Skiing and Snowboarding - Page 36

MichaelS · #**701** Posted **Feb 4, 2014, 7:24 PM**

A coworker was out there last weekend and I chatted to her about it (so this is second hand). She said they were able to find a bit of soft stuff in the bowls, but the first 20 meters getting into them were pretty treacherous, and did some damage to her bases.

The groomed stuff was okay, but nothing special. Not much to go on, but I would say it was kind of middle of the road. She wasn't complaining heavily, or raving about how good it was.

Klazu · #**702** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 6:01 PM**

I am planning to head out to Big White this coming weekend. The weather seems to be aligning nicely, so should be good.

Any comments on the place or would Silver Star or APEX would have been a better choise? Maybe next time...

Ramsayfarian · #**703** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 6:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

I am planning to head out to Big White this coming weekend. The weather seems to be aligning nicely, so should be good.

Any comments on the place or would Silver Star or APEX would have been a better choise? Maybe next time...

I've been to Big White over a dozen time and have had some much fun there, I've never bothered with Silver Star or Apex. However, I'd pick Red Mountain over Big White.

Only issue I've had with Big White was the fog. It can get quite socked in there. To the point they have a fog horn on a couple of the lifts so you can find the freakin thing.

If you can ride the glades, this viz is better, but the hill is big enough that you can usually find a clear spot.

Decades ago, when I was still in high school. A shitload of us hopped on a greyhound and headed to Big White for spring break. The bus ride alone was an event. We almost got booted out by the time we reached Calaway Park. Turns out the bathroom on a greyhound does a poor job of containing certain smells.

Anyways, a bunch of us were bombing through the trees and burst onto a run. One of us completely took out a skier. Just blindsided the poor guy. When we stopped to help pick up the yard sale the unlucky skier turned out to be our Phys-Ed Teacher who was in Kelowna with his family. Luckily he wasn't hurt, but he was a tad upset.

Ramsayfarian · #**704** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 6:31 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelS

A coworker was out there last weekend and I chatted to her about it (so this is second hand). She said they were able to find a bit of soft stuff in the bowls, but the first 20 meters getting into them were pretty treacherous, and did some damage to her bases.

The groomed stuff was okay, but nothing special. Not much to go on, but I would say it was kind of middle of the road. She wasn't complaining heavily, or raving about how good it was.

Unless we get a good spring, this season is turning into a wash. I'm heading to Fernie this weekend and it looks meh as well.

Procrastinational · #**705** Posted **Feb 5, 2014, 8:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

I am planning to head out to Big White this coming weekend. The weather seems to be aligning nicely, so should be good.

Any comments on the place or would Silver Star or APEX would have been a better choise? Maybe next time...

I went to Big White last Friday.
Snow is about average right now (hasn't been a stellar snow season), but it has been really sunny lately. And quite chilly. So dress for cold and you should be able to enjoy yourself

Klazu · #**706** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 4:03 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Only issue I've had with Big White was the fog. It can get quite socked in there. To the point they have a fog horn on a couple of the lifts so you can find the freaking thing.

Haha, you must be joking?!?

Seems that there won't be any need for the fog horn this weekend as it should be sunny during day time, but cold. Should be pretty perfect two days of skiing.

We ended up staying in Kelowna, as the prices were much better and the ride doesn't seem to be that long. Also free parking at Big White is something Whistler should take a hint from (I know about P4 and P5, but come on, it should be free throughout the place).

What would be the most spectacular are and best groomed runs to spend the first - and normally the best - hour of each morning on?

s211 · #**707** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 4:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Haha, you must be joking?!?

Seems that there won't be any need for the fog horn this weekend as it should be sunny during day time, but cold. Should be pretty perfect two days of skiing.

We ended up staying in Kelowna, as the prices were much better and the ride doesn't seem to be that long. Also free parking at Big White is something Whistler should take a hint from (I know about P4 and P5, but come on, it should be free throughout the place).

What would be the most spectacular are and best groomed runs to spend the first - and normally the best - hour of each morning on?

No kidding. And nothing rubs salt in the wound more than a new mayor being voted in on the premise of removing the parking charges and then not doing so after being voted in.

The result, I never visit the village after a day of skiing. I'd rather park for free at Creekside or at the Upper Village lots, and then bail afterward.

Klazu · #**708** Posted **Feb 6, 2014, 6:55 PM**

Yeah, Creekside is also my favorite for parking and accommodation on Whistler for that exact reason.

Ramsayfarian · #**709** Posted **Feb 7, 2014, 2:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Haha, you must be joking?!?

Seems that there won't be any need for the fog horn this weekend as it should be sunny during day time, but cold. Should be pretty perfect two days of skiing.

We ended up staying in Kelowna, as the prices were much better and the ride doesn't seem to be that long. Also free parking at Big White is something Whistler should take a hint from (I know about P4 and P5, but come on, it should be free throughout the place).

What would be the most spectacular are and best groomed runs to spend the first - and normally the best - hour of each morning on?

