 Poster: A snowHead
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We are planning our first Canadian skiing holiday and I hope I can get a few good suggestions here, snowheads.com seems to be my main site for anything ski related. We are strong intermediate/early advanced. Will ski anything on piste and did some off piste i.e. a week in Niseko last year and some in Italy and France as well and would like to do more offpiste, steeps etc. I loved Niseko and would go back this year but my boyfriend would like to try Canada.
We always thought Canada = Whistler but after spending hours on this site, Kicking Horse seems to be another place we would like to try, amazing powder, great off piste and lots of steeps. We are thinking Xmas and New Year, it is easier for us to get a longer holiday during this period. Plus we escape - 'whose family are we spending xmas with' discussion. And then we would have 3-4 long weekends in Alps later on.
So our current plan is to split our time between Kicking Horse 5 days and Whistler 4 days for New Year. Flying to Calgary and back from Vancouver is not a problem. Westjet has reasonable flights between Calgary and Vancouver. We could stay around Calgary and make it simpler but just think it might be a shame not visiting Whistler, one of the biggest ski resorts in North America, great lively resort, great skiing etc. Negative points for Whistler as I read here is that the Whistler snow can be a bit wet, resort is very low, lot of rain and can be too crowded during this period.
If we stay around Calgary – any other suggestion apart from Kicking Horse? Was not that attracted by Lake Louise and Banff, plus it can be colder then Whistler or Kicking Horse during this period. How legendary is Fernie powder or is it mainly marketing legend? I am aware that we would get better snow later in the season. Any other resorts you can suggest, perhaps just a bit livelier then Kicking Horse so we can have everything in one holiday  . So if you were to visit 2 resorts in Canada, which two would you choose?
And one more, we would like to do some off piste ski clinic? Any experience with Extremely Canadian or Dave Murray in Whistler or Big Mountain Centre in Kicking Horse?
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed, as long it is not - go to another site, stop bothering us 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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gde, a couple of random thoughts amonst many.
Five days is nowhere near enough to do WB justice.
I would imagine the queues at that time of year would be quite horrendous. It'll be busy most places, but not on the same scale.
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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 think the queues at WB will be horrendus too. We went middle of Jan and the queues were bad then. I would do the Clagary return option and save WB for a more off season 10 dayer when you have time.
Lots of choice for you. Like Fernie and Panorama. From KH could go to Big White or Silver Star? Could also consider Revelstoke.
Christmas can still be early season in terms of conditions.
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5 days in KH is way too long. It works best as a hill for advanced skiers comfortable on steeps with powder, on good days. And if it is not great snow you will get bored.
Whistler is a great hill, but near Vancouver... and Japan.. and can be busy. Like other BC resorts it can be very good or very wet... and Xmas is a bit early.
Fernie is smaller and although ok for intermediates, is really very good on powders days for people who like trees and powder. I spent 8 days there in an awesome season (2008 I think) - but I've met people who spent a February there skiing on mud. Around Xmas it might get slammed by the Calgary crowd.
As you go inland you get further from the sea and perhaps the variation between good and bad years smoothes out slightly? I have a soft spot for Lake Louise and have skied there a lot. Sure I have had cold days (eg -25 ) but if my eldest son then aged 5 could take it - perhaps you should be able to?  There are steeps there and good powder for a day or two after snow - but perhaps fewer steep tree chutes than KH and Fernie. I have never been there at Xmas though.
You can stay as Lake Louise and avoid the Banff Bus issues - but it is very very quiet. So depends whether you and your BF want to party or to get away from it all.
At your level, and with no sprogs, I might be tempted to either stay in Banff, or if you wanted something more challenging, I might stay at Lake Louise for 4-5 days - and take the bus/drive to KH for a day or 2 if conditions are good, and then maybe head to Revelstoke for 3-4 days (which I haven't been to - but hear good things about from people I trust).
[Edit] Gryphea's advice would certainly trump mine, as he is a local, although he now has the ability to choose the good days to go to the hill... For many many US and Canadian skiers, they get to choose more than we do, where we usually have a fixed 6 - 13 days. This does make it challenging when you are betting airfares on the snow conditions 
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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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gde, I would echo some of stoat of the dead, Banff will be good to stay in KH is a great place but with steep stuff and plenty of chutes. Revvy is good and would be worth combining with KH. But at christmas will be very busy in the town and accommodation will be in short supply, so if you plan to go book some lodgings.
You can trip from KH via Panarama through to Fernie or the options gryphea, mentions as she does have local knowledge. WB will be extremely busy over christmas and as you have heard be wet - both on and off the mouintain depending on temps.
