most places should be $100 ish CND / night. so $60 US is about right
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most places should be $100 ish CND / night. so $60 US is about right
Yep good point.Quote:
Originally Posted by mntlion
Thanks for the help, think we will probably end up sticking with the Canada trip due to the gf wanting to see Banff during xmas time.
Looking good so far with respect to snow for Banff in early October according to some of the weather models. Hopefully indicative of things to come.
18/19 rockies thread
https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...ROCKIES-THREAD
banff is skiing great right now (and pond skating is amazing too)
Thanks for the info... coming to Banff in March for a week. Usually go to Bridger but headed North this year for a change of pace.
Thanks Dave
Great beta. Thx!
Likely heading to powder highway for 7-10 days first half of February with wife (advanced skier,) 3 year old (hula hoop greeen monster), feaux grandma (expert skier,) feaux grandpa (advanced skier.) Me (would prefer to live in a van and chase steep fresh ala kh/revy/castle.)
Preferences for airfare in advance to Calgary (maybe; however unlikely spokanistan,) last minute lodging for chasing best conditions, lodging at ski area for kiddo naps, childcare for a.m. adult laps, 4wd rental vehicle for 4 adults one kiddo and 9 pair of sticks. No ski touring on this trip. Nightlife doesn't matter. Pool is nice but unnecessary. Fucj life has gone from dirtbag to complicated quickly.
I understand banff is great for mixed groups. Aside from the three year old who is appropriately a pain in the ass at times the rest of the crew isn't. They like to rally for the best snow.
A few pertinent questions that i haven't found suggests answers to:
Availability of last minute lodging at ski areas, ideally slopeside, 1st half of February? Or is it necessary to book in advance.
Where the hell do we rent a 4wd van/ monster suv in calgary that can fit 4 adults, a toddler and 9 pairs of sticks? I just get lost in all the redirect fake car rental broker sites.
How's a.m. childcare at revy, LL/ SSC, KH, pano? What about castle?
Thinking pano with a good forecast might be a good destination for half the trip for us.
Anyone need a spot filled for cat/heli for a day? I would happily rally especially if it's a strong group. Pretty sketched to roll the dice on group dynamics/acumen.
Thx in advance! Will be holding scotch for parking lot apres sharing
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Wrt rental vehicles I had a good experience getting a 4wd Jeep from Routes Car Rentals at YYC. Decent rate and good service. They might have larger vehicles.
I have a place at Pano and think it is the best family resort bar none. A really great range of terrain for all levels. I know low on your priority, but the kids love the pools and adults can enjoy as well. If you avoid Family Day long weekend, should be able to get decent prices. Buddy has a 3 bedroom penthouse, not sure if he can pull it from rental pool, but might do a deal if he can. Depends if it is taken, the 3 bedrooms are in high demand. Try the Panoramaresort.com as a first try, high country properties is another with houses you can rent. If you go through High Country, they won’t always be on-Mountain, so may not have pool access. If you want, I can get you cards and happy to pass on. I have nothing to go on, but also a Panoramavacations.com. There are buses that run from the resort to Invermere that can get you down and back.Quote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
Car rentals, if you have a points program, try that. Car rental up here for premium vehicles can be insane.
Pano has an awesome daycare (Used to be called Wee Wascals May now be PanoKids) also, and they will take the kids out for an hour or two magic carpet ski if you get their gear. Suggest booking in advance. Last few years occupancy has been high, so last minute can be dicey.
https://www.panoramaresort.com
https://highcountryproperties.com
https://panoramavacations.com
The on-hill units are all condos with full kitchens, so you can cook in. On hill food, for the most part is OK. This year, they have a food cat. Yes, a full snow cat with a food truck on top and will be at various locations around the mountain. Haven’t tried the food yet, but it is a cool concept.
T-Bar is the bar, kids allowed until 730 or 8.
Eleven 50 is more upscale, haven’t tried the food this year, has never had a great rep
JackPine is a bar, mainly staff, never been there, it is in the lower village.
Main lodge for typical ski resort lunch fare.
