorts sell tickets at Costco (look on website) and these will be far cheaper than buying on hill. Most come as direct to lift too which saves a bit of hassle (but not the fernie ones I think). Alternatively google AMA and they sell some discount tickets, but these tend not to be as good value as Costco and you will need to check that they accept reciprical AA membership. They list what they sell on their website, and their prices include GST I think whereas no one elses do. There is an AMA at crowfoot which isn't so far off route.

The LL tickets at Costco sometimes also include a rate at the chateau for $115 which is nice (if so you just need to show your Costco pass when checking in, I got upgraded there to a suite, so join the presidents club online if you plan to do this.) Emerald Lake lodge in field is one of the nicest hotels ever, but you need to search for deals and it may not work well for your itinery.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
2nd Costco for tickets but they only sell one and 2 day tickets. You can sometimes get good mid week deals from resort web sites for accommodation and lift tickets.
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I've done this kind of tour quite a few times. I found moving day after day very stressful. But if I stay in each place at least 2 nights, it made a world of difference. So I would suggest dropping some resorts and stay 2 days in the rest.

Tickets should be easily sorted through lodging deals.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
We've done a similar tour in the other direction. From Calgary we did 3 days at Fernie, 2 at Panorama, 2 at Kicking Horse then five at Banff, skiing a day at Norquay (deep powder and no-one on the mountain - don't discount it!) and 2 each at Lake Louise and Sunshine. We enjoyed the variation but for me I found that we moved a bit too much. If I were to do another two week trip it would only be to three places - if I wanted to do more it would be a three week trip
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
thanks guys
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
hobbiteater,

I would definitely recommend at least 1 day's cat skiing on your trip.

We've done day trips with both Fernie Wilderness Adventures and K3 Catskiing (near Revelstoke) and although it's not cheap it is worth every penny!

Every turn is a powder turn!

I would also add in a trip to Castle Mountain between Fernie and Calgary. It's a great ski area.

You could also ski at Pass Powderkeg on your way back to Calgary. It's a very small area, with T bars only but with exceptional grooming and deserted runs. We fitted in a couple of hours there on our last morning then drove to Calgary for an afternoon flight. Very Happy
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Well flights are booked!

Plan is 5 days in Banff skiing the Big 3 and then a rest day, 3 days at panorama then a rest day and then 3 days at fernie. Rest days were part of the negotiation with mrs hobbiteater, but ill probably be glad for them.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Two words

Castle Mountain

http://www.skicastle.ca/
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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.
hobbiteater, Depending on you attitude to moving accomodation I be tempted to stay 3 nights Banff, 2 Nights LL, 2 nights Golden/KH 1 Night Invermere for Pano, Nice soak at Fairmont Hot Springs on travel day to Fernie I think KH is a vastly better mountain than Panorama
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 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
Mike Pow, could kindly expand?

fatbob, need to limit to 3 stay really

So I'm what "they" might describe as a km hungry intermediate, this trip isnt about that though its about doing something different, in a different environment, but i'm not going to be doing cliff jumps or anything seriously steep or anything like that
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
hobbiteater,Castle Mountain is excellent - bit of a locals hill but well worth a visit. I see that Bergmeister had already suggested a visit.

On a cautionary note, Canadian roads can involve a lot of wilderness and a lot of snow. It can get a bit monotonous - especially in the dark when you sometimes can barely see any road markings/edge of the road for snow (or muck on the clear bits). It's also worth making sure you get snow tyres.

Finally, another vote for a day catskiing - it's been mindblowing on every one of the numerous days that we have done in BC.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
hobbiteater, OK - Stay Golden - you can do 2 days at KH from there and it's close enough to day trip to Panorama if you don't mind getting up early. LL to Golden is only about an hour's drive so no great need for a rest day though you'll probably enjoy it driving up the parkway etc
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
We went to Canada for the first time this year so I am hardly an expert on it. But I can firmly recommend Cat Skiing too, we went with FWA out of Fernie...great guys, great time, much better value than heli skiing IMO, but that is fun too.
I'd spend more time in Fernie than Banff (Fernie was our fav). Fernie is practically ski in/out but Banff is miles away from any reasonable skiable area.
KH was amazing but 3 days was enough (probably because we didn't have any fresh).

Next time we go, we'll only use Banff for one day just because it's closer to the airport so less stress on the last day. Mind you, it was -30 when we were there whereas it was a lovely and toasty -20 to -25 when were at Fernie!

Oh, and the only police we saw on the roads were in between LL & Banff on our last day, good job we spotted them!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
yes must keep mrs hobbiteater away from the mounties....
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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?
Sounds great.

Consider negotiating out of one of the rest days by promising a lunch at the Eagle Eye at Kicking Horse.
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PS and that the lift close by 4, maybe a tad earlier depending on time of year
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
" Banff is miles away from any reasonable skiable area"

I couldn't disagree more. It's 10 minutes from Norquay, which is an excellent ski area, or 25 minutes to Sunshine Village, which has the best snow record in the area.

For some reason, Norquay seems to split skiers - a bit like Marmite. But, in my opinion, it has some of the best, most challenging skiing in the area and no lift queues.

Banff is also one of our favourite ski towns - with some excellent bars and restaurants and a nice vibe to the place. Well worth a visit IMHO.
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hobbiteater,

Nakiska is also worth a look, so I'd be inclined to swap one of the Panorama days for that.

Also, time permitting, you could consider skiing there at the start of your trip as it's the closest skiing to Calgary. You could also consider skiing at Calgary Olympic Park, on the outskirts of Calgary. We drove past it on the way from the airport and it looked great under floodlights. Looked to be worth a trip for the novelty alone.

