 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
My good lady and myself were thinking about week to ten days in Banff but having seen the carry on with transport to slopes though it may be better to look at LL instead.
Having checked there only appears to be 3 hotels around the area or you stay in Banff and get the ski bus which means hour before you hit slopes ;-(
Whats everyones views on LL? Hotel costs et al
Would Aspen be better choice or should we just stick to some where in Europe 9th feb for week ( is there anywhere with stable snow ??? )
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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If you're going to ski, then LL is a great place. If you're going for skiing and some night life, then you couldn't pick a more sleepy place.
You still need to get on a bus to the ski lifts from whatever hotel you stay in as well - this takes around 5 - 10 minutes.
Skiing is amazing though.
Personally, if i was spending that much money to head over there this year, i'd be looking more west to either Whistler, or further south into Washington State as they are getting absolutely battered with snow this winter.
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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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Cheers
Not to fussed about being up till all hours, tucked up by 11pm and up early doors. Did look at Whistler et al, may have another peak.
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over 100 inches of base at Mt Baker!!!! 
compare that to some of the alps where snow is getting thin due to the recent warm spell. Yeah, you'll still get great skiing but if you've got the money and determination to ski some amazing snow, then head out west!
2 hours from Vancouver to Mt Baker by the way if you decide to head that way.
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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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Baker is a cracking mountain, though the nightlife (if thats your thing) would make Lake Louise look like a night in Vegas.
But shoogly, I'll see your Mt Baker and raise you Mammoth, CA seeing as it's had a biblical quantity of snow, TWENTY SEVEN FEET so far season.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Richard_Sideways, WOW! you win 
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The Sierras love an La Nina year - the warm wet weather heads north. The year Baker had it's record breaker year (99?) with over 1000 inches of snow was a la nina year... Sadly, I want to Baker in 2005, which was affectionately know locally as "The year with no snow"
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oops 
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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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Why not go to eastern or mid BC?
Fernie? or Fernie/Whitefish combo?
KH, Revelstoke, Silver Star, Big White, SUn Peaks?
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Mid BC
KH, Revvy, Whitewater and Red - all great mtns which have plenty of powder snow and no lift queues 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Marskey
if you're both 'die-hard' skiers, then an hour on a bus shouldn't be an issue.
If youre _not_ die-hards, then you'll find plenty of other things to do in Banff, both instead of, and after, skiing.
Unless you want to stay at the Chateau LL, I'd strongly recommend Banff. There are lots of good restaurants, the hotels (compared to the EU) are large, friendly, good value, and well setup to early starts. (lots of room on the buses, everyone gets a seat - not like France or Italy!)
I've been several times - the early starts aren't such an issue, you plan to get breakfast at the resorts, and do 'first tracks', where they get the early birds up the mountain first, feed you, then you get fresh runs down.
You can also easily do a day-trip to Kicking Horse (they organise bus transfers), and you can treat yourselves to an awesome 'off piste' day. The transfer is pretty, too. Oh, and a _really_ good restaurant at the top of the peak.
I'm probably not very objective - and the Banff locals are probably not much more friendly than anywhere else in Canada - which is to say, very friendly. Whistler is a bit (lot) of a 'mega resort'..... the queues, and the whole 'commercialisation' can take the edge of the natural beauty.
Good luck
h.
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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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Marskey, we went to Banff last Easter and are going again this Easter and thought it was great. LOTS of nice easy skiing for us 2 good intermediates at the 3 hills - Norquay, Sunshine and L Louise. Banff is a lovely place to stay - we stayed at The Fox and will be at The Aspen Lodge this time and there's plenty to see and do. The 50 minute ride to LL isn't a problem as you are picked up outside your hotel and get to see more of the amazing Rockies scenery on the way. On the way home you can have a snooze and arrive back rested and ready to head out to one of the numerous restaurants. Canadians are the most welcoming people on the planet and we can't wait to get back (our son is a boarding instructor on Norquay so it will be good to see him too!) You will not be disappointed. By the way is that Marskey as in Marske, Cleveland? If so I should be Guisboroughy! 
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| marskey wrote: |
| Would Aspen be better choice or should we just stick to some where in Europe 9th feb for week ( is there anywhere with stable snow ??? ) |
Aspen isn't that much better. You still end up taking a bus somewhere since the 4 mountains are linked by lifts. (I've never taken the Banff ski bus myself so can't compare)
Very few NA mountains have slope-side lodging (Whistler being the better known one) so in many places you still end up with a (albeit shorter) bus ride or a decent walk in ski boots! This being a very good snow year (so far). There're too many good mountains, and not knowing what ticks your box, it's hard to say which is "better" from your prospective.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
Very few NA mountains have slope-side lodging (Whistler being the better known one)
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Not sure this is true. Certainly Fernie, Whitefish, Silver Star, Big White, Sun Peaks, Kicking Horse all have slopeside lodging.
hamilton, Agree with you. I found Whistler (albeit 10 years ago) way too commercialsed and busy. Too many queues in even off peak season weeks.
