 Poster: A snowHead
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We are coming towards the end of a seasons skiing in Ferniel BC,Canada, and have around 10 days to explore once we leave Fernie. I am after advice on where to ski from around 10th April to 22nd. We are willing to drive a bit. We want to be a bit careful on pass costs, but not so silly tight fisted that we miss seeing some interesting places. We have an RCR pass which includes kicking horse, nakiska and Kimberley. There are also good value spring passes for either lake Louise or sunshine (single resort, $550 to end of season)
We are considering staying in golden to do maybe a day each at
Panorama
Revelstoke
Sunshine (or Louise, tba)
A few days at kicking horse, using our existing RCR pass and staying in golden
A week or so, including Easter, at lake Louise (or sunshine tba), staying in Banff, Canmore or lake Louise village
Do not go to, not worth it, even though they are included on our RCR pass
Nakiska, I hear skiing is more limited
Kimberley, due to walk needed because of loss of main lift
Wondered if anyone has any advice on whether this is a sensible plan, anywhere to add or avoid. Also at Banff, given current snow outlook, which one should we choose for the day, and which one for the week; Louise or sunshine. We are going for the unequal split as the spring pass is for a single station, but we still want to see both, so we are willing to pay for a day or so at the other one.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Good plan. Don't know how good Revy is in April but I've skied fresh pow at LL in early May. However LL and Sunshine are probably pretty much of a wash if you don't care about the Sunshine patrol farrago of a while back. I'd tend to pick based on where you'll stay. Banff will have a surplus of beds that time of year so probably some good deals to be had. Depending on your budget you can pick up reasonably priced double rooms at the HI in Lake Louise though.
Golden has the cheapest accomodation available so is a good base for daytrips if you choose to do that but the scenery at KH and challenging skiing tops almost anywhere else.
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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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What he said. Obviously check where the best conditions are when you're actually there.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pre Covid I had several Easter trips to Banff. Always decent snow at Sunshine even in poor snow years. And when it’s good it’s very good! Banff will be quiet - plenty of cheap accommodation. Obviously if you base in Banff you can chose whether to ski LL or SV when there
The ski patrol dispute was over 10yrs ago so don’t think it’s much of a factor now!
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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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IIRC LL gets softer in the afternoon than Sunshine, so I’d choose the latter.
I might only be remembering LL front side though.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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In reality LL is appreciably lower than SV. Although both have a similar elevation base station (1600m) at SV all the real skiing is above mid station at 2000m. You only go below in the ski out - and many download. At LL all routes converge at the base - hence slushier. On average SV gets lots more snow than LL
The back bowls of LL are north facing and higher so usually have better snow.
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We've skied Nakiska twice on Canada road trips. Good snow both times and really enjoyed it. Not a bad area at all IMO.
It hosted the Olympic Men's Downhill in 1988 - so must have something going for it  Surely worth a shout if it's included in your season pass and you are in the area?
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^+1 for @philwig, check on the conditions.
A word of caution though, Revelstoke is particularly prone to 'bigging up' conditions. Two days prior to going to Revelstoke their official facebook and own homepages were shouting 'Share the powder' and 'Bring a snorkel' accompanied by picture's you'd give your right leg to be in. I arrived to a frozen toblerone mountain, apparently there was some fresh if you hiked the last 200m above the top lift, but for the rest of the mountain it was rain during the day and refreeze during the night. I even heard a couple of shopkeepers laughing about the situation, and ridiculing the official snow depth on their site during the week. We travelled on and the next week Banff and it was considerably cooler, the snow being in much better shape - particularly sunshine.
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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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Skied Pano on Friday. Was ok. Icy then slushy. Skied kicking horse the sat before, was terrible. Nakiska has been ok recently. For spring skiing, I would pick sunshine over lake Louise as snow quality is usually better
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Note that Pano and kicking horse are open later this year because of late Easter weekend. I would say it's not due to snow conditions. I would be tempted to skiit out in alberta
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Note that Pano and kicking horse are open later this year because of late Easter weekend. I would say it's not due to snow conditions. I would be tempted to ski it out in alberta
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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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I’ve not skied there in the (true) Spring, but was at several of those resorts in March, so here’s my view FWIW.
If it’s warm, and there hasn’t been new snow, don’t bother with Revy. I *love* Revelstoke, but we had a couple of days there of no snow (and still cold) - it got icy and not much fun. We were also there for a really warm couple of days, skied the first day, and whilst the skiing from the Ripper lift was still good most of the day, the ski out (from the gondola top down to base) was horrendous enough (bad freeze/thaw type stuff) that we didn’t bother with the next day as conditions weren’t due to change. Then we got a few days of good snow and I forgave them everything 
We skied Lake Louise on a couple of quite warm days (sit in a t shirt with a beer at the base kind of days) and the frontside was slushy af from the top of Top of the World lift on down. Which is a loooong way on slush. Back bowls were still doing ok, but you had to go hunting. I’d probably avoid.
Sunshine had better snow on the warmer days, but even at the top on some of the Goat’s Eye runs there had been enough freeze thaw to make it teeth-chatteringly horrid on anything other than freshly groomed runs.
