[kurre]

Advice/Recommendation on trips to Canda/US 4 Feb 2019

Hi,

first time post...looking for some advice/recommendation/opinions on where to go and what resort for a week long snowboard holiday starting 4 Feb 2019. Looking at resorts in Canada or US

Live in Australia. I have a background of surfing and skateboard...not brilliant in either but ok. Just finished first season of snowboarding here in Oz and absolutely love it...big thanks to my 14year old son for introducing me to it...he says I am already at intermediate level. I am relatively comfortable on blue runs here in Australia. Not much of a park fan. Like going fast, carving etc

I have never been to either US/Canada and was thinking Whistler (simply because that is the main one I have heard of) . I have a friend going to Mammoth later in Feb and maybe that is an option instead

not really into night life...just riding and having a great time on the slopes...I am not looking at going back country or anything more advanced yet...happy to pretty much stay on groomed and working my way up from there

Given my experience and background would be really interested in your opinion and experiences of best resorts just for a good time...

 

[Manicmouse]

Revelstoke, BC!

Been boarding all over BC from NZ and I’m planning to go there for a few months in the future.

 

[Snow Hound]

Revelstoke, BC!

Been boarding all over BC from NZ and I’m planning to go there for a few months in the future.

Only been to BC in my dreams but aren't the interior places like Revelstoke more suited to experienced riders? And Whistler tough to beat for groomer bashing?

The reason I'm so drawn to the Powder Highway is because the resorts there sound so different to big European ones I normally visit.

 

[Manicmouse]

I wouldn’t get too hung up about the type of runs, it’s going to blow your mind wherever you go.

I’d go closer to the rockies to get away from the masses.

 

[phillyphan]

What about Ski Big 3 (Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay, Sunshine Banff)? It's close to Calgary and easy to get to and you get three resorts?

 

[drblast]

Whistler and in particular the Blackcomb side is perfect, especially if you can get there during the week. Weekends tend to be crowded.

Best part for you is that you can ride from the top of Blackcomb all the way down on blue and green runs and that can take over an hour depending on how fast you go as an intermediate and how often you stop for breaks. The scale of the place is just something else. It's the only resort where I've spent a solid week snowboarding and not felt like the park was the only interesting thing left to do.

 

[phillyphan]

Whistler and in particular the Blackcomb side is perfect, especially if you can get there during the week. Weekends tend to be crowded.

Best part for you is that you can ride from the top of Blackcomb all the way down on blue and green runs and that can take over an hour depending on how fast you go as an intermediate and how often you stop for breaks. The scale of the place is just something else. It's the only resort where I've spent a solid week snowboarding and not felt like the park was the only interesting thing left to do.

An HOUR?! :surprise: Not sure how, the longest run is listed at 6.8 miles. Winter Park Co has a 6.xx mile run and you can clear it in less than 15 minutes from Parsenn Bowl back to base. But that'd be AWESOME at Whistler!

 

[f00bar]

An HOUR?! :surprise: Not sure how, the longest run is listed at 6.8 miles. Winter Park Co has a 6.xx mile run and you can clear it in less than 15 minutes from Parsenn Bowl back to base. But that'd be AWESOME at Whistler!

It's this dudes second season. Life doesn't always have to be a race. On my second day riding it took me almost 45m to make it down a 1000' vert mountain the first time up Granted it was a private lesson so lots of lessoning.

 

[SBK]

Whistler/Blackcomb is a huge resort and amazing mountain with some of the best terrain anywhere but it is almost always crowded, especially on the weekends. We're pretty much done with it because the last couple of times there I spent most of the time avoiding people and trying not to get run over by others going fast with little regard for others. It's also expensive, corporate and the snow tends to be heavy.

The B.C. interior has a lot of options, often you can hit more than one resort with a moderate drive. Crowds are much smaller at most times, snow is better quality but there is less of it versus the coastal range. Revelstoke is really nice, lots of moderate terrain and a small mountain feel. We've also been to Sun Peaks, fun mountain with a faux corporate village but probably not great for an extended stay. Whitewater is on my wishlist, hoping this is the year, smaller resort but supposed to be uncrowded with great snow.

Utah is a great option because accessibility, you can fly directly to SLC and hit 3 great resorts (Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude) with short drives or even public transportation. Lodging is reasonable and you can get discount tickets at a number of local shops. There are several other resorts with a few hours drive like Park City or Snowbasin.

Personal favorite resort is Mt. Bachelor, it's fairly big with lots of moderate terrain. Even on weekends you can usually find someplace uncrowded on the mountain. Being on the east side of the Cascades it gets less snow than those on the west side but the quality is usually better. It's also harder to get to, has no on mountain lodging (although Bend is a really cool town especially if you like micro-breweries) and doesn't have any other areas very close although you could hit Mt. Hood if you moved your base.