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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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Thanks everyone, the good lady is still keen and we are both used to early mornings so sure we can manage to rally ourself to the bus stops. will just look at hotel in more central location.
So you bus/ski pass thats good for all 3 hills? (tri-pass?)
BT: Yes indeed 
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Poster: A snowHead
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what dates are you going?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thinking 9th feb for 10days work permitting.
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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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marskey,
| Quote: |
So you bus/ski pass thats good for all 3 hills? (tri-pass?)
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Yes, all 3 areas - Norquay, Sunshine and L Louise. The buses are picking up at all the usual hotels on Banff Ave for LL but for Sunshine and Norquay you have to get down to the car park of the Mount Royal Hotal or the Brewsters bus depot in town which could mean a short walk - half a mile or so, depending on your hotel, so choose your hotel carefully unless you don't mind walking in boots carrying your skis. We've had a letter from First Choice saying they'll provide a free ticket for the local Roam bus to take us down to the Mount Royal pick up point which is handy as I don't do walking in very painful ski boots!! Hope you have a great time. If you need a boarding instructor at Norquay I can recommend one (my son!).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Every time we look at Banff the 3 hill thing with 1hr buses between puts us off. There does not seem to be a village atmosphere either anywhere.
Direct flights to Whistler (only another 1ish in air) and 2.5hrs transfer to Whistler then you walk everywhere in 5mins if you stay in the village. Ski store right at the end of the lifts (no carry skis or walking in ski boots) which open up the whole 8000acres from the same place. Yes it can get busy at a weekend if there is a great snow dump but the queues are very well managed and go full all the time so they do shift quite quickly. Commercialised - well it is a dedicated town built to support people using the mountain so yes it has everything you want and you ignore the rest.
All the apres and night life is then right there all for you when you get off the hill and dump the skis.
Can't beat it
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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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Just to give you an idea, I spent 11 weeks in Banff in 2009. Stayed in Banff and skied at Lake Louise almost entirely. Although the 2009 was awful (snowed the first day we got there, next snow was about 10 weeks later!) the back bowls at Lake Louise still kept their snow enough to enjoy the experience. The bus journey is about 45 mins from Banff Ave to Lake Louise, perfect opportunity for some recovery in the morning and a nice 45 min kip after a hard days skiing at night. Banff itself had enough of an atmosphere at night to keep it interesting, although only just, the town is quite spread out which can make it quite a walk if you want to head out to the restaurants etc. Lake Louise itself looked very quiet, some of the instructors were staying there rather than Banff and said it was very much a case of making your own entertainment.
With a good level of snow, Lake Louise offers fantastic powder skiing in the bowls, with some nice tree runs to go with it. I also found the staff there to be superb (Having only skied in Europe until then it made a nice change for every lifty to grret you with a smile and a "hows the snow etc") although i think that might say more about europe than LL maybe.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Have skied at Banff, LL and Whistler and would go back to Banff everytime and wouldnt go to Whistler ever again.
Far better atmosphere in Banff, yes its a drive to LL but get some sleep on the coach and get up earlier. To be honest the jetlag will make sure you get that first lift. Whistler felt a bit too cool for school with far too many brain-outs
The snow is better too. Whistlers marketing department may tell you that it gets more snow, but the patrol wont let you it also melts very quickly so what I experienced was a constant cycle of storm dumps of powder, followed by slush in the clouds, with a trip down to the rainy village that is so manufactured it feels like Disney
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Great thanks, looking like Banff is good to go....
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I don't want to hijack a thread, but are there any restaurants or anything in Lake Louise? Basically, whats it like to get food in the evenings and how reasonable is the cost?
I am considering going next year with the other half and booking early to give us something to look forward to. I hear what everyone is saying about Banff being the better place to stay, but for my other half the transfer time to the piste is an off putting factor. Also, we are not really that interested in the apres. I ski until I drop and she likes to relax and would get more out of a nice hotel with a spa and pool.
I was considering the Chateau, but what are the costs like when you get there (I know that the pound is not strong against the canadian dollar and that will be a factor, but I just want to get an idea)? We stayed in Kimberly for 10 days last year and thought it was great. It had a decent mix of skiing for both of us and being able to stay piste side meant she could just come out and go in whenever she wanted. Since then she has really appreciated proximity to pistes and she has wanted to go to Lake Louise since her parents had to cancel a trip there 10 years ago.
Thanks
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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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marskey, Biddy Twiddle, hehe... well then I should be 'Martony'.
Banff is a great choice, I have just come back, I will be going back there 100%. It's definitely a good year in terms of weather. Don't worry about the bus, you can sleep on it on the way home
Loads to do in Banff, plenty of restaurants/bars etc. Most of them having a happy hour of some sort.
P.S - choose your hotel carefully! I would recommend the Mount Royal/ Brewster Mountain Lodge or one close to those because of the bus situation
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