 Poster: A snowHead
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| Timmaah wrote: |
| On an unrelated note... how long is the season at Whistler? Why do I keep hearing it's a glacier? Is it a glacier? Does canada have many ski-accessible glaciers? Probably all stupid questions... |
typically mid November until early June - and nearly always not reliant on glacier only skiing during those times. it snows early and stays around.
Glacier season starts mid June to August sometime - dates are on web site.
And someone said Whistler is 'lacking serious steeps'. A very incorrect statement - every seen freestyle comp off Spankys? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mike Pow, there's also a nice village at base of KH now (fake of course, but nice!!). Was really quiet when I was there this Feb, but sure ski-in/out and a few decent places to eat/drink.
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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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DaveC, hard to understand how Kimberly can really compare with Whistler. I do like the place, it has some great skiing. But lack of snow can't be made up for easily, I'm afraid. I love going there on a good season tho.
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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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gortonator, Was really quiet Xmas week there too, possibly too quiet to be healthy for long term viability maybe 
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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'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| gortonator, Was really quiet Xmas week there too, possibly too quiet to be healthy for long term viability maybe |
i think everywhere was pretty quiet this year - good old global recessions do that, I guess?
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| gortonator wrote: |
| DaveC, hard to understand how Kimberly can really compare with Whistler. I do like the place, it has some great skiing. But lack of snow can't be made up for easily, I'm afraid. I love going there on a good season tho. |
Hmm, think you might of misunderstood my post. I guess you have to know that Ski Kimberly is as partial to their namesake resort as wbsr is to theirs, to catch the sarcasm anyway
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| gortonator wrote: |
And someone said Whistler is 'lacking serious steeps'. A very incorrect statement - every seen freestyle comp off Spankys? |
If you mean me, then you totally misread my post.
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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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| Quote: |
I heard it's a bit cowboy for nightlife to
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Nothing wrong with a bit cowboy! Its nearly the rodeo season after all!
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| Quote: |
Not sure about crowds at KH to comment on that one.
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We did a march weekend in KH last year and it was great. No crowds then. Ski school was not overworked . Son had a private lesson (payed for group), daughter in daycare got a lesson, which we didn't pay for , because the other little chap in there was having one. The daycare was very very good.
That said I think Fernie is better even though there is minor league tubing at KH. Although KH does have the Eagle Eye- but never eaten there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Eagle Eye Restaurant at KH is one of the best on-mountain restaurants I've ever frequented.
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gortonator, Ok I'll let you off this once.
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You know it makes sense.
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| fatbob wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Nightlife - mellow but good, with some uniqueness / originality
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Mike refers to fresh meat Monday presumably. |
The Roadhouse..........
Got dragged in there at the behest of the OH ski instructor. Another stoned stripper you couldn't help but feel sympathy for.
What really spooked me was that the most determined voyeurs were mainly wimmin, tippy toes and chairs. A fair proportion of the blokes were propped up at the bar drinking the $1.00 a pint pi$$ beer.
Otherwise KH great terrain but boring lifts. Will make it back someday.
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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| gryphea wrote: |
| Alberta- too far from lifts , won't be able to catch and hour or two here of there. Can be v crowded at weekends. |
Define v crowded?
Scheming to get temporary posted to Calgary for a few month...
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Poster: A snowHead
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| BCjohnny wrote: |
| fatbob wrote: |
| Mike Pow wrote: |
Nightlife - mellow but good, with some uniqueness / originality
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Mike refers to fresh meat Monday presumably. |
Otherwise KH great terrain but boring lifts. Will make it back someday.
John. |
Boring lifts???? 
Gondola from base to CPR Ridge, quad to top of Blue Heaven.
http://www.kickinghorseresort.com/mountain/maps/mountain/
Two lifts that access all that KH has to offer.
If only other mountains were this efficient.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Mike Pow wrote: |
| Boring lifts???? |
Yep. Riding the same two lifts for two weeks solid is pretty boring.
Doesn't help that I'm not a big fan of gondolas.
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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I do hate having to cruise back to the bottom of the gondy for laps but I wouldn't say the lifts are boring! KH has enough terrain to keep me going for quite a while.
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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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| Quote: |
Define v crowded?
Scheming to get temporary posted to Calgary for a few month...
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OK, well on a global scheme not that crowded. We live in Calgary (have done for 2 ski seasons) and do an awful lot of skiing considering the ages of our children (now 6 and 4). Most of this is weekends. We ski Nakiska a lot, which has slightly crowded lifts at the weekend but the pistes are great (eg lots of piste per lift). But its not the kind of place for a season. LL we have only been to a few times- its not our favorite as we find it crowded and busy. Please note though that for us that has meant 5-10 mins. WE went to Fernie on family day and found it much less crowded than family day at LL the year before. LL is not the most child friendly I find as its full of skiers going really quite fast in inappropriate crowded back to resort runs and it makes me nervous with our little ones- its the only resort at which I have found this.
We have only been to Sunshine once so can't really comment on crowds- it was absolutely fine when we went.
Calgary is a great place to base oneself whilst working to get a lot of skiing in. This season we did 25 days (me and daughter) , 27 days (son and hubby)- if it wasn't for kids parties etc and needing to give our kids a bit more of a home anchor we would do more. A lot of resorts feature within the 3 to 3-1/2 hr drive window, Nakiska (50mins), Sunshine, Norquay, LL, KH, Fernie, Panorama and of course ski Kimberley would have us go there. There is also Castle and Whitefish. Extend to up to 7 hrs and you pull in a whole load more BC resorts.