The cold in Banff may surprise you as its dry it doesnt feel that bad until end Jan/ Feb when it can get really low -30's +
Spent 2 weeks roadtripping around BC and thers plenty of different places to enjoy, especially if you dont mind a drive.
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gde, I'd avoid Whistler that time of year and it is a long old slog from Whistler to Kicking Horse.
Fernie does need quite a lot of coverage to get going that time of year (then apparently so does KH). We went there once at Christmas In a poor snow year and they had a 50cm base and still wouldn't open the hill but I think times have changed now. I'd go for the Fernie/KH double header- stay at Cinammon Bear lodge in Fernie.
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stoat of the dead +1 on just about everything. KH is great in powder but can also transform itself into a frozen hellscape depending on conditions.
I've done the 2 centre holiday thing between Banff and Fernie, also between Whistler and Baker which is over the US border. Seeing you're only going for 10 days, not sure i'd go for a 2 centre trip as if you're doing less than 14 days as you'll burn a whole day travelling. If it's your first Canada trip i'd recommend Banff as a base for the whole time. You've got the town for the evening, won't feel too bad about taking a day out to do something non-ski related, and you've got the 3 'local' mountains plus can pick and choose to goto KH, Rev, Pana, plus others when you like or when conditions prevail (watch for a good dump at KH then go next day).
Either way, enjoy Canada, and send my regards.
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You don't need to burn a day travelling - Golden to Fernie is an easy drive on a relatively quiet low altitude road so fairly easy to knock off after a day's skiing. Not a lot of population along the way though you could break the drive for dinner at Fairmont Hot Springs. Fernie will be way busier than KH although holidays and weekends are the only times I've seen material queues for KH gondola. As above KH sucks if everything is frozen over as groomers are limited.
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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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Not done the journey direct myself fatbob so can't disagree, but looks like its a good 4-5 hours drive away. We did the 2 centre with tour op and had to transfer between Banff and Fernie via Calgary to switch coaches on transfer day, so sat at scenic Calgary Airport for 3 hours. If did 2 centre again... well would do 3 centre - into Calgary hire a 4x4, go to Banff, up to Golden, down to Fernie back to Calgary. Ahh, planning snow road trips i can't possibly do, those were the days...
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201 miles . 3 hr 26 min per freetrip. Leave hill at 3pm, be in Fernie by 8pm easily except in severe storms/bad road icing.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If you fly into Calgary a sort 45min flight to Kelowna will give you Big White and Silver Star both with bus transport form the airport and transfers between the 2 resorts. Or you could fly 50 mins to Kamloops and ski at Sun Peaks again there are bus transfers available to BW and SS and you can fly back from Kelowna airport. Book one bedroom condos in the resorts for the times you are there, lots to chose from.
We normal fly into Calgary and take a short flight to Kelowna or Kamloops pick up a 4X4 and visit all 3 resorts over 3 weeks.
There are ski host in all the resorts to show you around.
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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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joneski,
hi
we are looking at doing sun peaks with either silver star or big white, when is the best time in the season to go? we are looking at late feb/early march. We really would prefere to do Big White then Silver star but all i keep reading about big white is constistantly poor visibility/white out conditions? have you ever experienced that?
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To the OP - Perhaps you could explain what you don't like about the idea of Lake Louise and then can offer more advice?
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You know it makes sense.
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cbowls30, Late feb/early march should be great for either SS or BW (preferably both!) you get plenty of fresh snow that time of year. We keep wanting to go back, but the fact we've now two kids and the crap exchange rate makes it far more expensive than it used to be.
Don't worry about visibility problems at BW as there is plenty of fantastic tree skiing available for when conditions are poor, and all that snow has to come from somewhere.
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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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gde
Day 1
Fly in to (and out of) Calgary.
Rent a car and head to Fernie first
Day 2-4
2 days skiing in Fernie and 1 day skiing Castle Mountain, Alberta
Day 5
Early start from Fernie and ski Panorama on the way to Golden
Days 6-10
Ski 2-3 days at Kicking Horse and 1-2 days at Revelstoke
5 resorts and best use of travel time
Alternatively skip Fernie, Castle and Panorama and split your holiday between Kicking Horse and Revelstoke.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Thank you all so much. This is really helpful.
We don't mind driving around so guess would be great to see as many resorts as possible. To sum it up – stay around Calgary during Xmas and New year. My boyfriend will be very disappointed that he is not going to see Whistler though. Guess we would then need to move our holiday to end of January if he complains a lot!
