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Old 10-09-2018, 01:14 PM   #1
wwkayaker
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Sorry if this info is posted somewhere else and I didn’t find it.

I will be in Calgary for the winter and I’m thinking of buying a season ski pass. I’ve skied LL several times recently but have not skied Sunshine in about 20 years. Which resort do you prefer?

I also discovered the SkiBig3 pass and that might be worth the cost for me.

Thoughts?
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Old 10-09-2018, 01:18 PM   #2
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Sunshine is trash. Short runs, cold days, very little good terrain.

I wouldn't even consider Sunshine if the dive or WW aren't open.
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Old 10-09-2018, 01:20 PM   #3
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Sunshine is great. Everyone should go to Sunshine. All the people. Thanks!
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Old 10-09-2018, 01:36 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzz View Post
Sunshine is great. Everyone should go to Sunshine. All the people. Thanks!
I see what you are up to.
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Old 10-09-2018, 02:12 PM   #5
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Both are different style hills. LL has more runs that are longer, varied and almost all are on some kind of linear path. Sunshine is much more wide open. The runs are almost like big fields where you have much more freedom to do things like swing wide, or head in a horizontal direction if you want. LL gives you a path to take and not much deviation from it.

Also Sunshine can suck if you are a boarder. Lots of flat areas where if you don't have enough momentum, you can get stuck and end up walking/shuffling to the end. My boarder buddies all complain about it. For a skier it's not a big issue. But you will notice it.

In the end I much prefer LL. Bigger hill, more runs, more places to be isolated from people, more exploring, better scenery. Sunshine has much more of a beginner/intermediate feel to it.

LL is more intense. Sunshine is more chill.
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Old 10-09-2018, 02:25 PM   #6
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What I like about Sunshine is that when you are up there, there are no sounds from a highway. You can in places really get away from it all and the snow quality is second to none.

The coverage last year over at Goats Eye going down Wildside to Saddledome was spectacular. If you know SS well you can find solitude.

I just wish Sunshine wasn’t getting ####ed over by Parks all the time. It has so much more potential but the Scurfields must have slept with the partners of Parks staff and forced them to watch.

Sunshine also desperately needs more and better eating facilities. It’s an embarrassment.

I love skiing Sunshine despite the above. Because of where I live, Sunshine is the better option for me. I get the Spring Pass and am pretty much set for end March/April as it is pretty much guaranteed to have good coverage. More so than at LL.
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Old 10-09-2018, 04:09 PM   #7
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Sunshine is great if you're going with beginner to intermediate skiers or a family. Lake Louise has far better terrain for the advance/expert skier.
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Old 10-09-2018, 04:15 PM   #8
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As others have said Sunshine has a lot of flat spots and I end up doing a lot of poling. The parking is also a bit of an issue. I find that by the time I park, take the shuttle, then take the gondola to the main lodge I could drive the extra 45 min to Louise, so that’s all we do anymore.
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:24 PM   #9
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I didn’t know Sunshine sold a spring pass. That sounds like a pretty nice option given the price.
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:29 PM   #10
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The mega resort passes, like skibig3 and another whose name escapes me, have become pretty great options.
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:45 PM   #11
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Sunshine is the biggest misnomer since the movie the never ending story. Every time I have been there it is cloudy and overcast. However, I am assuming that if I ever was there on a day where it is sunny I would be blown away by the scenery.

It is a closer drive, but by the time you drive up the road and park, it seems longer. The climate in the parking lot is quite different than the climate at the top of the continental divide, and I find it hard to read the snow there. As mentioned above, once you know the flat spots, then it would be easier to ski.

I like lake Louise because of the number of runs, and if you ever decide to stay overnight in LL, you can be soaking in the hot tub 15 to 20 minutes after getting in your vehicle.
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Old 10-09-2018, 05:55 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague View Post
The mega resort passes, like skibig3 and another whose name escapes me, have become pretty great options.
I found the Rocky Mountain pass which provides access to 7 resorts. Is that the one?
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Old 10-09-2018, 06:15 PM   #13
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You might want to consider the Mountain Collective as well, if you are open to traveling a bit. Really good deal:


https://mountaincollective.com/
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Old 10-09-2018, 09:32 PM   #14
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Haven't been to SSV in quite a few years, but I always found it way worse for lineups. Every lift serves every kind of terrain (well a few lifts don't have any good expert stuff), whereas Paradise and Summit at LL are pretty much 'expert only' (there's still easy ways down, but you don't see many gorbies doing laps. If either of those lifts is backed up, it's probably because conditions are epic, so it makes waiting slightly more tolerable, but most days you're skiing right to the front.
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Old 10-09-2018, 11:03 PM   #15
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The downside to louis is how icey it gets on the frontside. If you're in tougher terrain there are usually pockets to find but sometimes snow is scarce. Sunshine seems to get a bit more every year.

After skiing sunshine more often for 2 or 3 years I officially never want to go back. We just end up on goats eye all day which is fine if not repetitive. Just way less terrain and tree options vs louis. And crowds.
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Old 10-10-2018, 02:22 AM   #16
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The only time I go to Louise is if they get snow. Other than that, I'm quite happy at Shine. Mod edit- removed.

Do weekend trips to Revy.
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Old 10-10-2018, 12:13 PM   #17
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Interesting about the comments that Sunshine is more beginner than Lake Louise. I always thought Tee Pee Town and most of Goat's eye had some really tough stuff - I've easily spent a whole day on both those chairs and had essentially endless difficult runs. Just have to make sure the coverage is pretty good being heading out.

The big difference I see between the two hills is how the terrain is laid out. I find Sunshine has very similar run difficulty off each chair (chair only has green or easy blue, or chair only has black, etc.) but Lake Louise has a good mix of difficulty off each chair. Makes it easier at Louise to go with people of different skill level as you can split off and re-connect relatively easily. Doesn't work so well at Sunshine.
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Old 10-12-2018, 07:56 AM   #18
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Day lift ticket to Louise is $114 for 18/19 season. This is getting ridiculous. I might get the Mountain Collective again.
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Old 10-12-2018, 08:02 AM   #19
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seriously? That's what, 15% more than last year?
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Old 10-12-2018, 08:25 AM   #20
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It just under 10%. Was $104 last year. Sunshine was $109 last year, Im sure it will raise to at least $115.

Pretty much why I stopped doing day trips to the ski hills. Way too expensive. Either tour or weekend trips to good hills.
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