Places I've never been but worth looking into:
Colorado has a ton of options, plenty of folks on this site familiar with that.

The Tahoe area has a lot of resorts, is fairly accessible.

As mentioned above Canadian Rockies has several resorts and accessible via Calgary.

Depending on how late you need to book your trip you might keep an eye on the early snowfall, it can vary a lot year to year. Right now the long term forecast according to NOAA is an El Nino which means warmer than normal and less snow for Pacific Northwest and further north but usually heavier snow for California and Utah.

 

[SBK]

It's this dudes second season. Life doesn't always have to be a race. On my second day riding it took me almost 45m to make it down a 1000' vert mountain the first time up Granted it was a private lesson so lots of lessoning.

The first time my GF and I rode from top to bottom on Blackcomb we had to stop several times to rest, no runs like that in Washington State. We were pretty new to the sport. Last time it took a fraction of that. If you are new or aren't used to really long runs it can work you.

 

[phillyphan]

The first time my GF and I rode from top to bottom on Blackcomb we had to stop several times to rest, no runs like that in Washington State. We were pretty new to the sport. Last time it took a fraction of that. If you are new or aren't used to really long runs it can work you.

Yea, I missed that. I wasn't trying to say it shouldn't take you that long. I was just thinking that would be a hard ride. Would love to see it. That would be awesome.

 

[kalev]

Revelstoke is really nice, lots of moderate terrain and a small mountain feel

That is pretty much the exact opposite of how I would describe Revelstoke lol

 

[SBK]

That is pretty much the exact opposite of how I would describe Revelstoke lol

I probably should have qualified this with the fact that when we where there (2012) they were in the midst of a long dry spell so we mostly ran groomers for 3 days. All the chairs had good blue runs. There were also no lift lines (lack of fresh snow may have affected this), limited selection of on mountain dining, limited on mountain lodging and an old mining/logging town that is seeing some revitalization. I can see that there is a ton of black runs all over the mountain that would only be in for me with lots of fresh snow but I think an intermediate could find plenty to ride there but it wouldn't be my first choice for them.

 

[poser]

With so many options available and so many factors to consider, believe that I would approach it this way:

Do some Google image searches for your shortlist of locations to see which one is in a setting that appeals to you i.e. “id love to spend a week with that view” and go for it.

 

[kurre]

thanks for all the great feedback...exactly what I was looking for and I am sure i'd have a blast in any one of them

I am leaning towards Whistler, Lake Tahoe, Northstar, Heavenly or Mammoth. I am planning to go during the week so the crowds at Whistler may not be too bad and the AUD to CAD is not too bad either

Lake Tahoe resorts look great too though with just the kinda runs I am looking for

can anyone advise on accommodation? is Airbnb a good option around these places? would prefer to not have to hire car and be able to walk to everything I need to do

another question, hiring equipment...planning to hire board and bindings (planning to bring my own boots or should I hire them too?) - when hiring over ther I suspect in places like Whistler and big resorts there is a wide choice of boards? can I request board type and bindings? keen to try Jones Mountain Twin and Burton step on bindings? or am I pushing it there

thanks again for a feedback

 

[wrathfuldeity]

The holyland is open for all ye pilgrims of the LBS....Feb 8th, 9th and 10th 2019. Perhaps you could win/lotto a spot to race. Legendary Banked Slalom :: 2019 Entry Info


as for hiring gear...definitely bring your boots, helmet, goggles and clothes. Most big resorts you can hire shitty rental gear or better yet do a performance rental/demo. At Bakes you do a performance rental and can then demo and switch out a few boards during the day.


as for looking at google for places...be warned

marketing image vs reality

https://snowbrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/525343_10152110919548484_2037082683_n.jpg

 

[f00bar]

You can't really miss with any of the above choices. I'd take a look at flights to see what connections, etc, will get you where. A few of them may drop out of the race if you see it adds an extra few days travel for you or if the price is bonkers.

Oh, and just throwing this out there, but Japan is closer. But I can see how the cultural similarities of the us/ca might make the trip a lot easier/less intimidating.

 

[sush1]

Are all the other smaller resorts that are close to Van just as packed on the weekends?

 

[Phedder]

What about Ski Big 3 (Lake Louise, Mt. Norquay, Sunshine Banff)? It's close to Calgary and easy to get to and you get three resorts?

For the full resort experience I'd say this is your best pick, and much better value for $$$ over US options. There's a lot to do in Banff when off the mountains, 3 mountains to choose from with a huge variety of terrain, and a killer bus system to get you to them.

 

[SlvrDragon50]

Gonna throw up another suggestion. Take a look at the Ikon or Epic pass and see if any of the AU/NZ mountains appeal to you, and then you can decide which of the NA mountains you want to hit up that are offered on each pass. Get the most bang for your buck!