The Cabin restaurant is across the street from condos in the upper village. Awesome real BBQ, and fun vibe. Oh yeah, Grey’s Lodge is a B&B on hill. Maybe give it a shot for accommodations.
For non downhill days, there is snowshoeing and cross country skiing on GreyWolf golf course and a trail that runs around the resort. You can also x-country out to Hale Hut which is 15-20km round trip.
RK Heli ski does heli by the day. Awesome terrain and well run op. Can do stand-by days for a slightly lower price if you don’t mind last minute call up.
I am currently unemployed, so if you decide to go, and I am out there, happy to guide you around some secret stashes. PM me for private email/cell.
What I Miss?
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As long as you are not on “family day” long weekend in feb it should be fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
No idea on car. But free easy bus to all Banff ski areas so might not need it. Also easy bus from airport to hotels.
Kid care is good I hear at LL, Ssv. Maybe a bit limited at reve, Kh. More limited Castle. But call or email and ask.
Castle and reve are 3-4 hours from Banff. Not really a day trip
Pano is good family and if it gets snow great. Kh is 90 min. So is LL or Ssv. Day heli out of RK in pano. Ask at office for a day rate with a good group.
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Wow! Dan, you are the MAN! Thx for taking the time. I'll pm you as our plans evolveQuote:
Originally Posted by dufferdan
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Thx mtnlion great beta! I'll have to search about family day. We don't do that in the states.Quote:
Originally Posted by mntlion
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MondayQuote:
Originally Posted by skinipenem
, February 18
Family Day 2019 in Canada
so try to plan the week before or after. But its REALLY not that bad compared to Pres day weekend
Might be a bit different this year because it will be the first time that British Columbia Family Day is the same date as Alberta (previously BC was one week earlier).Quote:
Originally Posted by mntlion
bump for people with questions
Thinking of doing 3 or 4 nights in Banff over the last weekend in April (25-29) for the gf's birthday. She skis, but isn't quite as passionate about it as me, so we would likely only ski 1 or 2 days. I'm just starting to look into options for other things to do, but are there decent options in late April, or is it like most mountain towns in the U.S. where you're lucky if the grocery store is open 10-4 Monday-Thursday during mud season?
If we're driving up from western Washington at that time of year, would I better off keeping my true winter tires on (Blizzaks) or switching to my "summer" tires, which are still 3PMSF rated (K02)?
Given the favorable exchange rate and time of year, I am leaning toward booking a room at the Fairmont, but am certainly open to other lodging recs. We do a decent amount of AirBnb/VRBO type stuff, but I'm thinking more a hotel/lodge/BnB experience will be nicer for the occasion.
Neither of us have been before, so help a gaper out. Heh.
By no means and expert, but I stayed in Banff last year around that time and skied SSV. Everything in Banff seemed to be open and happening and the skiing was still really good. Mt. Norquay had closed right around that time but SSV and LL were still open. Skiing was really good and ranged from spring condish to pow while I was there. My only regret was not having brought touring gear.Quote:
Originally Posted by glademaster
Depending on your route, travelling Washington State to Banff, if you are going through mountain passes (Kootenay Pass on Hwy 93 from Radium to Castle Junction), while it is usually pretty clear by then, there is a chance of snowstorms. The legal requirement is to have winter tires on the vehicle until March 31. I usually remove my snow tires late April or early May. If sticking to more valley type driving, all-seasons should be more than fine.Quote:
Originally Posted by glademaster
In terms of other stuff to do, if still open, you can look at dog sledding out of Canmore. Friend and his family did that several years ago and had a riot. At lower elevations, if the weather has been dry,mountain biking may be an option. There is also the Canmore-Banff Legacy trail, a paved route between Canmore and Banff you can ride on pavement, about 23 km. You can also ride the Bow Valley Parkway (1A) between Banff and Castle Mountain. Again, weather dependent.
