Skiing / Boarding at Powder King

[Draug]

Given the lack of snow we have had around here lately, I started searching and asking around for other places in Western Canada that get lots of snow.

I came across a place called Powder King. Its about 200 kms north of Prince George, near Mackenzie BC.

They have an average annual snowfall of 41 feet! I have been watching the snow report for about 3 weeks, and it seems they have been getting tons and tons of snow. The conditions would be great.

The downside is that they are small. Only 24 runs, but on 600 hectares. The only on hill lodging is hostile style.


Has anyone been there? Is the terrain fun enough to keep one entertained for at least 3 days? (would need to ski at least that long to warrant the trip). Are there any decent accomodations in Mackenzie (the nearest town)? How long is the snow good there for, before spring weather makes it too heavy?

Thanks.

[Ro]

Do you snowboard or ski?

There was a wicked article in last month's Snowboard Canada about Powder King. If you can't track the issue down, check the website. If worse comes to worst, I'll send it to you if you want.

There's nobody there during the week except the staff, and the snow is incredible. Accomodations pretty ghetto, food local but good, road up there is sketchy. Depends what you're after I guess. They talked about the terrain from a snowboarder's perspective, and they loved it for 4/5 days.

[Looger]

i was just up in mackenzie on the weekend (used to live there...) and though there's not mush snow on the highway etc. powder king is right now apparently totally covered, outrageous snowfalls.

the runs are named after beatles songs - except 'satisfaction', the straight run in the middle, is that not a rolling stones song? anyway 'penny lane' is a long slow one with sections that are almost cross-country and get this - the kiddy run is 'strawberry fields'!

when i used to go there more regularly it was just atco trailers but nowadays the facilities are a lot better. but anyone used to the high-rolling lifestyle of the lodges in the rockies will be disappointed, powder king is only aboot the skiing.

prices are very good, however.

and yes, the road up from the highway is... interesting.

mackenzie is the closest town but it's not that close, dawson creek is almost as close to PK.

mackenzie also has a free hill, i used to live right by it. it sucks but it's free!

[Looger]

oops, almost forgot to talk aboot the skiing.

not expert, there's no triple-black-diamonds or anything. it's a good place for skiiers like me - bad ones.

[Draug]

Do you snowboard or ski?
I ski. I will try tracking down a copy of that magazine.


Anyone used to the high-rolling lifestyle of the lodges in the rockies will be disappointed, powder king is only aboot the skiing.
That is just fine. I want somewhere all about the skiing. I am just wondering if there is enough skiing to justify the trip up there.


Not expert, there's no triple-black-diamonds or anything. it's a good place for skiiers like me - bad ones.
That concerns me a little. I am a good skier (relatively) and spend all my time on black or double black runs. I spend lots of time in Gladed runs, or steep chutes. Are there no "almost out of bounds" areas that are more extreme than the cut runs? Staying on the groomed and open area runs is definitely not for me.


When i used to go there more regularly it was just atco trailers but nowadays the facilities are a lot better.
I booked a tentative reservation at the Alexander Hotel in Mackenzie. Is this place nice? Should I book elsewhere? I am not interested in staying in the hostel type lodging at the hill itself.


Thanks for the information guys.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by Draug@Feb 14 2005, 10:13 PM
I am not interested in staying in the hostile type lodging at the hill itself.

I've heard about the locals and their guns, but what you say worries me... just how bad are they there?

[Draug]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101+Feb 15 2005, 07:10 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (BlackArcher101 @ Feb 15 2005, 07:10 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Draug@Feb 14 2005, 10:13 PM
I am not interested in staying in the hostile type lodging at the hill itself.

I've heard about the locals and their guns, but what you say worries me... just how bad are they there? [/b][/quote]
LOL!

Whoops. That is a typo, or perhaps a Freudian slip.

I meant to say that I didnt want to stay in the HOSTEL type accomodations.

[Looger]

Draug,

i've had friends that went out of bounds. but i think single-black is the toughest, don't quote me on that. it's been a long time.

maybe call the hill itself, i am a bad skiing reference. i never go out of bounds, for fear i'll never be found!

got to be skiing message boards out there i would think, i found some for mountainbiking once.

the alexander hotel is just fine. it's at the mall, can't miss it.

strange little town, lots of cokeheads. no bars to speak of. and no single women. no thru road...

no gun-toting psychos, though two guys i went to high school with blew up some kind of transformer or transfer station out in the bush and shut the town down for days last year. one of those guys' grandfather built the damn town!

as i live in prince george it wouldn't be worth it to stay in mackenzie unless i absolutely had to but the extra hour+ drive from dawson creek would put you in a far more fun off-hour environment in my opinion.

[Draug]

Its confirmed. We are heading up there tomorrow. I'll let you guys know what it is like once I get back next week.



Looger,

What is the fastest route from Calgary to Prince George?

Looking at a map, I think going through Jasper National Park on the 93, to the Yellowhead Highway and on to Prince George looks to be the most direct.

Do you suggest another route? Through Edm and Dawson Creek maybe? Longer, but maybe the faster speeds on these roads make up for it?

Thanks.
Draug

[Looger]

oops, you're probably already gone.

the edm-dawson creek route might be a little slower but not by a huge margin. for reference grand prairie is ~4 hours from mackenzie.

i would go through the park and take the yellowhead to prince george.

which way did you end up going, and how was the skiing?

[Draug]

Well, Powder King was exactly what it was advertised to be.

TONS of snow. Thier snow report lists the base at 420cms, and they are being honest. The picture they use a background on thier site shows a guy skiing amongst some trees that are covered in snow; again, this is reality.

As expected, the lifts and ammenities are a little on the shy side. The onhill food was pretty good, especially in the lounge, and it was alot cheaper than the ski resorts in Banff.

We were there one week after they had 5.5 feet of snow the previous week, with 3 feet coming in the last day of that week. The first couple of days we were there the powder was great, but it became tracked up pretty quickly. As the day went on, we started exploring out of bounds, further and further to get untracked powder. By far, these areas are what is best about Powder King. Skiing through forest, in 4 meters of snow is hard to beat. There were lots of ravines, and steep inclines to go along with it in these areas. In bounds would be just as good, had the snow not become packed powder. If you like groomed runs, they probably had the best groomed runs I have ever seen. With 4 meters of snow, they were not the least bit icy, and were still nice and soft.

We drove through Lake Louise and up to Jasper through the park. The roads were dry, with the exception of the highway from Lake Louise to Jasper. Basically, this road was ice covered, as it appeared they dont use any salt or melting agent on it. The trip up took 7.75 hours, but we were driving as fast as we safely could, and only made very quick stops, and drove at night so traffic wasnt an issue. On the way home, we were awarded a speeding ticket, so slowed up, and it took 10 hours to get home. One way, to Mackenzie (about 40 minutes from Powder King) was 960 Kms.

[Looger]

good to hear you had a fun trip.

my friend from mackenzie and i were in calgary last weekend, we caught world of wheels.

we didn't drive through the parkway, the roads were too icy and my car is rear-drive and has posi. as such it was 1200-1300 kms from mackenzie...

i heard they had a lot of snow, maybe i should get back into skiing.

the other hills around here are bone dry, sadly... PK is like the fouth-closest to me.

next year there should be a lot more snow, i mean where is all this moisture going?

i tried to get on the list to live at purden, the cabins are $8000/year to rent and HUGE, they come with a season pass for that hill but the waiting list is years-long. nice lake too.

sorry to hear of the ticket, i know where all the traps are around here so i haven't had on in bc since 1998.