Where to snowboard? Opinions on hills. - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

AFireInside · 02-15-2008, 06:05 PM

Hey everyone, my girlfriend and I are heading out snowboarding tomorrow and we are trying to decide where to go. We already have tickets for Sunshine, but we can use those anytime. We just want to go for the day and are trying to decide between Castle mountain, and Sunshine.

Has anyone here been to castle mountain? I know sunshine will probably be slammed tomorrow, will Castle be very busy? I'm trying to teach the gf to snowboard so less busy = better.

So is castle mountain the better choice? If they are both going to be slammed I might as well just go to sunshine.

Ro · 02-15-2008, 08:30 PM

Speaking as someone who moved away from the Rockies a few years ago and misses them dearly- GO TO SUNSHINE!!

It's an awesome hill, maybe not the best out there for learning snowboarding, but still a riot. The gondola, the scenery...

And if she's just learning, she'll welcome a little wait/breather in the lineups and you guys might not be going full out anyways. IE/ less runs total than if you were, say, with your snowboarding buddies. Stop in Banff for some quick shopping, dinner on the way back.

Yeah, Sunshine. But again, this is coming from a guy who misses the Rockies and has only been to Castle a couple times (it will probably be slammed also- don't kid yourself). Just get up early, get there early, and beat the crowd home if you can. Best way to handle it.

AFireInside · 02-15-2008, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ro

Speaking as someone who moved away from the Rockies a few years ago and misses them dearly- GO TO SUNSHINE!!

It's an awesome hill, maybe not the best out there for learning snowboarding, but still a riot. The gondola, the scenery...

And if she's just learning, she'll welcome a little wait/breather in the lineups and you guys might not be going full out anyways. IE/ less runs total than if you were, say, with your snowboarding buddies. Stop in Banff for some quick shopping, dinner on the way back.

Yeah, Sunshine. But again, this is coming from a guy who misses the Rockies and has only been to Castle a couple times (it will probably be slammed also- don't kid yourself). Just get up early, get there early, and beat the crowd home if you can. Best way to handle it.

Yeah we've been to sunshine before, I've been there quite a few times, probably my favourite hill out that way, well if Fortress was open that would be my favourite...

I was just wondering more about castle mountain, never been...

I'm kind of leaning towards sunshine at this point just because I know castle will be busy and sunshine is closer..

AFireInside · 02-16-2008, 12:00 AM

Anyone?

LockedOut · 02-16-2008, 12:04 AM

Reading week is next week. Expect a lot of college students on the hill plus it's a long weekend too and the weather is nice. It'll be crowded everywhere I suspect.

algernon · 02-16-2008, 09:09 AM

As my knee's blown out right now, I know nothing of the conditions, but Castle is my favorite hill. Last year they opened up Haige ridge, which is basically blue runs and a couple of greens mixed in(good for gf teaching...). The rest of the mountain is blacks, ok, there are a couple blues, but when you get into the chutes, it's black/double black.

Drifter and Goat glades are my favorite runs,fwiw.

DFO · 02-16-2008, 09:44 AM

I'd just go to Nakiska if I were you. Lots of groomed stuff to help out a beginner. The crowds at Sunshine will be stupid & you'll end up parking on the road if you don't make it there early. Castle is more of a place you hit up on a powder day - thats when it really shines.

AFireInside · 02-16-2008, 04:17 PM

Well we ended up at sunshine. I have little interest in a place like Nakiska, all I've heard is that its icy and groomed, both of which I don't like.

To be honest, Sunshine wasn't too bad today. We got there at about 7:50 parked about 2 rows from the gondola so nice and close. We got up the hill and most of the chairs hadn't even started yet. We got a couple solid hours in before the crowds really hit. Even then, we found an area that was not busy whatsoever, some flatter areas for the gf, and some powder/tree areas for me. Worked out well. Its actually the area where I taught her last time, but she has gotten better so I don't have to worry about waiting as much as I did the first time I brought her out. Ride, wait, ride, wait, haha...

I will definetly be trying out castle one of these weekends though.

mac_gurl · 02-16-2008, 06:13 PM

We ended up at Castle today. AMAZING!! Tons of powder. It was busy for castle, but like a regular weekend at Sunshine. Definatly recommend hitting up castle this weekend!

boobaloo · 02-16-2008, 06:56 PM

Come to Mount Washington

Claeren · 02-18-2008, 11:22 AM

I was in Castle all weekend too, it was SO PERFECT! Two of the best days i have ever spent on a hill anywhere in the Rocky's!

Saturday was tons of fresh snow, with a nice soft snow pack underneath. Easy to still find tons of un-touched ankle-midcalf deep champagne powder (which as i said, was itself on top of soft pack)!

Sunday was a little more skiied out, but still better then anything i have ever seen at Louise or Sunshine, even on the best days.

Very little wind and sunny too!!

The base was about 400cm, which was often visible as they seem to be running out of places to put the snow, and they have had 900cm of snowfall already!

Both days were busy by Castle standards, but still not busy by any of the major resorts standards.

Claeren.

IHATEOILERS · 02-18-2008, 11:59 AM

Castle is my favorite hill in the area....though I haven't been to revelstoke, which apparently puts it to shame (though a little far).

I was in Fernie the last two days which was fantastic but Castle would definitely be my prefered hill!

DFO · 02-18-2008, 01:05 PM

Has anybody hit up Kicking Horse in the new year? I've never been and I hear nothing but good things about the terrain. I'm just getting over a hip flexor injury and looking forward to my first day out this year. Is it worth checking out or is Fernie just as good considering the drive?

Claeren · 02-18-2008, 01:16 PM

THIS year the big snow has been at Fernie and Castle so i would think they are the better options?

Plus Kicking Horse doesn't have much passive terrain, and after surgury like that would you really want to have your first time back out to be all geared towards more aggressive riding?

Claeren.

Tron_fdc · 02-18-2008, 01:34 PM

I'm out in the backcountry almost every weekend, and the snowpack in Fernie/Castle is pretty much the same as Kicking Horse at this point. There's more vert to be had at the 'horse though, as well as access to some pretty sick chutes off the top chair after only a short hike. Although if you're looking for total skiable terrain I'd go to Fernie (more chairs, lots of groomers and that type of thing).

Bill Bumface · 02-18-2008, 04:27 PM

I went to Kicking Horse last month and it was amazing... except the lift setup. By far the best runs on the whole hill are to the right side (if you're facing up the hill) when you get off the lift at the top and traverse across the ridge to the chutes. Once you go down that side of the ridge though you have to make your way all the way down the hill (it's a very long hill) and ride the gondola back up, go down, grab the chair back to the top. Maybe that's why the snow was so great, because it's such a pain in the ass to get back up there.