 Poster: A snowHead
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Having read and contributed to various threads I thought it was time to start one of my own
Here we are at Heathrow waiting for our flight to Calgary. Despite the holidays and strikes we were through check in, bag drop and security in about 30min. So now an hour or two to kill in departures!
Didn’t think we’d get this far tbh - as well as strike threats we’ve had an impacted wisdom tooth (me) and a horrific migraine (MrsJ yesterday). But here we are and it’s snowing in Banff
Will update from Canada!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jealous as always @TommyJ, hope it all goes well for you!
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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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@TommyJ, have an amazing time
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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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Have a great time. Where are you staying?
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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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We’re finally here. Very jet lagged and tired but in our hotel, we’ve eaten and picked up our skis - so ready for an early night (we’ll by Canadian time, it’s 3:30am back home!) and Sunshine Village tomorrow
We’re in the Fox in Banff for 5 nights, then lake Louise and finishing with a couple of nights in Sunshine Mountain Lodge
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Day 1 of skiing and what a day we’ve had!!
After we all finally collapsed into bed jet lagged last night we were up early and ready to go. Decided to go to Sunshine as it’s fairly near - only a 15min drive. I suppose one advantage of being on antibiotics for the wisdom tooth is that I’m the designated driver so easier than getting the bus!
First impressions - a lot colder and snowier than previous April trips. It’s obviously snowed a fair bit right down to Banff in the last couple of days and it was well below zero even in town
Sunshine was very quiet - parked up right by the front and straight on a lift. Show was great, pockets of powder still around and the groomed run were fast and great fun. Still cold here, not a hint of slush around. Today was meant to be about finding our ski legs and taking it easy but still ended up doing a fair few black runs. Realised there is no way we can keep up with our 12yr now! So he’s getting some lessons tomorrow where they can blast around stuff I don’t dare look at
So now after a soak in the wonderful hot tub here (semi outdoors - modelled on the cave basin) I think we’re getting take out for dinner and another early night
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Sounds great @TommyJ. Keep us posted 
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Sunshine was my favorite area of the three. Lots of different terrain types and little 'side hits' all over the place.
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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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The jet lag is subsiding slightly! Managed to stay awake till 9pm and actually slept till 7. Back off to SS. Doesn’t look like any fresh snow but a beautiful day already
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Our favourites are Goats Eye (at Sunshine) and a straight run from the top of the gondola all the way to the base via Meadowlark at Lake Louise
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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When you go to LL let us know what you think of the new lift (ex Summit Platter) and West Bowl, please!
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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’ll post a full update later but as I refresh over a beer in Trappers I’ll reflect that today has brought me both my guest double black and my first ever rescue by ski patrol!!!
Got lost - ended up on a double black by mistake and basically sat down on a chair mogul and refused to live until ski patrol arrived and helped me down. Thanks guys!
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So apart from a bit of drama with ski patrol today has been another great day
Went back to SV because the boy had a lesson booked. Only two of them in the black runner group and it sounds like he had a blast.
I am really enjoying skiing SV - it’s the variety of terrain and all the ‘off piste’ that’s in bounds that opens things up to an intermediate like me. That seems to be the big difference to Europe - you can ski the ‘runs’ but if you find a cheeky cut off that looks good then go for it. Today we’ve been playing on fast groomers, powder bowls, mogul fields and more. And it’s so quiet. Never waited more than two chairs in any lift and most runs are blissfully empty
Having said I wanted an easy day cruising blue runs today I ended up doing several blacks! Sky Dive on Goats Eye has to be my favourite. But then after lunch I was getting a bit too confident and decided to try Boundary Bowl - an ungroomed Black. It was a bit bumpy and I was to cautious to make the turn so basically ended up on a double black mogul field! At which point I lost it, fell/sat down on a mogul and refused to move!!! It’s very easy here to end up on something very challenging. Anyway someone called ski patrol and instead of bringing a sledge (my choice!!) they coxed me down. What a muppet
Had a lovely steak at Melissa’s and a few drinks so now to bed. Think it’s time to try LL tomorrow
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm living vicariously through your report, thanks for sharing.
Sorry for the double black drama, but it makes for a good story!!
