Skiing locations

[Big_Bert_7]

I'm looking for advise as to where to go for good skiing and good apres ski. My two boys (early 20s) have finally decided they want to try skiing/snow boarding, so I'm bringing them over from the old country this winter so they can have a go. I'm an experienced skier, but don't know the best place to take them - can you guys help?

Thanks in advance

[MacDaddy77]

Castle Mountain is a great hill. http://skicastle.ca/

It has terrain for all levels so if you want to leave them to their learing and have some off piste fun you are able. Castle gets the same snow as Fernie with very little lineups.

The lift tickets are cheaper than Louise or Sunshine and you don't have to pay for a park pass

[amorak]

Do not do Castle if you want any apres ski that appeals to 20 somethings - unless said 20-somethings have dreadlocks and enjoy clothing made form hemp.

Hit Fernie - good beginner runs and great apres ski for your boys to contract a fun yet non-life threatening STD... Because really, when we say apres ski, we mean boning, no?

[algernon]

Originally Posted by MacDaddy77

Castle Mountain is a great hill. http://skicastle.ca/

It has terrain for all levels so if you want to leave them to their learing and have some off piste fun you are able. Castle gets the same snow . as Fernie with very little lineups.

The lift tickets are cheaper than Louise or Sunshine and you don't have to pay for a park pass

Shhhhh. Let the pretentious enema-bags have Fernie.

[DownhillGoat]

Whitefish. Nice little bar at the hill, and great bars in Kalipsell. Great skiing, small crowds.

[username]

The above are decent hills...I guess.

Take them to Revelstoke - there's nothing out there even close to it in my opinion.

[MacDaddy77]

Yes, if you are going for a couple of days Revelstoke is pretty awesome

[amorak]

Kicking Horse is a good apres ski locale as well.

[bossy22]

Whitefish. $50 to ski there if you get the passes at Costco. They get twice the amount of snow as sunshine or louise. The lineups are short. The beirstube on the hill is a good place to go after skiing and then in town you have a good selection of bars and restaurants.

[bossy22]

Or, if your loaded, fly to Mammoth. They got 13 feet of snow on the weekend. Right now their base is 16.5 feet. 18 inches in the last 24 hours.

[TylerSVT]

Castle is the best of all worlds IMO, close enough for a day, cheaper tickets than anywhere else, awesome snow.

[amorak]

Would somebody please think of the apres-ski sex with ski bunnies - WOULD SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE 20 YEAR OLD KIDS FROM OVER SEAS WHO WANT TO BANG EASY CANADIAN GIRLS!

[Tron_fdc]

I more or less gave up ski hills for a sled a few years back, so you'll have to excuse my bias here. Anyways.

If I were going with a bunch of beginners I might consider Nakiska. Close to the city, lots of beginner runs, and decent amenities. Long(ish) runs that beginners can learn on, and plenty of hill to explore while you learn how to stop and turn. Probably a good place to get to "intermediate" before tackling something more challenging.

Castle might be cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Amenities aren't all that great, no high speed quads, and beginner fall lines are pretty short. It's geared a lot more towards the advanced skiers/riders that don't mind slow, windy chairs and massive fall lines off the top double chair. Beginners get pretty bored on the short, easy terrain, and there's a pretty big jump from the blue runs off Haig to the big lines off the top red chair. Yeah, you can learn here, but it's not the best place for beginner/intermediates (IMO).

And don't kid yourself. Mid week it's the hill of choice for small crowds, but on the weekends every so called skier and rider "in the know" shows up to stand in their lift lines. Especially if they get any snow.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

If I were going with a bunch of beginners I might consider Nakiska. Close to the city, lots of beginner runs, and decent amenities.

And 0 apres ski...

[Tron_fdc]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

And 0 apres ski...

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Close to the city

Depends what the OP is after though. Weekend getaway? Day trip? Booze only?

If you want to send some 20 somethings on a booze bus to a ski hill, send em on a bust loose tour.

If they're staying a while, day trips to Nakiska might be a good start, then progress into Fernie or something, and overnights at the raging Elk.

[Sliver]

Lake Louise is awesome, but stay in Banff. Nothing mentioned comes close to a good Banff party. Well Whitefish is fun, too, but Banff is sweet and so close.

[sparky69]

Originally Posted by bossy22

Whitefish. $50 to ski there if you get the passes at Costco. They get twice the amount of snow as sunshine or louise. The lineups are short. The beirstube on the hill is a good place to go after skiing and then in town you have a good selection of bars and restaurants.

definitely whitefish, you can a hotel at the travellodge for $39 a night. when you there to, go to aunt B for lunch, and get a cookie, best ever. I usually go down to whitefish about 3 to 4 times a year.

[username]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Lake Louise is awesome, but stay in Banff. Nothing mentioned comes close to a good Banff party. Well Whitefish is fun, too, but Banff is sweet and so close.

Never stayed in Revy huh? Plus Lake Louise is a terrible, overrated busy hill.

Castle is good - except it's small and the lift lines are ridiculous.

Nakiska is close to Calgary. I can't really think of anything else that's good about it.

####shine, er I mean Sunshine is just all around terrible.

I forgot about Kicking Horse, that's an excellent resort and partying in Golden is great too.

[amorak]

Originally Posted by username

Never stayed in Revy huh? Plus Lake Louise is a terrible, overrated busy hill.

Castle is good - except it's small and the lift lines are ridiculous.

Nakiska is close to Calgary. I can't really think of anything else that's good about it.

####shine, er I mean Sunshine is just all around terrible.

I forgot about Kicking Horse, that's an excellent resort and partying in Golden is great too.

You're welcome for the reminder Many a good times double bagging it can be had at Kicking Horse... or so I hear.

I wonder why skiing is more about the apres-ski sex and drinking?

[Redliner]

Castle is a great hill, but it's geared more towards advanced skiers. Apres-ski is pretty well nonexistent unless you're into cowboy bars in Pincher Creek.

Whitefish is definitely the total package if you don't mind the travel.