O/T: Canada skiing advice ?

Try Nakiska in Kananaskis Village just outside of Calgary... Just as nice (if not as big) as L.L. or Banff, without all of the tourists. There are two nice resort hotels nearby that are not too expensive.

There's always Whistler/Blackcomb out here in B.C., plus all of the smaller hills just north of Vancouver (Cypress, Grouse, Mt. Seymore).

 

Funny, I was just in Banff yesterday. I learned to snowboard at Sunshine years ago. Highly recommended.

I also discovered a hip, newly renovated mid-century modern hotel at the base of Mount Norquay called The Juniper:

http://www.decorehotels.com/juniper/index.html

Had I known about this place, I would have extended my trip just to stay there a couple of nights. They have a fantastic restaurant.

 

Here are pictures I took of the scenery in Kananaskis Provincial Park, back in June of this year:
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Peter, I have almost exactly those same shots. I launched the Lexus ES300 at Kananaskis a few years ago. No snow that September, but saw lots of moose.

 

Hi Varenne.....

I live in Calgary and was a level II ski instructor with many years of time on all those hills you mentioned.

For what you described you "want" SUNSHINE is the best bet. 100% natural snow 99% of the time. It's my favorite hill as well.

"Lake Lousy" is what we locals call Lake Louise. I hate the place. Don't waste your time.

Panorama would be next up and Fernie would be third rated. Nakiska is great if you are an expert and like hard packed man made snow. It's also a favorite of mine.

 

You can't beat Banff to meet all your expectations. You can ski 3 different mountains there (Sunshine, Lake Louise, Norquay), town is great, and lots for the kids to do. Snow is very consistent, unlike Whister/Blackcomb. In addition to the skiing, the town of Banff offers some other great recreational activities (dog sledding, winter hikes, glacier tours, ice skating, etc.). Best hotels are the Banff Springs and the Rimrock.

 

I made a trip out to Banff 2 summers ago to go Snowboarding with my father... and we loved it! Sunshine and Lake Louise are both very good mountains!

 

I suggest Lake Louise. Stay at the post hotel if you can possibly afford it. 1750 a night for a room. But its almost like a condo. Big soaker tub, wood burning fire place. Free charter bus to Lake Louise ski resort. Locker for your skis or snow board. The post hotel is much much nicer than Chateau Lake Louise.

Lake louise is a big resort. 4 mountains. the back side is more of the extreme terrain. There is always a green easy run down the hill no matter where you start from. On the back side there is a lodge and it has a bbq outside on the deck. The chairs are high speed, and the snow is always great no matter where you are. Its pretty smooth terrain, unlike sunshine. Sunshine is big sharp boulders in the middle of the hill coming down in white out. But, where ever you choose to go, stay safe and have fun.

 

I've been skiing in the bow valley for 10 years, so here's what I think.

If you want cruisey/flat slow runs with crazy steep runs in between, go to Sunshine. Sunshine is great if you like wind too.

If you want a smaller, shorter run type ski hill go to Mt. Norquay. 90% man made snow, but it's always groomed to perfection (I worked there for 3 years coaching).

If you want slower runs, intermediate runs and steep as hell crazy slopes, go to Lake Louise. The best of everything IMO. I can go and just cruise, or give my legs a full-on burning sensation.

Fernie, you have to catch on a good week. If it's warm, it sucks. If it rains, it sucks for 2 weeks cause it's all ice. If it's warm and snowing, it sucks. If it snows tons and is cold, Fernie is the bomb when it comes to powder days. They are hard to catch though.

Panorama? Just no...no. Ice, parks sucks, Taynton bowl barely has enough snow to open every year, and it's all rock. Not steep enough either.

If you want info, PM me. I've been everywhere haha.

 

As a resident of Vancouver, I ski Whistler Blackcomb and have given up travelling to more distant hills and resorts. I agree that Whistler's conditions are less than reliable and are unpredictable day to day, particularly early in the season. Diehards can usually find some place on the mountain to ski regardless of the weather. Still, it is an amazing place and deserving of its reputation as a world-class destination resort.

Smaller resorts that you might consider in Britsh Columbia are Silver Star (Vernon) and Big White (Kelowna). In central BC, conditions are generally better than Whistler but without the cold of Alberta. Silver Star usually has better and more reliable weather than Big White. As well, Silver Star has some great Nordic skiing - classic and skate. There is enough variety in the runs to satisfy all levels. The village is small, accommodations are comfortable. restaurants OK but not WHistler and there is no shopping (if that is important to your family). Big White is a bigger resort and has more terrain and amenities, but can suffer from fog. I believe that Silver Star and Big White have the same owners and offer dual mountain access. They are about 60 to 90 minutes drive apart. There are regular airline flights into Kelowna airport that serves both Kelowna and Vernon. Driving in winter is not a problem.

One post mentioned Grouse Mountain, Cypress Bowl and Mount Seymour. These are "local" ski hills with about 1400 to 1500 feet vertical. Great for a day or night of skiing if weather and conditions are good. Conditions can be variable because of Vancouver's mild coastal winter weather, read "wet." I would not consider these three hills destinations.

Think snow!

Jon

 

I agree with Tillicum, if you end up going to BC. Silver Star or Big white are great resorts. A few good dumps of snow every now and then. But if you end up going to Alberta to ski. Pick up a Three resort pass. Its got Lake Louise, Sunshine, and Norqway. So you can ski all three resorts and time while your there. I believe they come in multiday tickets. So you can buy a ticket for five days. Although, you could just buy a ticket daily. That way if you stay for five days, and dicide you only want to ski three of five days you didnt waste money on a five day pass.

 

If deep in your heart, you would like to be skiing in Europe, but without the flight, check out Quebec City, Quebec, Canada - Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac - Mont-Sainte-Anne. It's all French, but in the tourist areas, everyone speaks English. Chateau Frontenac has ski packages. Mont-Sainte-Anne is about 30 minutes away, but ski transportation is available from the city. Quebec is incredibly beautiful. Alternatively, there's Mont-Tremblant and Tremblant village, north of Montreal. Check them out on the internet and don't forget to click the ENGLISH buttons at the top of the pages.
Tom Kizer