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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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@TommyJ, better tha hurting yourself but hopefully you've learnt your lesson about pushing gradings. Until you can ski everything don't try to bag harder runs for ego purposes. in N America on blacks and double blacks there is no guarantee of grooming on a given day.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A day of two halves
MrsJ and the boy decided to have a day off skiing and do touristy things so for a change I went to Lake Louise
First thing - if the thought of the travelling between resorts put you off -don’t! The drive to LL is one of the most spectacular drives I’ve done - and one of the easiest. So despite a lazy start I was on the lifts before 10am
Partly as a result of yesterday’s shenanigans I was rather cautious, but also there was heavy cloud above the resort leading to flat light. Anything above the trees was so hard to ski - couldn’t see a thing. Also it was cold and still quite hard packed. So stuck to greens and blues and felt like a complete muppet
But then after lunch the sun had come out and the visibility was great. Lake Louise has to be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen - let alone skied. The runs do seem to be harder and steeper than SV but what it has in common are the wide open bowls and snowfields. That too me is what one crosses the Atlantic for
For those who remember the old summit T-bar it is gone (missed by someone I’m sure) and replaced by a quick fast quad - making the summit much more accessible. Even if you’re just a blue runner it’s worth going there for the views. I can’t comment on the new West Bowl as it’s well above my standard so I stayed away!
Think it’ll be back to SV tomorrow before we decamp to LL itself at the weekend
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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 don’t know if it’s yesterdays incident, not skiing as much during Covid or getting older but this is the first year I’ve not skied as well as the previous year. Or at least not skied such hard runs. I had a bucket list of runs I wanted to do but at present I’m enjoying cruising the easier runs. I’ve booked a private lesson so hopefully will get some of my mojo back
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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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Better to ski moderate runs well than hard runs badly
Or have to call ski patrol
Drop the bucket list enjoy your skiing
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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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| Whitegoldsbrother wrote: |
Better to ski moderate runs well than hard runs badly
Or have to call ski patrol
Drop the bucket list enjoy your skiing |
Some good points there  .
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Last day in Banff today - tomorrow we move to LL for a few days.
So we had another day at SV today and a very old school friend of MrsJ who now lives in Canada joined us for the day which was nice. A lot busier today due to the holiday - had to park a lot further back. But it was literally only a few minutes queue for the gondola and v few queues on the mountain. Light was quite flat so we stayed in the trees mostly. Stuck to some lovely blues and slowly getting my mojo back. Agreed about the bucket list - I’m just enjoying some lovely skiing in a spectacular setting
Having a day off skiing tomorrow as we move to LL - will drive up the Bow Valley Parkway and stop a bit. Hopefully see some wildlife. So far it’s been too wintery around here to entice the animals out!
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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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Not sure about the “easy walk” part.
The Park Canada’s trail condition report said “cleats strongly recommended”.
And given how icy the parking lot is today, I suspect that recommendation should be heeded closely.
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Boy scouts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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“Must ski” at LL: Rock Garden! At least your boy would think you’re a super-Dad! (You don’t have to do it yourself, you can meet him at the exit)
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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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We’ve had a lovely rest day exploring the park. Dropped our friend off at the bus station and then had a dip in the hot springs - almost too hot for me!
Made our way to LL along the Bow Valley Parkwsy which was stunning. It seemed half of Canada was visiting Johnstone Canyon - yet it is very beautiful. We walked to the lower falls, the path onwards was shut. Path was fine with proper footwear but saw too many people skidding in inappropriate footwear
Now settled into the Chateau at LL with views that are just out of this world. Tomorrow we all ski LL
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Proud Dad alert!!
I forgot to update yesterday - we were too busy eating fondue and drinking wine. But we have had a fab couple of days skiing LL
Yesterday there had been a few cm of fresh snow which had softened things up. MrsJ and I were having a lovely day cruising green and blue groomed runs but the boy was making it clear he was bored out of his mind. So we skied down to the base and booked him into ski school. We booked him into a level 5 (black) group. Turns out he was the only kid and they spent the whole afternoon skiing black and double black moguls through the trees and the back bowls. Meanwhile MrsJ and I continued out leisurely day with a few drinks. At pick up we were told he was now level 6!
Today it has a snowed and snowed and snowed. Bit wet at the base but deep powder higher up. I had a first tracks lesson at 8:30 - you get on the lifts before anyone and we had a great time learning how to ski fresh snow. Enjoyed it so much that MrsJ and I booked another lesson and spent the time in shin deep powder at the top. Safe to say I have my mojo back. Now chilling with a beer whilst I wait to pick the boy up.
What a day!
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You know it makes sense.
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Love First Tracks 
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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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We even got the First Tracks included for free as it was better value buying a spring season pass.
I really enjoyed today - wide open powder bowls and soft snow through the trees is exactly what I came to Canada for. There’s amazing skiing here that is accessible to an intermediate like me
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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OMG
Just had another first track lesson. First down several deep powder runs. Can’t describe how great it was. Weaving through trees in knee deep snow
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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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Well I thought yesterday was one of my best ever skiing days - but today might have topped it (apart from a terrifying non-skiing interlude)
It was our last night at LL and it was MrsJ had a first tracks lesson booked but decided she’d rather have a lie in and a leisurely breakfast. So the boy and I used it. First impressions were good - several inches of fresh snow in the Chateau car park. And a jack-knifed Coca-Cola lorry. I guess the holidays aren’t coming! The drive down to the ski hill was a little hairy but we made the lesson. After checking on we waited five min for ski patrol to give us the go and we were one of the first chairs up. Spent 90min leaping knee deep pow below the summit. Just epic. And what a compliment when the instructor described Oliver as ‘a bloody good skier’! I left them to do crazy stuff for the last half hour whilst I cruised back to base.