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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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| Quote: |
Calgary is a great place to base oneself whilst working to get a lot of skiing in.
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I thought so, having been to SS for 2 days.
The only problem would be, individual lift tickets for large number of days would be quite expensive. So naturally, one would go for a few season tickets by picking carefully which a few resorts to ski, would one not?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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abc,
Last year we were Louise Card holders and we got Snowmax cards. Louise cards were I think $80 and then you skied for free I think 1st, 3rd , 4th and 7th days or something like that and the other days were discounted - at Nakiska or LL I think (will be different next season I think). A number of resorts do similar combo cards, eg Sunshine/marmot etc. You have to be in Alberta to buy then before mid December I think, or at least have an address. Snowmax is the bast value - it was $130 with 4 slki free days at KH or Panorama and discount thereafter.
This year we got an RCR (nakiska, LL, Fernie, Kimberley) family pass. WE bought this in the early bird sale in May and it was substantially discounted. Next year we think we will just buy earlybird Nakiska as we want to ski some non-RCR at Christmas and Easter and it makes more economical sense. My son will get a free Grade 2 RCR funpass next year and we may do Fernie for family day.
If we didn't have children who winged at car journeys we would adopt a slightly different attitude to the passes we buy!
Gryph
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abc,
Should say that for these discount cards the way you pay has to be registered to a BC or Albertan address I think. It doesn't have to be a canadian card though.
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gryphea, last season my english visiting friend got a Louise card without a Canadian billing address - I think...
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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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DaveC,
You may well be right, I can't remember that far back! BUT I think I thought this for the Snowmax card, becuase definately I remember having a conversation as we bought it.
Gryph
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DaveC,
Yup Snowmax card you need to be resident:
http://www.snowmax.ca/html/buy.html
But can't find the same disclaimer for Louise card (although this was RCR when we bought it and so was different anyway
I have had a look and maybe sunshine/marmot ISN't retricted either
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Unfortunately, I'm not sure I'll know before the cutoff deadline to buy, local address or not.
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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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Hmmm, the resorts of BC and Alberta...
StuartH's plan is a goodie, it depends what you are after though. We were in a similar situation a few years ago and our problems related to getting work and accomodation. Fernie lots of accommodation but high demand for work, as it happens we ended up in sun peaks and road tripped from there.
I guess it depends what you are after 'resort life' or skiing...
Check Revelstoke out good location with increasing amounts of terrain thats where I'm going for the Olympics.
If you have not been to Canada before you will find the resorts quite different to Europe neither good or bad just different.
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| clarkee76 wrote: |
Fernie lots of accommodation but high demand for work, as it happens we ended up in sun peaks and road tripped from there.
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Is it? Might find that was just this season, given it didn't snow....
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You know it makes sense.
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| DaveC wrote: |
| gortonator wrote: |
| DaveC, hard to understand how Kimberly can really compare with Whistler. I do like the place, it has some great skiing. But lack of snow can't be made up for easily, I'm afraid. I love going there on a good season tho. |
Hmm, think you might of misunderstood my post. I guess you have to know that Ski Kimberly is as partial to their namesake resort as wbsr is to theirs, to catch the sarcasm anyway |
Would it be anything like you and fatbob are Fernie / Banff biased ?
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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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Where's the Banff bias? I don't have a financial interest anywhere but have skied a lot of places in Western Canada (not Whistler this season just gone as there simply wasn't enough snow  ). Whistler's a great resort but its not the only resort. I'd say anyone is missing out if they don't sample a few places with an open mind unless staying at the Westin/4 Seasons is a primary criterion for a good holiday.
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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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I spoke to a woman the other day who reckoned the snow in silver spring was much better than whistler. I did a season in whistler in 05/06, currently looking to go back to canada for a couple of years starting in october this year. My mates in whistler reckon the snow hasn't been that great over the past few seasons and that accommodation and jobs have been hard to come by. I was thinking about trying another resort, Banff sounds like a ball ache with all of the buses! Are there any other resorts in BC/Alberta that are ski in/ski out?
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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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Out of all of the Canadian resorts, excluding Whistler, which has 1) the best snow park, and 2) the best nightlife?
Banff seems like an ideal resort but the bus ride to the mountain doesn't appeal.. are all the hotels, restaurants, bars and accommodation in one place, and the skiing 10/20 minutes away?
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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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Skibum22, all the stuff is in one place, Norquay is 10/15 mins away, Sunshine is 20 minutes or so plus the gondy ride up and LL is 40 minutes or so.
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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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arv, Thanks for the advice. So the seasonaires accommodation is in the town along with everything else?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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also can you get a season pass for all 3 areas or do you have to get them seperately?
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Skibum22, yeh for the most part. There is a big block of accommodation up by the Fairmont Banff Springs. Some up at Sunshine Village too but there would be nothing to do at night. Not sure about LL.
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And can you get a season pass for all 3 areas or do you have to get them seperately?
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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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Skibum22, can get one for all 3 and for extra a bus pass. Don't remember how much it is. One of the more expensive season passes out there.
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Don't expect to ski much at Norquay. Enjoy your bus rides 
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FAQ
I think Fernie does get more snow though, usually. Not sure about crowds at KH to comment on that one.
