 Poster: A snowHead
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It is looking likely that I will be able to squeeze in a late season ski trip this year (mid April) and was thinking about going to a Canadian resort. I have never been to Canada and would appreciate and advice on resorts that have a good snow record (powder etc) at that time of the season and cater for intermediate as well as advanced skiers.
Please and thank you.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Whistler or the Banff area come to mind, although by mid april I would guess that you will be much more likely to find "spring conditions" than powder
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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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Sunshine village usually open into mid May aka the Banff area.
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Sunshine is a good bet for late season snow but I think Lake Louise closes around mid-April. Not sure about the others in the banff area.
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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 were in Lake Louise and Banff last season in April and snow conditions were excellent. We had a couple of days of fresh powder as well. Coverage was totally complete and the only place that struggled was the base area at Lake Louise that got a wee bit slushy towards the end of the day. Thing is though, at that time of year, Lake Louise is like having your own private ski area at times.... bliss.
A few days before we flew home Calgary Airport had it's biggest ever dump of snow... and Sunshine had a massive dump shortly after we left. It can dump there big time right up to June. It's a good choice of place to go.
Here's a few photos from our trip...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/petermacdonald/sets/72157604549724839/
and this is how quiet it generally was all over the mountain at Lake Louise for 6 straight days.
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A couple of years back we were in Panorama in late March, and the lower slopes looked pretty grim on the morning we left. All was perfection for our trip, but it can't have been great for the new arrivals.
Based on my experience, I certainly wouldn't recommend Panorama for April.
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Thanks for all the feedback guys/girls. We were thinking of stying in Lake Louise and getting the tri area ski pass that I think includes Sunshine Village - is that correct? However, if Whistler is likely to have a better snow record in April then I will have to consider that also.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Nice pictures Shoogly - thanks.
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| Hornster wrote: |
| Thanks for all the feedback guys/girls. We were thinking of stying in Lake Louise and getting the tri area ski pass that I think includes Sunshine Village - is that correct? However, if Whistler is likely to have a better snow record in April then I will have to consider that also. |
Lake Louise and Sunshine will be fun too, I'd certainly recommend them, but it's a darn good time to go to Whistler.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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In 6 visits to Banff at Easter, the snow wass always at least good, often excellent. LL can be a bit soft on the front side at that time, but the amusingly named backside should still be pleasingly firm.
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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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Hornster................weather prediction guy?
All the suggestions are good, but personally I'd go with Jasper or Fernie (here he goes again...........).
Was in Jasper Mar '07, brilliant snow.
Pluses, nice town, low key nightlife, easy on the pocket, elk wander into town on an evening. For its size, really good ski hill.
Negs, long transfer, low key nightlife, bus ride up mountain each day, small town attitude, elk scare my missus ("Show me the elk, show me the elk............I don't like the elk, I don't like the elk, take me back to the hotel").
Fernie Mar '08, brilliant snow.
Pluses, board to door (FAR), Fernie itself a proper town full of proper Canadians, excellent ski hill, low key nightlife, easy on the pocket, Earl the "loonie" driver.
Negs, low key nightlife, daily bus ride if you don't stop at FAR, getting stuck in the natural half pipe in Cedar and having to trek out 'cause it's too deep in snow.
Going back to Jasper first week Mar '08, Fernie in ten days time.
John.
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Banffs biggest dumps of last season were in April. I went a couple years ago 8th-15th of April and we had fantastic conditions all week with fresh snow.
Personally I would go for the Rockies over BC at that time of year for definite snow and a lesser chance of rain...
Panorama's base is at 1200m whereas most of Sunshine's terrain is over 2000.
Hornster, tri area pass covers Lake Louise+Sunshine, Norquay will probably be closed at this time. You would be better off staying in Banff IMO, Banff is a proper mountain town whereas Lake Louise is just a couple of hotels in the same place.
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You know it makes sense.
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Doh.................missed the "Mid-April" part.......................
I would check any of the smaller esorts for early closing, they can tend to shut early, not for poor snow, but economics.
The bigger ones less so.
John.
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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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| arv wrote: |
Personally I would go for the Rockies over BC at that time of year for definite snow and a lesser chance of rain...
Panorama's base is at 1200m whereas most of Sunshine's terrain is over 2000.
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Whistler stays open until around 9th June. i don't think snow in mid April is a problem. There or lake louise/sunshine would be your basic choices - everywhere else pretty much closed.
Certainly two good choices ...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| BCjohnny wrote: |
| Fernie itself a proper town full of proper Canadians |
(well, maybe at weekends when the proper Canadians visit their weekend houses....)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| DaveC wrote: |
| BCjohnny wrote: |
| Fernie itself a proper town full of proper Canadians |
(well, maybe at weekends when the proper Canadians visit their weekend houses....) |
Dave, you live out there but many time, during the week, you'll be in a pub and local workers will walk in, in their scruffs, kicking mud everywhere..............
John.
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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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Whistler in mid April is about the time of the Telus World ski and snowboard festival. - Typically a riotous time with exhibition sking by some of the best extreme skiers/park rats in the business, as well as non-stop partying all night.
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Stayed @ the Best Western @ Fernie. Bit far from the mountain. Bout a 15 min bus ride. (bus stops @ nearly every hotel in the place).
Went out drinking in down-town Fernie and have to admitt that it's a rough and tough old place.
Went to the Canadian Legion and had a ball. Locals could not of been friendlier.
Only thing was they kept asking why we had travelled all the way to their town?
They couldn't grasp the concept of their little place being marketed around the world.
I felt sorry for them as its a working class place and they did not have money to invest in the up and coming ski property boom.
We never got the famous 'champaign powder' they talk about as we had booked well in advance.
Second time round we watched the weather then went. Thats what i'd do mate.
Hope you have a good 1.
i would goto Whistler if i were you. Best place in NA by a mile.
Kev.
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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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Fernie's awesome: waist deep blower powder for 10 days in Jan last year then a couple of days of knee deep stuff in the 2 weeks I was there at the beginning of March. Closes mid April though, I think
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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kev360, good to know you have skied every resort in North America... in April... and as a result can make the claim that Whistler is the best resort.
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arv, 
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This April, it is highly unlikely the ski out to the village will be open. The base is pretty low - not so bad in the valley where it stayed cold during our recent 'heatwave' (inversion)
anyway, I write a blog about the snow conditions, and if you want to read about the 2008 April in Whistler snow, click the link!
Normally April is sunny and great 'spring' skiing with not much in the way of powder, and if it does snow it is normally pretty heavy and wet (the last 2 years have been abnormally cold with great powder)
So you never know, but Whistler is a sure thing for a good time , on and off the snow.
The ski and snowboard festival is on April 17-26 this year
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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