The terror came on the drive from LL to Sunshine. The trans Canada might be their equivalent of the M1 but had barely been plowed. Hardly any black tarmac visible. So as I was cautiously making my way along lorries were tearing past about 30km over the speed limit! But we made it here, ironically the mountain road was in better condition. After a beer and poutine to steady the nerves we checked out bags in to the base and set off skiing. A lot of the powder had now been skied out but there were still pockets and the Avis was just so soft and light. And the sun came out.
Now we’ve checked into the lodge at Sunshine Village and enjoyed the huge outdoor hut tub. Now to dinner and an early night. It’s still snowing again but the forecast is sun tomorrow. Could be epic. And of course we’re right here on the slopes!
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You are right - we are full on converts to NA skiing. We have been very lucky with the snow - but it’s also the amazing inbounds terrain, the empty slopes and the friendly locals we like.
Today was our last full day in Canada. We’ve been spending a couple of nights staying at Sunshine Mountain Lodge - the only ski in/out lodging in the park. What this means is that we had a leisurely start and we’re still on the first lifts. Oliver was booked in ski school but the kids lessons only go up to level 5 black runner. So we spoke to ski school and they very kindly converted his all day group lesson to a private morning lesson. And what a day he had! There had been another 15-20cm overnight and he went off skiing blacks and double blacks off Goats Eye. In the afternoon we skied together and he showed me some of the runs - I couldn’t even look! But I am very impressed and proud of him. His only regret was he couldn’t ski the South Side Chutes or Delirium Dive due to avalanche control. Still there’s always next year….!
MrsJ and I took it slightly more easily and started on the blues but soon moved onto the blacks and still found plenty of pockets of powder. Finding our own way down to the lift ignoring the groomed ‘runs’ has to be one of the highlights.
Then in the afternoon we had a very pleasant family ski whilst Oliver showed off his new found skills and try not to look too bored on our level runs. Then a disk in the hot tub, beers and dinner.
Tomorrow we’ll probably ski the morning before packing the car and heading back to Calgary.
What a trip it’s been!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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From this:
| TommyJ wrote: |
I’ll post a full update later but as I refresh over a beer in Trappers I’ll reflect that today has brought me both my guest double black and my first ever rescue by ski patrol!!!
Got lost - ended up on a double black by mistake and basically sat down on a chair mogul and refused to live until ski patrol arrived and helped me down. Thanks guys! |
To this:
| TommyJ wrote: |
| Spent 90min leaping knee deep pow below the summit. |
And this:
| TommyJ wrote: |
| Finding our own way down to the lift ignoring the groomed ‘runs’ has to be one of the highlights. |
All in less than a week? Err, am I missing something ...
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What’s missing?
Well about 50cm of fresh snow, some superb teachers and the return of my mojo
I was never a bad skier - was ok on many piste runs but little experience off piste. Then on Wednesday I got lost and ended up in a double black bowl full of large icy moguls!!
Since then I’ve had some lessons and it has snowed and snowed. I’ve got my confidence back and as the conditions improved the instructors have taken us off the groomers (in fact ‘groomed’ was pretty irrelevant on Tuesday!) into the powder. So come yesterday when we were making our way back to the lift we left the groomed runs and made our way through pockets of easy powder.
I feel like my mojo and confidence has returned. As one instructor said - I had the techniques but was nervous using it
As for my son throwing himself down Hells Kitchen and Freefall that’s a different story
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I've been following this thread and I'd agree. I was at Sunshine last Friday and it was tricky skiing - hard snow and flat light where even the club ski racers complained it was difficult to get an edge in.
I was at Nakiska yesterday helping with some ski racing and the difference was significant (and the ski racers were all complaining it was now too soft...)
And LoL at the Trans-Canada; the semi's are notorious.
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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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| Whitegoldsbrother wrote: |
All in less than a week? Err, am I missing something ... |
Your “missing” skiing is very dependent on snow condition. And that condition can change in a matter of hours, never mind days.
So yeah, in a week, what was giant mogul can become fluffy powder.
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For those who don’t ski frequently throughout the winter, starting a trip on poor snow condition days can be rather discouraging.
That’s why the tried and true advice of having a lesson in the beginning of a week of skiing often work well.
(Or, understanding it being the case and not get too upset about it)
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FAQ