Most area ski resorts (NOT LL or SSV) close closer to April 8 or 15. LL and SSV usually go well into May. Conditions are usually pretty soft, though can be hard boiled early in AM, the perfect corn comes up mid-late morning, turning to slush later in the afternoon, depending on aspect and elevation. Lower half of LL is usually slush by 2PM, but higher up and back side/Temple can still ride like mid-winter.
Will try to come up with other stuff....
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So more on snow tires...This is TGR afterall. We're landing in Kelowana, spending time at Revelstoke, then driving the pass to Banff. Well, that's the plan anyway. The rental company assured me the car has "snow tires". Do the M/S tires with proper tread still pass as legal snows? Or do you have to have actual winter tires to make this drive legal? Stupidity and not having proper tires is a whole other thing....Just curious about the lawsQuote:
Originally Posted by dufferdan
Gracias
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/t...hain-up-routes
From the link:
"Designated Winter Tire & Chain-up Routes
Winter tires or chains are required on most routes in British Columbia from October 1 to March 31. For select highways, including mountain passes and rural routes in high snowfall areas, the date will be extended until April 30 to account for early-spring snowfall.
These routes are marked with regulatory signs posted on numbered and un-numbered highways throughout the province. We reserve the right to restrict travel at any time of the year depending on road conditions.
These signs are enforced by the police, ministry or other enforcement officials. Motorists who are not compliant may be turned away, and be subject to a fine.
Link to map showing where closure area could be extended to April 30:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/dr...dfs/sirmap.pdf
So the hwy 1 9your route) from Sicamous through Revelstoke and over Rogers Pass are qualified to April 30
Also from same site:
High Mountain Passes Winter Tire Requirements
While M+S tires with 3.5 mm tread is the minimum requirement for winter driving in B.C. it is highly recommended that you use mountain snowflake tires and carry chains while driving high mountain passes like the Coquihalla and the Malahat or anywhere that severe winter conditions are likely to occur.
It is the responsibility of the operator of any vehicle to understand the conditions on the roads they regularly drive and equip their vehicle for those conditions to ensure their own safety and the safety of others on the road.
Unfortunately, M+S tires with 3.5 mm tread are officially 'winter tires' in BC - and are probably what is on your rental. You could also take chains - but if conditions are bad enough for YOU to chain up you have to remember that you will be mixing with aggressively driven unchained transports and pickups. A better option would be to wait until conditions improve.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenstateofmind
fine either way with tires.Quote:
Originally Posted by glademaster
end of april should be spring, but CAN be winter too. Bring touring gear. rent bikes if needed, Summer is banff is busy, so everything is still open and running 100%.
Its a really nice to to come as its warmer, long days, and still can be witner snow
End of April or in to May it can feel like full blown winter at LL or SSV. It could also be warm, but 'bikini top' ski days are few and far between here.
M+S means fuck all. The proper symbol is a mountain peak with a snowflake in the middle. I had a rental last week in Calgary because my truck was down, $44 for the rental PLUS another $20 for mountain snowflake rated tires.Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenstateofmind
Going to Banff over Easter for a family ski trip. I’ve skied there before, but this will be the first time with kids.
Any suggestions for kid friendly (ages 7 and 10) non-skiing activities?
Also, what’s the best deal for lift tickets? I have Ikon, so I could just use the friends and family 25% discount at the hills, but I’m wondering if Costco or somewhere else has better pricing.
Finally, what are the chances I will regret bringing Brahmas and not a wider ski this time of year?
After a week in the backcountry, I'm in Lake Louise for a couple of days. Any tips, pointers, conditions report would be appreciated. I may come back later in the week in conditions look good for getting on to the ice field.
non skiingQuote:
Originally Posted by TrueNorth
https://www.banffadventures.com/
hike johnson lake (find hermets cabin)
tickets: 25% off is about the best. take the bus. have a beer after skiing or a nap on the way home
brahmas are fine: rent fatter if needed for pow day
into the freeze thaw. start 10-11, follow sun. ER6&7 shoud be winter stillQuote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Back in Canmore now.
My advice: Boot heaters, green wax, all of the clothing.