On one of your rest days I'd recommend a trip to Johnston Canyon from Banff. It's a beautiful (self guided) walk into a snow covered canyon with frozen waterfalls. It's about a two hour hike, there and back and is basically one track in and one track out, so you can't get lost. Get there early before the crowds though. We were there for about 9.30 & had the place to ourselves and it was stunning. Some tour companies offer a $50 pp (guided) trip from Banff but we did the DIY version in the car for nowt! wink

A few years ago, on a day off, we did dog sledding and a short helicopter sightseeing flight from Canmore (near Banff). Both were excellent!
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
It's all fine, do it, then work out how to do it again depending on what you like and what you don't.

Road-wise, it can be pretty variable. Usually you can just blat around without incident. You will pass a lot of cars on their roofs if there's any recent snow though, which means some people at least have a less fun time out there. The distances are deceptive, and you can expect long distances without any civilization.

It's impossible as far as I can tell to hire cars with winter wheels or snow chains, and they don't want you to use chains on their hire cars (although you can buy them for about $50...). They will even give you a map to get to places you can't legally get to with the car you just rented (this is BC; AB may be different - Quebec certainly is).

Your driving times will go up significantly if the weather's ****. You will then either die, crash, get stuck, or take about twice as long. It's not a problem, but you need an appropriate attitude. I take twice as long. Note that it's technically illegal to get just about anywhere interesting without chains or snow tyres, and the typical tourist (me) can't really get either .

My personal approach with the whole thing, which I have done every year since 1989, is to make it up as I go along. That works fine in Canada... if you find yourself at a resort which you're bored with after a day's riding, then just drive somewhere else. I've never had the confidence to do that in the Alps, but in Canada they speak my language and have tons of accommodation, so it's easy.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
"It's impossible as far as I can tell to hire cars with winter wheels or snow chains"

Sorry - but that's not correct.

It is extremely difficult to book winter tyres in advance. We tried that last season in Kelowna and requested winter tyres when we booked car rental (with Avis) 7 months before the trip. I then rang them up to make sure, a month before we got there. Lo and behold - no record of my request when we got there! The only way we could get winter tyres was to upgrade the car, which we were pleased to do as the road conditions were awful.

Take 2 when we got to Calgary in February this year. Again Avis but this time the explanation that (despite my request with the booking)winter tyres are not fitted to small cars! Of course the winter tyres were available if we upgraded the car - just the $280 sir... Although that stuck in my throat somewhat, we forked out and (once again) we were glad we did as we encountered some of the worst (snowy) conditions I've ever driven in. It was a complete whiteout as we climbed (& descended) Kicking Horse pass and it could/would have been lethal without snow tyres. Even some of the lower routes were treacherous and if your car ends up off the road you could be hundreds of miles from civilisation. It's a big place!

Noted: that death would not be a problem - provided you go with an appropriate attitude Shocked
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OK

So have driven on these mountain roads for 6 years now. Generally they are good, but when they are poor they are poor and you are miles from anywhere. In the National parks (Banff, yoho, kootneys (there is no development apart from the settlements/towns at Banff , LL and Field). That can mean literally miles from anyone else and no mobile phone reception. OH has done a winter driving course at work and they recommend:
emergency supplies, food, torch, blankets, and driving in your coats (with the heating down) so that if you have an accident and get knocked out you don't die of hypothermia before help arrives. I'm not saying take all these precautions; but do think about how remote it is where you are going and as
philwig, says 'take the appropriate attitude'. This year I met a british honeymooning couple in Golden who were stuck (like us) as the 93 and 1 were shut due to avalanche risk; I missed a days work. They missed a night at Emerald Lake and got a night at the holiday inn. Its part of the adventure and as the Canadians are fond of saying 'it is what it is'.

We both have AWD and kit them out with winter tyres. its not just about snow ; its about stopping distances in the Baltic temperatures
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
+1 for DON'T EVEN THINK OF NOT GETTING SNOW TYRES FOR MOUNTAIN DRIVING!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
mountainaddict wrote:


Quote:

On a cautionary note, Canadian roads can involve a lot of wilderness and a lot of snow. It can get a bit monotonous - especially in the dark when you sometimes can barely see any road markings/edge of the road for snow (or muck on the clear bits). It's also worth making sure you get snow tyres.


Rewrite as:
Quote:

On a cautionary note, Canadian roads can involve a lot of wilderness and a lot of snow. It can get a bit monotonous - especially in the dark when you sometimes can barely see any road markings/edge of the road for snow (or muck on the clear bits). It's also essential to make sure you get snow tyres.
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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.
Our hire car (a Kia 4wd sorento I think) was kitted out with all weather tyres. While not being proper winter tyres they performed very well in -20 to -30 temperatures with compacted snow and ice on the roads. We didn't have any snowfall (ok, we had maybe 2cms total but that doesn't really count!) in the 2 weeks we were there though. You just have to drive accordingly and be prepared to be overtaken by the semis!

Nakiska is on my to do list next time as it was recommended to us by a local (who also told us not to bother with Norquay!)
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 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
Here's a summary of winter tyres and some stuff on the other types you can get: http://www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/car-tyres/winter-tyres/

Rental company's offshore call centres will tell you that their "all season" tyres are good in BC, for example for the short drive up to Whistler from YVR. They may work, but they're not legal. That doesn't stop me and thousands of others having little choice other than to use them.

So sure, winter tyres or chains are a legal requirement on some roads in BC, but the evidence is that they are in fact not essential, which as I'd like them to be compulsory as I believe they are in Quebec.

If you've nothing to contribute to the discussion then shouting doesn't really help much.
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