Not really an advice thread- more of a discussion thread.
We looking to book our one west trip for the year soon, riding from Feb 28- March 4, we're just a little torn on the location. We've somewhat narrowed it down to the Canadian Rockies, but struggling between a known location or getting some strange.
We've been to Lake Louise and our instinct is to go back, and tack on a day or so at Sunshine Village this time too. But we're also considering interior BC, namely Revvy or Big White.
LL/SSV Pros
Banff
We know it and love it
Easy access via Calgary
We can ride most of it, but still find challenges
Sunshine Valley can be counted as strange for me since I've never been there
LL/SSV Cons
It's not a new location
Revelstoke Pros
It's a new location
Vert like whoa
People hype it up
Revelstoke Cons
Looks geared towards more advanced- wife might be limited if she feels sketched
Vert doesn't matter if you're not dropping from the summit
Furthest from any airport, I'd be driving past Big White or Banff to get there
Big White Pros
Close to airport
Family nearby
It's a new location
Looks super accessible
Big White Cons
Too mellow?
Vert is the lowest of the three options (excluding SSV)
Could be worth mentioning you and your wife's riding level, terrain preferences, what you like to ride the most and your style of riding etc. I've only ridden LL and SSV so can't compare to the others, and banff obviously has the most options outside of snowboarding as well if that's a factor. Quite possibly cheaper elsewhere though? If you'll have a rental car and base yourself out of Lake Louise it makes a day trip to Kicking Horse possible as well.
Yeah, we're biased towards Banff. I've been in town a half dozen times, Calgary I might as well pay taxes, and I've ridden Lake Louise, wife has done both LL and SSV. She's originally from Calgary.
My skill level, intermediate. I ride groomed blacks at LL fine, haven't tried the ungroomed blacks yet, but a mogul black like Exhibition under the Ptarmigan chair doesn't look fun, just a pain in the ass. I like trees on pow days, like the tight pines you ride through to get to the Summit Platter are cool because you can choose your own line in the trees, I'd like something more spaced out too, but I can handle that pitch and thickness.
My favorite run is from the Top of the World chair down Grizzly Gully. It's just a blue, but when I rode it was ungroomed and felt like back country to me until you connected to the other trails at the Top of the World line.
Wife skill level is essentially the same, just different preferences. She accidentally took one of the A-G Gullies (double black) last year and survived, but she didn't like it. She prefers intermediate groomers unless it's a pow day, but really liked those pines going to the Summit Platter too.
Adding a day to go to Kicking Horse isn't a bad idea, that gives me 2 new places in one trip. I'll show her the trail map and see what she says. She might scrunch her nose at all the black diamonds. You're right about apres ski being best at Banff. That might end up being the clincher.
Glancing at the trail map, I think you're right about Revy vs Kicking Horse. I'll run it by her.
I got a bud that was talking about Red Mountain in southern BC. I haven't looked down there, it's probably too far south for this trip. Maybe in the future if we do an Idaho thing.
Fernie is my favorite, and has a fun small town vibe. Hill has a WIDE range of terrain, from great chutes and powder fields, to lots and lots of good groomers, mostly known for wide open bowls varying in steepness from relatively tame, to a good workout.
Kicking Horse has more chutes, and more extreme terrain than Fernie, and much less lift access. We do Ski Improvement Week there for the Canadian Ski Patrol, and it's a great hill for that. If you can comfortably ride everything at Kicking Horse, there's really no next step for in-bounds extreme terrain. It does have some great groomers, but you generally need to do 4200 vert ft laps to ride them. Would wear somebody out that's used to 1000 vert ft or less, unless they're in good shape.
There's also Panorama, and Kimberley on the loop between Fernie and Kicking Horse. Both a little more family friendly than the Horse. Castle Mountain is on the way between Calgary and Fernie.
Sounds like you're riding 5 days straight? I'd be tempted to fly into Calgary, ride Fernie for two days, Kimberley or Panorama for one/two, Kicking Horse for one/two. Loop home through Banff area for shopping/dinner.
By the way, I would like to ask one question. This is not travel, move to another part of the country. I want to move from the west to the east of Canada. What household moving services is best to use? I looked here Mmovers.ca. There is Canadians?
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