Mike Pow, you work in Niseko, don’t you? Powder wise, which Canadian resort can compare to Niseko? We were in Japan last year and it was just amazing!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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cbowls30,
Hi we have been there in the big white outs and yes there is tree skiing but the tree skiing at sun peaks and silver star is better. The cloud sets in and can last a couple of days at a time and it makes it cold
We have been in Jan and Feb not much difference in the weather. Big white will be busy with Aussies until end of Jan then they mostly go home for the summer. Silver star as well but not quite so busy. If you are going to big white try to avoid being there over a weekend as it can be busy on the runs and in the restaurants in the evening. President Week is in Feb avoid it if you can its the week after UK half term, if you are there then make sure you are in Silver star or Sun Peaks that week as they will not as busy and people seem to spread out more.
We are going to be SS for presidents week this coming year and are expecting lift queues of at least 5mins for the busy lifts on BW at least double that. There are day trippers in all the resort over the weekends from the nearby "cities" Kamloops , Vernon, Kelowna Vancouver and Seattle (its only 5 hrs ish)
There are ski host in the resorts to show you around if you are in SP they have a person from a different ski club in resort again this year.(sorry but sometimes it helps to know).
Non of the resorts piste every run every day so if it snows a lot you may have to rent fatter skis to make full use of all the space they do piste at least one easy and one not quite so easy run from each lift.
We will be in silver star for Presidents week this year and sun peaks the week before.
pm if you need specifics
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| gde wrote: |
Thank you all so much. This is really helpful.
We don't mind driving around so guess would be great to see as many resorts as possible. To sum it up – stay around Calgary during Xmas and New year. My boyfriend will be very disappointed that he is not going to see Whistler though. Guess we would then need to move our holiday to end of January if he complains a lot!
Mike Pow, you work in Niseko, don’t you? Powder wise, which Canadian resort can compare to Niseko? We were in Japan last year and it was just amazing! |
Did two seasons based out of Kicking Horse and had Niseko powder at Revelstoke (when it was a cat ski operation), Kicking Horse and Castle. But not as consistently as I've had at Niseko and other ski areas on Hokkaido.
The terrain is much better at these three Canadian resorts though.
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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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Would end of January beginning of Feb be much better then Xmas and New Year?
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Almost certainly more terrain will be open slightly later in the year; it takes quite a while for some steep areas to get filled in enough to be ski-able. It will also be quieter and if you're mid-week you'll get longer to ski any fresh powder before the hordes arrive... 
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| joneski wrote: |
cbowls30,
Hi we have been there in the big white outs and yes there is tree skiing but the tree skiing at sun peaks and silver star is better. |
Well that depends on how you define "better". I reckon BW has much more variation in the type of tree runs than SS has, and at least the same volume. Can't comment on SP as we've not been there since they opened Morrisey.
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| We are going to be SS for presidents week this coming year and are expecting lift queues of at least 5mins for the busy lifts on BW at least double that. |
5/10 minutes isn't a queue: it's your chance to get a breather.
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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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I'm currently looking at second or third week in Feb to head to Banff for 2 weeks. Destination not my choice, but timing may be variable - would i be better off going at the end of Feb/early March?
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rogg, early March, by percentage.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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rogg,
All the Banff resorts can be really busy for Family Weekend. This is Monday 20th Feb this year. The schools are shut the 16 and 17th too. Hvae been to Louise and Sunshine and they get really busy. Much better for this weekend are resorts more than a day trip from calgary. Think Fernie and Panorama. Done both on family day and had no probs.
However the business drops off for th monday, so its really only the saturday and sunday that are busy.
Snow, IMO , is often better when it warms up slightly.
In winter the rockies can do everything and anything. Panorama 2010 for family day was at least 7 degrees every day. Jasper this year was a little cooler.
Christmas temps can again be anything. My mum came out a couple of years ago and it didn't get much warmer than -15/-20 the whole time she was here- which is unusual. Most cold snaps are 2-5 days long
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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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thanks chaps - might delay until 22nd Feb at least then.
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5/10 minutes isn't a queue: it's your chance to get a breather.
[/quote]
The queues are usually smaller the rest of the year except Christmas/New Year. 
Or Saturday after a good snow fall.
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FAQ
Panorama
We arrived it snowed and carried on snowing for all the time we were there. We either skied in snowfall or skied in fresh pow from the day before. Two great weeks and eight ski mountains, all driving done after skiing, easily doable with only a couple of longish sections.