Make sure to get the sweet patch for skiing the "big 3" (big 2 medium 1)
Mntlion and I were actually talking about that last week. You can tell the tourons because they're all WAY overdressed.Quote:
Originally Posted by ak_powder_monkey
Check Costco. I picked up a 2-pack of day passes for 179.99 earlier this season. IF your local Costco doesn't have them, call the Calgary Costco and see if they do. I picked up 2 passes to kicking horse as well, but didn't end up using them.Quote:
Originally Posted by TrueNorth
Planning to stop in Banff for 24-48 hours on the way to Golden... via Calgary flights, on Friday/Saturday.
Questions:
Most important:
- About half of our group has IKON and is stoked to ride lifts on touring gear for a day or two... the other half probably don't want to buy day tickets... somewhere close to central Banff to go for some "exercise" skinning (low avi risk, half day skin recommendation)?
Less important:
- Best grocery store for stocking up for a hut trip in Banff.... Nester's, or?... vs buy a week's worth of hut groceries in Golden?
- Somewhere to fill airbag canisters in Banff? Monod sports? Or?
We're thinking of staying at Juniper Hotel. Good views?
Recommendations of where to stay in Golden?
I'm just a tourist, others will most likely have better info.
Thats gonna be tough. There are not many trailheads near Banff proper with any snow right now. It is probably melted out but Norquay might be an option. There may be some options on the road up to Sunshine but I wouldn't say that is low avi danger. Sunshine itself isn't really an option without a ticket. Places like Bow Summit and Parker Ridge are great but not exactly close.Quote:
somewhere close to central Banff to go for some "exercise" skinning (low avi risk, half day skin recommendation)?
More options, better prices in Golden is my experience.Quote:
Best grocery store for stocking up for a hut trip in Banff.... Nester's, or?... vs buy a week's worth of hut groceries in Golden?
Call around. May be more difficult than it seems. Canmore and Golden are obviously better options. Consider shipping to a hotel full.Quote:
Somewhere to fill airbag canisters in Banff? Monod sports? Or?
Why Banff? There are some cool things to do but it is kind of a touristy party place . Sunshine is a sweet ski area. If you are in the area I'd try and see Lake Louise and ski there and also try and get up on the Icefields Parks way. Nothing wrong with Banff but if you have a couple of days, you have way more options that hanging out it town.
Looks like were in for a POW filled weekend...go to the resort! If some are truly in for 'exercise skinning' then they could always go up the Sunshine ski out while the ones with Ikon 'hoot it up' in a pow filled Dive...and then meet for lunch.Quote:
Originally Posted by jesski
I think Monods does refills but you better call first as they don't seem to list services on their website. Was riding bike with Matt his weekend, rad family and as big as Monods is, I like supporting them.
Fuck Juniper though, multiple reasons I won't support that place. Maybe get groceries at Sobey's in Canmore? With your American advantage, splurge on Chuck's (best ambience in Banff, grass fed tenderloin with the mac n' cheese, so delicious). Wolf's or Bear's Den in Golden for burgers (your choice of any animal, Wild Boar YUMMMM).
Mary's in Golden is the cheap go to although you could check out Kicking Horse River Lodge as well as it will probably be empty. Lake Louise Inn or even the Hostel in Louise as it'll probably be empty.
amazing views,a nd nice resturant. Owner is a twitfuck,Quote:
Originally Posted by jesski
see my list at the start of this thread for other options.
Thanks guys.
Called Monod sports and they confirmed able to refill Mammut canisters.
Sounds like Juniper (which I was choosing in part for the breakfast menu) is a better place to eat than to stay.
Is the Rimrock worth the uptick in price?
vs Fairmount?
vs. a 3-star place like Mount Royal Hotel?
We were thinking of splurging for one night possibly.
Avalanche Safety Solutions in Golden fills and rents Mammut canisters
Fuck Juniper on both hotel AND restaurant, overpriced BS food by even Banff standards. Better to stay in town anyways so you can walk everywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by jesski
I would go cheap on hotel and splurge on dinners, such excellent food. It's worth strolling the Banff Springs (Fairmont) and sneaking into the pool.