20/21 ski/snowboard thread

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Haha, good to see you. And when I yelled out CHL it really was a shot in the dark. Saw the nice Audi and thought it could be you.

The weird thing is that someone else had the same car as me in the same colour one row over. I started walking towards it thinking, "Man, I need to hit the car wash when I get home... hey, I thought I was parked closer in... wait... my roof box isn't a Yakima." So you could have easily guessed the wrong Audi.

[Tron_fdc]

Well Fernie got its first big pow day yesterday, and what an absolute nightmare. Essential travel my arse, half the hill was Albertans. The hill needs the tourism, but I heard the chatter going through the area and some of the locals aren't too happy about it. What a total gong show though, I don't think they were ready for that. I opted to go sledding instead which was the best choice I could have made. Took my wife 45 mins to go from our house to the ski team drop off point, which is usually 5-7 minutes. F that.

They're also stopping traffic at the resort turnoff from Hiway 3 which is a major PITA. All the through traffic was PISSED for them backing the hiway up into town, and that poor soul at the intersection clearly hated his life for being the guy told to do it.

RCR needs a better plan than what they orchestrated yesterday. Hopefully they adjust, because people are going to lose their marbles if they don't.

[Flames0910]

They're also stopping traffic at the resort turnoff from Hiway 3 which is a major PITA. All the through traffic was PISSED for them backing the hiway up into town, and that poor soul at the intersection clearly hated his life for being the guy told to do it.

Huh. Why?

Not terribly surprised RCR doesn’t have their #### in order but hopefully they can sort it out quick here.

Fernie (and Golden too, Revy to a lesser extent) are in a weird spot. Then being in BC sometimes feels like a technicality given their proximity to Calgary. Still, even though I’d love to go I’ve been avoiding them given the public health request. Hopeful at some point we’ll be able to venture as far as Rogers Pass though... a season in the backcountry without Rogers Pass to look forward to would be quite sad.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

So much for worrying about parking. There's no one here.

Yup, cool-guy-hour'ed right into first row.

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

If you came late, you done goofed.

1,000 days in at Louise; I know where to find the goods.

Originally Posted by kevman

Rode West bowl this morning. I've been in there before while touring but I have to admit the day after leftovers were suprisingly good. Two thumbs up that you still get to hit the park every lap. When the collector fills in a bit more there's going to be a bunch of good side hits too. Good lap.

Agreed. My only gripe is that I could rock thru Star Wars, pumping thru the trees, where as the ski-out back is too slow (snowboard)..

Originally Posted by Tacopuck

After skiing Louise my entire 30+ year life, I entered west bowl for the first time over the weekend and it blew me away. Its huge, a patroller told me it now represents 30% of the total skiable area of the resort. The fact you have to take 3 chairs to get to the entrance and have to ski to the base seems annoying however definitely limits people lapping the area and using all the fresh snow which allows you to get good untouched turns in later on in the day, so I'm all for it.

Little disappointed the platter was replaced with the chair as I always liked that the platter filtered out those who couldn't handle the terrain with the horribly painful lift up, but the new chair is so wind exposed it might keep people away for that reason alone. That said with this much new area you have to have a chair so I cant really complain.

Originally Posted by Flames0910

Hmm, "30% of total skiable area" is exactly the kind of number I was looking for but based on the googling I did this morning I'm not sure the patroller's math adds up.

West Bowl is 480 skiable acres.
Lake Louise is 4200 skiable acres.

I did the math earlier to compare with some of the smaller mountains and came up with 2.5x Norquay (190 acres), 0.8x Cypress (600 acres) or 0.5x Nakiska (1021 acres) lol.

I think the problem with much of Louise' marketed, skiable acrege is that it falls below a tree-line that cannot be gladed (parks), vs wide-open West Bowl. While there are pockets, to exploit pow in the lower, trees -- ultimately un-gladed coniferous trees, are a heckuva natural deterrent to ripping thru them. It's how I best explain the benefit of Japan vs the Rockies. Where-as the Hokkaido resorts, are for the most part but a small fraction the size of our big 2, their addressable acreage can be ripped in totality. Their hills are covered with deciduous (infamous cherry blossoms in many spots), and as such the base can be ripped right to the trunk. Coniferous △ vs Decidious ▽ (plus Hokkaido gets absolutely nuked on)

Thus, the patroller may have been on the thought of actual skiable terrain, increased 30%. Not outlandish.

