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whats local to calgary

2K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  chupacabraman 
#1 ·
I may be relocated to Calgary this spring/summer and was wondering if any locals use this and wheres the closest/best place to go ride, and how far away?
 
#2 ·
For mine the Lake Louise is best when it turns it on. Plenty to check out:

Lake Louise
Sunshine
Norquay
Castle
Nakiska
Fernie

and beyond that:

Revi
Panorama
Kicking Horse
Kimberly

Enough to keep you interested for awhile.

Poutenen will give you the lowdown on driving time as he is in Calgary.
 
#3 ·
For mine the Lake Louise is best when it turns it on. Plenty to check out:

Lake Louise 2hrs
Sunshine 1h20m
Norquay 1h and a bit
Castle 2hrs
Nakiska 1ish hrs
Fernie 3hrs

and beyond that:

Revi 5hrs
Panorama i haven't been
Kicking Horse 3hrs
Kimberly haven't been

Enough to keep you interested for awhile.

Poutenen will give you the lowdown on driving time as he is in Calgary.
Pano, norquay, and kimberly don't get a lot of good reviews, which is why i haven't gone. So many great places to go anyway. I actually haven't been to castle (driven by) but i hear great things and plan to check it out this year.

I don't care for Nakiska unless it gets pounded with snow. Then the monster glades are fun.

Sunshine has great snow and is close.

Louise has a better park and longer runs but not as much snow and it gets icy faster than ssv.

Kicking horse is super steep.

Revy has great trees and snow.
 
#6 ·
Jeez man use the search button!!! :cheeky4:

I'm on the North end of Calgary so driving times are a little longer.

Nakiska 1:10
Sunshine 1:30
Lake Louise 2:00
Kicking Horse 3:15
Fernie 3:30
Revelstoke 4:30 or so
Kimberley 4:45

For resorts within a daily drive I like Lake Louise the best. Nakiska has a bad name but for groomers it's quite good. All lifts are high speed and the pitch up top is consistently steep for carving. I was in the glades yesterday and there was about 8" of fresh in there. It gets tracked out badly though so glades are only worth it during/right after a powder dump.

For a longer drive my favorite (so far) is Fernie. A lot of the hill is off-piste alpine style bowls, so there's lots of space, it doesn't get tracked out, and there's always a powder stash somewhere if you look hard enough. It does get more rain than the rest though, so timing is crucial. I've actually rode there in the rain and had a pretty good day.

Heard great things about Castle but AFAIK all the lifts are slow. That's a big downer for me as I'd rather be shredding than sitting on a lift.

Heard great things about Kicking Horse so we got it on our pass this year, heading there once they open up! :D

Would still like to make it to Revelstoke at least once this year. Biggest vert in North America I'd like to see it at least for that experience.

I've been to Kimberley and it's decent, but there are some glaring problems that will keep me away until they're fixed. On the front side, ALL of the runs filter down over a narrow (probably 75 foot wide) bridge and then down a chute to the base of the lift. This is a horrible way to do things, as that area is constantly clogged with beginners sliding sideways and pushing all the snow off. It turns into a skating rink and then you've got noobs and ice in a restricted area. :mad: The back side is actually decent, there is more off-piste style terrain than Nakiska, however they are all slow lifts back there. I CAN'T STAND slow lifts... :mad:

I've been to COP once and asked for a refund an hour later (didn't get the refund but lesson still learned). My idea of fun doesn't include standing in line for 10 minutes to ride a 5 minute chair and then board down for 30 seconds. Yes the park is fun, and I suppose with no lift lines/midweek it could be a fun way to spend a couple hours in town, but it just didn't offer me anything for my riding needs.

NOW SEARCH NEXT TIME! MY HANDS ARE TIRED! :D
 
#10 ·
I suppose busy is a relative term, but getting too busy for me. That's why I bought a sled and sone more touring gear :)
Even the lift accessed backcountry around RMR is getting "tracked out" often.
Was up Frisby Ridge snowboarding/sledding yesterday... A foot of blower ghost dust on top of 2ft or so of dense base, so pretty decent. Must have been 20-ish Alberta plates up there already...
 
#11 ·
To be honest once you go to a sled a resort is never going to compare. Having the fun of a sled plus pow up to your waist everyday will result in a resort looking shit.

Not trying to sound like a cunt just very very jealous! :)
 
#13 ·
haha nah, if i had the option to go sleding i would never go to a resort lift lines are the devil, i hike out into the backs of all the locals around me whenever I go which is alot, maybe ill look into gettin a sled if i do in fact get that job. just not much point in having one in vancouver lol.

"hey guys i have a snowmobile that I use to everyday" said no one ever who lives in the lower mainland
 
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