Wasn't kidding about the fog horn. I've been there where you can't even see the chair in front of you.

As far was runs go. I'm a moron when it comes to remembering names of runs. Hopefully someone else can chime in. If not, I'm sure a ski-host can point you in the right direction.

shreddog · #**710** Posted **Feb 9, 2014, 2:43 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

Unless we get a good spring, this season is turning into a wash. I'm heading to Fernie this weekend and it looks meh as well.

Yeah what started out so promising has really turned out less so. So far this year I've been to Nakiska(3), Louise(3), Sunshine(5), Pano(2) and Castle(1) and will likely need new skis before the season is out. Sunshine seems to have the best consistency so far and until another big dump comes will likely be my choice until March. Castle was disappointing last weekend - no new snow though coverage was ok.

How was Fernie??

Ramsayfarian · #**711** Posted **Feb 9, 2014, 4:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by shreddog

Yeah what started out so promising has really turned out less so. So far this year I've been to Nakiska(3), Louise(3), Sunshine(5), Pano(2) and Castle(1) and will likely need new skis before the season is out. Sunshine seems to have the best consistency so far and until another big dump comes will likely be my choice until March. Castle was disappointing last weekend - no new snow though coverage was ok.

How was Fernie??

It is Sunday morning and I am back already. Didn't ride at all. Entirely my fault though, i forgot my snowboard pants in Calgary. So used to dressing here and going to Sunshine, I forgot to pack them.

Could have bought a new pair for $120 on the hill, but they weren't great pants and the conditions weren't worth spending $120 on a pants I'd never wear again.

So I decided to pull the pin and come by to Calgary hoping that it would be warm today and I could go to Sunshine. So I'm now doing chores and catching up on work.

Worst winter ever.

MalcolmTucker · #**712** Posted **Feb 10, 2014, 3:25 AM**

Was at Louise today. The weather was great -16 and no wind at all, no clouds. A bit colder at lower elevations, but not too bad. The lower 2/3rd of men's downhill was great. Everything else was meh, lots of bare spots I've never seen bare in my 20 years of going to Louise. Hard packed bumps in paradise bowl, didn't get to any off the poma. Reasonable day for getting used to new skis.

Coldrsx · #**713** Posted **Feb 10, 2014, 4:21 PM**

Marmot Basin was cold this past weekend, -17 to -22 so we half-dayed it Sat/Sun. Snow was ok, but quite low on windblown areas. They definitely need another 20-25cm soon.

What I did love was how few people were there, not one line and we were doing 10min runs for much of the day.

Ramsayfarian · #**714** Posted **Feb 11, 2014, 3:06 AM**

If anyone is going to Fernie or Kicking Horse this long weekend, I have a Costco pass that is good for 2 lift tickets at either resort. I paid $129 + tax. Will sell for $120.

shreddog · #**715** Posted **Feb 17, 2014, 4:31 AM**

Just came back from a Castle-Fernie-Castle weekend. Ouch, the thighs are on fire. Lots of new snow at both resorts, many first lines in the snow (Polar bowl opened at the perfect time yesterday). Too bad Red was closed at Castle today, though the mountain is in much better shape snow wise than 2 weeks ago. Crowds were surprisingly light for a long weekend .... though Fernie sucked yesterday due to races.

Off to Sunshine next weekend ... did anyone hit Pano this weekend, was supposed to have had lots of snow.

MichaelS · #**716** Posted **Feb 18, 2014, 1:23 AM**

Just came back from a weekend in Panorama, had almost perfect weather. Saturday there was still quite a bit of soft stuff to be found from the 40cm they got on Wednesday/Thursday, however you could tell they were hurting earlier as there wasn't much of a base beneath the new stuff off the top of Summit Chair (which opened late on Saturday due to electrical gremlins). Still, a great day of skiing with temps hovering just below 0.

Sunday morning, woke up to about 10cm of fresh snow. My friend and I cut first tracks through the Tayton (sp?) bowl, and then spent most of the day just bombing up and down the Sunbird chair. Great day with lots of fresh snow still to be found at 2:00 PM. Again though, the lack of base was starting to become evident in some places (bottom of Tayton, where everyone funnels into for instance).

Woke up again this morning to about another 10 cm of fresh, but unfortunately commitments at home had us all packing up to hit the road. It was puking down snow though while we drove away. Probably would have been another great day for anyone who was able to stick around and ski for the day.

Klazu · #**717** Posted **Mar 2, 2014, 8:59 PM**

Whistler has been getting over 2 meters of new snow during February, but I still found the snow levels to be fairly low outside of the official runs. Here are few cloudy photos from yesterday.

The new 6-person Harmony Express seems to having the expected effect and the queues for the lift remained short all day. Now they just need to replace the always crowded Emerald Express with a similar one.

s211 · #**718** Posted **Mar 3, 2014, 3:58 PM**

Was there on Friday, and you know conditions in Whistler are sketchy when a group full of very advanced/expert skiers (of which I was not one) sticked to groomers the whole day.