[Flames0910]

^ yup, that’s a fair point. TBH when I googled it I thought it would be more, so it’s possible the 4200 counts a lot of “skiable terrain” that isn’t really all that skiable.

Also complete agreement on Hokkaido. The other thing that makes it feel bigger (just looked it up, “only” 2200 acres) is the dome mountain shape, so you have three base areas 20 mins apart instead of just the one (and then everything comes together at the top). What I wouldn’t give to be back there this January...

[stang]

Any recommendations for a place to take the kids where we can stay right on the mountain but isn’t going cost an arm and a leg? Lake Louise is showing $3-400 a night. Seems crazy.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Panorama is the only option for affordable on mountain accommodation, I think. SSV is crazy expensive. All of Louise's lodging is in town (which is a 5 minute drive). The Lake Louise inn is the cheapest there.

[stang]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Panorama is the only option for affordable on mountain accommodation, I think. SSV is crazy expensive. All of Louise's lodging is in town (which is a 5 minute drive). The Lake Louise inn is the cheapest there.

That’s a bit of a hike, but isn’t too bad.

[stang]

So it will be mine and my sisters family.

So now looking at some lodges on hill. Air bnb style. 350- 400 a night isn’t too bad split in half.

Any recommendations on those.

Looking at one in panorama and one in castle

[chedder]

Originally Posted by stang

So it will be mine and my sisters family.

So now looking at some lodges on hill. Air bnb style. 350- 400 a night isn’t too bad split in half.

Any recommendations on those.

Looking at one in panorama and one in castle

Don't be advertising that you're going to break provincial health rules . If you're going you may as well add non-essential travel to the infractions list and go to BC. Fernie is only 30 minutes longer drive than castle and lots of lodging and way more to do.

[stang]

Originally Posted by chedder

Don't be advertising that you're going to break provincial health rules . If you're going you may as well add non-essential travel to the infractions list and go to BC. Fernie is only 30 minutes longer drive than castle and lots of lodging and way more to do.

We’re planning on booking in March. Hopefully restrictions have been eased up. Not planning on breaking any health rules. My sister is a nurse in the hospital here..

And I will check Fernie. Thanks!

[chedder]

Originally Posted by stang

We’re planning on booking in March. Hopefully restrictions have been eased up. Not planning on breaking any health rules. My sister is a nurse in the hospital here..



And I will check Fernie. Thanks!

You bet (and I was joking, assumed you'd be going later in the season). If you want to drive even further, Kimberley is a cool town and an ok little hill if they have snow.
Lots of on-mountain lodging.

[stang]

I’m really digging panorama right now.

[Weitz]

Panorama is only good with really good snow imo. March might be pushing it for the hill.

I’d check out kickinghorse.

[stang]

I will.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Panorama is only good with really good snow imo. March might be pushing it for the hill.

I’d check out kickinghorse.

Depending when in March. They're open until April. First two weeks are usually still okay.

Not a chance I'd touch Kicking Horse this year with the bottleneck at the gondola.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

Depending when in March. They're open until April. First two weeks are usually still okay.

Not a chance I'd touch Kicking Horse this year with the bottleneck at the gondola.

I didn’t think it was an issue with the reservation system. Some friends went over the break and never mentioned issues. I was there in March on the first day they wouldn’t mix different groups in the gondola and it was only an issue on the first run.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Some friends went over the break and never mentioned issues.

Oh? Surprising. Good to know.

I didn't realize they implemented reservations.

[dirk diggler]

i am looking at the webcams for Kimberly and it looks pretty much deserted, am i missing something here. I know its never as busy as Louise or Sunshine but this is crazy.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by dirk diggler

i am looking at the webcams for Kimberly and it looks pretty much deserted, am i missing something here. I know its never as busy as Louise or Sunshine but this is crazy.

Kimberley, much like Panorama, Fernie and Revelstoke, attract a lot of Albertans for ski vacations or weekends. With Covid restrictions in BC and Alberta it shouldn't be a surprise if the hills are pretty empty. I don't think Panorama has suffered too much as I still hear that a lot of families are traveling to Panorama as they essentially consider it to be part of Alberta.