Didn’t ski Panorama so can’t comment, and we were lucky enough to have fresh snow at Kicking Horse. If you’ve got the RCR card anyway, you can’t miss KH out though, the skiing is superb, the views are IMO the best of any of those resorts and if you feel like splashing out, lunch at the Eagle’s Eye is worth it.
For LL/Sunshine, worth looking at the Lake Louise Plus card and Sunshine super cards respectively. You pay just less than a days lift ticket price for the card, then get discounted skiing each day, with the first day included, 4th and 7th day free. LL card can be used at Pano, Sunshine card can be used at Revy. If you ski 4 days on each, it’ll end up around $90-95 a day. So probably a shade more per day than the spring passed the AB resorts are offering, but gives some good flexibility. And the Sunshine card gets you a discount on food at the Goats Eye canteen too (which does the best chilli cheese chips anywhere…).
Wherever you end up, have a fab time. I’m a tad jealous 
Ms T.
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You know it makes sense.
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Oh, should probably say - there’s awesome skiing to be had at all of the above. I overall prefer LL to Sunshine for variety and accessibility of what’s there (if conditions are equal). Kicking Horse is another level for terrain, etc, and skiing in Revy - trees, bowls, steeps - when there is decent snow is phenomenal.
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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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Personally I'm a bit of a less is more guy when it comes to this kind of stuff. I tend to find you get a better experience of spending more time in fewer resorts, than trying to cram loads in and just scratch the surface at each. Plus if you are on a budget you can save some $ as day passes are expensive.
Kicking horse is my favourite, I think it has the best terrain, but have never skied it that late so don't know how it holds up.
Lake Louise does an even cheaper weekdays only spring pass which would save you $100.
I don't really know what nakiska spring skiing is like, but in winter I'd say it's worth a day if your pass covers it anyway.
If you are going to ski Pano save your time and do it on the way from fernie to golden. From golden it's around 2 hour drive each way.
I would consider none skiing stuff too. Assuming you already had a good season of skiing, a nice hike in Banff or trip along icefields parkway may be more memorable than an average day of slush if conditions aren't great - especially if you are paying $100+ for the privilege.
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A word of caution though, Revelstoke is particularly prone to 'bigging up' conditions.
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It's the norm for many resorts social media. The classic is finding a tiny patch of powder just out of bounds, then massive hockey stop into it to kick up as much snow as possible, then post it as if it represents the resort which is just icy moguls as no recent snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Revelstoke was pretty epic today. Got insta-rinsed inbounds, but slackcountry should be pretty awesome for the next few days.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quote:
Two days prior to going to Revelstoke their official facebook and own homepages were shouting 'Share the powder' and 'Bring a snorkel' accompanied by picture's you'd give your right leg to be in. I arrived to a frozen toblerone mountain, apparently there was some fresh if you hiked the last 200m above the top lift, but for the rest of the mountain it was rain during the day and refreeze during the night.
That is utterly disgraceful They really should hang their heads in shame
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Gonna come out and say something controversial. This is what happens in the mountains. It is mega one day and if you're there right then, you will have the best day of your life. The relevance to conditions even two days and certainly two weeks later is minimal (especially in Spring). This site in particular has all sorts of chat about what the conditions are going to be like wherever, whenever, but the short answer is that you can never, ever predict it more than a day or two out. I have had many, many days where conditions have been mind-blowing and the very next day has been total dog-$h1t. That's the mountains. The number of posts on here about "wayhay! it's snowing in [wherever], my trip next month is going to be amazing!" are a bit of a head-scratcher. I'll happily admit, I'm as guilty as anyone of posting insta-powder, but conditions can and will always change rapidly to very rapidly, especially in Spring. I'm in Revelstoke right now. This morning was epic. This afternoon was rubbish. If I hike a bit or whatever, tomorrow will probably be amazing again. Equally, back home, there are many (many, many) days where most people will describe the conditions in resort as poor, while my clients and I are genuinely riding powder all day. Local knowledge + effort almost always equals powder. Or, at least, decent snow. Turning up and just riding the lifts, unless it is actually snowing very heavily right at that moment, very rarely equals powder unless you're very, very lucky.
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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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@stevomcd, exactly. The daily dance with snain, wind scouring, high temps, sun crusting, isothermic rot, hard refreezes and traffic polishing is just spring skiing.
Just some of the " 50 things I hate about you" in our relationship with skiing/ boarding.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@stevomcd, I agree that good conditions one day don't necessarily mean good conditions the next day, especially when it comes to spring skiing. However there is a problem with resorts social media posting at best misleading, and at worst completely false info. I did a season at red mountain a few years ago, and after a day of boilerplate ice with no fresh snow for over a week stumbled across the mountains Facebook post that day along the lines of "no snow for a while but still plenty of powder" and a photo of some guy kicking up a load of fresh snow. A lot of people actually called it out in the comments saying it was a completely false representation of current conditions.
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FAQ
They really should hang their heads in shame 
