 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I am looking for some recommendation for an American or Canadian resort for next Christmas. I am thinking North America because of the snow and this season has scared me. This is a family trip, my parents have never skied before, my sister has one week and I am going to learn to snowboard so we are all in some kind of ski school.
As I have only skied the alps, where would you recommend? A family friend said Banff and I see Lake Louise is in the area not sure if they are both accessible from one lift pass or bus system?
Hope you snow heads can help!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Banff is a great town, in a beautiful situation. However, like many N.American resorts, it's a drive to the slopes. There's a good bus service (I think, I've never used it) , but I'd definitely hire a car - it avoids the horrors of a transfer bus and gives you a lot more flexibility in the resort.
Banff has 2 mountains nearby, Mt Norquay (abot 10 mins drive) which is small but interesting, with some excellent beginner terrian, and Sunshine (about 15/20 mins drive), which is a good size and has some of everything including good beginner terrain. The ski school there has been uniformly excellent the 6 times we've been there. LL is a bit further away (20/30 mins drive), and is another decent sized hill with a bit of everything. You can stay in LL, very pleasant but very extremely quiet.
There is pass availble for all 3 ski areas, which includes the bus from Banff to all 3 hills. You'd need to look at prices and guess how often you'll go to the various hills to work out if a tri area is better value for you than a single area with add ons for the other areas; an impossible computation, so we always bought tri area passes.
The whole range of accommodation is available in Banff. The only ski in/ski out is the Sunshine Inn at Sunshine, but there is absolutely nothing else there at all in the evenings, so 2 weeks (or even 1 week) of that might be a bit much.
Banff is obviously not the only ski resort in N.America, all those I've been to have been very enjoyable, but I regard it as one of my favourite places.
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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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dudman,
x mas is typically too early in the season even in the States. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. You should consider Whistler, BC or Snowbird and Alta, Utah. If money is an issue, you can get incredibly cheap accommodation in salt lake city (www.motel6.com - look for extended stay ones in the Valley).
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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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samydecastro,
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| You should consider Whistler, BC or Snowbird and Alta, Utah. |
Is this because of more reliable snow at christmas time?
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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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ye whistler bc as if you are only going for a week no hassle to get to lifts,slopes etc
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Still can be early for great snow we went 6th Jan on honeymoon 6 years ago and neither Jasper or Whisltler were fully open- but we still had a great time. The same happened when we spent Christmas in Colorado
Lucy
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| samydecastro wrote: |
dudman,
x mas is typically too early in the season even in the States. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. You should consider Whistler, BC or Snowbird and Alta, Utah. If money is an issue, you can get incredibly cheap accommodation in salt lake city (www.motel6.com - look for extended stay ones in the Valley). |
ummmm......utah is in the united states.
last season we received 12 feet of snow in december. to tell someone xmas is too early in the states is simply silly.
lastly motel6 is a great place to stay if you want drug dealers and whores in the rooms next to you.
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Anyone got a phone mumber for this Motel 6?
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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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she was my language instuctor, not a whore 
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i like the british sense of humor.....or is that humour?
i guess a motel6 is kind of a buffet
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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a cunning linguist of highest order
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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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| Rusty Guy wrote: |
| samydecastro wrote: |
dudman,
x mas is typically too early in the season even in the States. Conditions vary a lot from year to year. You should consider Whistler, BC or Snowbird and Alta, Utah. If money is an issue, you can get incredibly cheap accommodation in salt lake city (www.motel6.com - look for extended stay ones in the Valley). |
ummmm......utah is in the united states.
last season we received 12 feet of snow in december. to tell someone xmas is too early in the states is simply silly.
lastly motel6 is a great place to stay if you want drug dealers and whores in the rooms next to you. |
Agree with the comment about timing and snow, been in Utah many times over Xmas and the snow has invariably been great, in fact the snow has been great in November most years as well.
However the extended stay Studio6 in Murray, SLC is not populated by junkies and whores, its fine and dirt cheap as well. At £25 per night the rooms are a damm sight more comfortable than most French mountain apartments.
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Not sure if anybody has payed attention to the level of skiiers going. Beginners aren't really going to be able to explore much of Snowbird or Whistler. Probably better off at one of the interior B.C resorts ie Big White, Silver Star, and Sun Peaks, in the states maybe Schweitzer, Big Mountain or Big Sky. Beginners and low intermediates would be able to explore most of all those mountains. Also the beginner and intermediate terrain should all be good in Dec., it's generally only the more advanced terrain that would be sketchy at that time of the year.
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