 Poster: A snowHead
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Currently considering options for what we class as ‘our big annual holiday next year.’ Canada is on our short list, one of the reasons for this is my wifes has been promising her aunt in BC (Vancouver Island) she’d visit her for years, so it seems like a good excuse.
Canada is obviously huge so we've decided just to concentrate mainly on BC.
The main consideration is due to our love of skiing and I’m wondering whether or not to go at a time of year when we can get good skiing but will offer nice(er) weather (more so the driving conditions) elsewhere around BC. Skiing is avaiible in places like Whistler up until May so thinking early to mid April? Or alternatively we can stick to skiing in Europe as usual and go to Canada later in the year.
Considered flying into Calgary and driving out toward Vancouver, so we could hit Banff and surrounding areas then head towards Whistler. If we choose to do Canada+Ski we'd have a total of 3 weeks to play with, spend about 12 nts making our way to Vancover then a few nights in Vanocver then over to Vancouver Island to spend time with family.
Would appreciate any feedback from people who’ve done the same, such as logistics, prices etc. Flights seem on the pricey side relative to other places we've been travelling a similar distance, B&B's in the ski areas and hotels don't seem too bad given the Canadian $ is pretty strong at the moment, we have all our own gear but considered whether or not dragging all our own stuff around for 3 weeks would be worth it vs hiring? So could just take everythign minus our planks?
Cheers.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Grizwald, Sounds like a fun plan, but some of the skiing in April/May might be a bit slushy at some mountains so conditions wouldnt be the best. If I was skiing those places I'd want good conditions - i.e plenty of powder which they do get. Also although Whistler is open until that time of year you may find other mountains arent so worth checking.
Could you not go earlier in the year ? We roadtripped BC in Feb/March and had some fantastic conditions and some of the best skiing we have ever found. From Calgary you could head north on highway 1 taking in Kicking Horse, Revvy, SunPeaks then head to Whistler or drop down to Silver Star and Big White - or you could head south and go Via Fernie, Red Mountain and Whitewater, from there you could turn north and hit Revvy and Sun Peaks, or then head to Big White and Silver Star. Theres Plenty of options just depending on what you want and where you want it.
I'd take my own planks to save sorting skis out every time you move which could be expensive if you ski a number of different places, theres plenty of small places you may only want to ski for a day or two.
You can always find somewhere to stay, unles its peak holiday periods, when we went we only boked the first and last accommodation, the rest we either booked enroute or turned up and asked for a room  as we were totally flexible when we moved on. Driving wise the longest stint was about 4 hours between areas, the rest were within a couple mostly so easily doable after skiing.
Happy planning 
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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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CheersBones,
Ideally I've liked to have gone in March but it will be neigh on impossible for me to get that amount of time off and Feb we're hoping to be in the alps. I'm much keener on the skiing than my Mrs. I'd happily spend 3 weeks just skiing in Canada while she's happy with a week or two per year so have to make a compromise! I.e. It's a holiday woth some skiing rather than a ski trip with some other stuff tagged on.
There's MT Washington on Vancouver Island, less well known amongst the Canadian resorts but is only 10 mins from where her aunt lives and apparently people were still skiing up there last weekend acocrding to the Mrs family.
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If you could do early to mid-April, that might be the best of both worlds.
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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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I wouldn't count on getting anything like the best out of interior BC in April. IIRC the melt happens pretty fast in places like Fernie and Red Mountain due to low altitude (Fernie sometimes limps through Easter weekend just to keep Brit TO punters served). Whistler is a slightly different kettle of fish as are the Banff area resorts. I'm an incredibly biased witness but think April might be the worst time to go - possibility of a lot of rain/overcast weather without the extent of snowmelt that allows great hiking etc later in summer.
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