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Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip
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Where would you recommend skiing at Xmas/ NY for (as much as it can be) a snow guarantee?

Two kids, 5 and 3 next year, the eeldest can currently navigate nursery / blue / green slopes but will have several more weeks under her belt by then.

I have only been to Fernie once, never anywhere else.

Where should we go.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Obvious pick is Whistler. Big, tons of terrain, loads of good eating choices, easy walkable village. Kids ski school is very kid friendly (aim for the Mon-Fri Adventure Camp option, otherwise the kids will have a ski off every morning and a different instructor).

But ... Xmas/NY is more likely than not to be cold. By which I mean potentially unpleasantly cold; the sort of cold that can make things a bit miserable if you are 3 or 5 years old and going slowly in ski school. To be honest though anywhere in Canada will suffer from this at Xmas/NY, and if anything because it is coastal Whistler has the best chance of being the least cold option.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Whistler is great, but the best family resort in Canafa is Big White. I lived there for almost 20 years. Really great resort, very family friendly. Shopping and dining is nothing like a place
Iike Whistler though. It’s much smaller. And Way way more affordable.

Look up Cannonball on this forum for more info. He is the director of the ski school there.

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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There’s only one place to go. Dagmar.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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Big White and Whistler are pretty different, condition wise, as well, aren't they?

OP, check out Banff.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Greg66] [ In reply to ]
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But ... Xmas/NY is more likely than not to be cold.

It could be cold, but it can also rain for a whole week in Whistler at that time of the year. Whistler is in the Coastal Mountain Range of the Pacific Northwest. - so it's influenced by colder air from up north and the interior of BC as well as the warmer wetter weather of the coast. It tends to swing back and forth over the course of a winter.

The good news is that when it's raining in the village, it's snowing further up the mountain - the guaranteed snow-level in the area is 4000' - 5000'. Whistler village in the valley sits at just over 2000'


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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There’s only one place to go. Dagmar.

Best answer! There's a bus from Scarborough you can take, yes? :)


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
Last edited by: Fleck: Feb 18, 18 9:14
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Check out Silverstar in the Okanagan Valley.

I've been a number of times. Great ski-in-ski-out accommodations at almost all places on the mountain. A wonderful compact village, where you can walk to everything. Great range of terrain - with some of the best Blue Diamond cruiser/GS runs I've ever been on and elevator shaft Double Black Diamonds if you are into extreme sort of stuff. But also awesome terrain for newbies and kids. Also at your doorstep, are 100km of some of the best cross-country ski trails in North America.

When we would go in the 1990's for a week. We would xc-ski 30K in the morning. Eat lunch then hit the Alpine slopes for downhill skiing in the afternoon and early part of the evening (they have lit night skiing near the main lodge). Dinner, a few beers, bed, repeat!


Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Ah so many choices I wish my son and wife liked to downhill ski.
I have never skied eastern Canada but from everything I hear I haven't missed anything so I'll confine myself to the west. I have never skied whistler either but it is giant so there will be lots of terrain I have no idea how busy it gets. It is also likely to be the most expensive resort in Canada, that would still be cheaper than lots in Colorado and I have no idea compared to Europe so cost may not be as much of a factor anyway, plus you are coming at Christmas so you are already accepting the premium.
I wouldn't recommend Fernie (my favourite hill but it is not a beginner/ intermediate hill it is an advanced/expert plus hill), same can be said for Kicking horse great hill for black double black but limited green and blue runs.
If you wanted to hit a few hills staying in Banff and skiing Sunshine and Lake Louise is an option, both have basically no on hill homes to rent just hotel accommodations, and even in Banff finding a place with a Kitchen isn't easy or cheap, Canmore would be better but you are adding to your travel time to the hill every day. Both hills have pretty good ski schools. (skip norquay if you are in Banff again limited beginner terrain)
If you don't mind driving a little farther from Calgary you could look at Kimberly or Fairmont resorts, (I haven't skied either in ages) but they both have on hill accommodations and Fairmont has a nice hotsprings. If you are willing to drive even farther (like 8 hr from Calgary 5 ish from Vancouver) you get to Big White outside of Kelowna (never skied there but did spend a day biking there this summer and the hill looks nice) or Silver star outside of Vernon. I spent Christmas at Silver star about 5 years ago and it was amazing good snow not too busy and lots of great places to rent that were ski in ski out, plus tons of great XC just down the road and the ski school was really well set up and run that week. Both Big White and Silver star are about an hour out of town and Kelowna by far is the nicer town to visit if you are taking a day off skiing.

Let me know if you have any questions, I know Kicking horse, Fernie, Sunshine and Louise best so if you decide on any of those I can be most helpful, but can get you some details on the others if you are interested.

Ben
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [abies] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks to all

Concern about whistler was snow. I recall that its not always great low down early in season

Have skied Fernie. As kids likely to be in ski school I recall there were accessible runs for beginners which at least one of mine coukd navigate

I will look at Flecks suggestion. Not heard of it before

Would like to to revelstoke don't know about kid facilities

Really criteria are good kids ski school. As certain as possible snow at Xmas. If really lucky powder for me. Have plenty of steep stuff here - chamonix - but rarely get west coast snow.

Don't care about the cold as I sent 4 year old out to ski school on Tuesday and it was -19 in the resort ;) (france)

She loves it and does not seem to get whiny about being cold or being wet given the last 2 days were torrential rain.

I am going to look at all the suggestions.

I'd really like ski in ski out, not to long transfers as it will be a long trip for us anyway and reasonable lift passes.

Thanks
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
Concern about whistler was snow. I recall that its not always great low down early in season


Similar to what Fleck was saying about Whistler: it has a 5,000 foot vertical drop. I had a ski trip there one Thanksgiving. It rained much of the four days we were there. So, it was rainy in the village and you could not ski down to the village. But, we'd upload on the gondola each day, and spend the entire day on the upper part of the mountains, and download at the end of the day. Great conditions with fresh snow up there. Could be an issue if you want to be able to take your little ones to the hotel room in the middle of the day, but was no problem for us.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Revelstoke: dropped through in the summer a couple of times. The last time was just before the houses at the new base went up for sale (off plan, via Christie’s or similar) from what I remember the original town is 5-10 min drive from the ski base. And the original town ain’t exactly buzzing. Also seem to recall the drive there from wherever the nearest intl airport is (Calgary?) is long and can be sketchy in winter. That’s all quite old info, from memory, so treat accordingly.

Banff: powder-licious but all the ski hills are a drive (5 mins for Norquay, 15/20 for Banff, 45 for Lake Louise) from Banff town. And it can get very cold there - lift is checking you for frostnip and sending indoors cold. I’ve see -25 there.

Whistler early season snow: never known it to be bad by Xmas. But ski in/ski out accommodation is thin on the ground. Your best bet IMO would be the Westin: right next to the Whistler gondola, ski valet, and on top of the village; or maybe the Carlton Lodge (not sure what that’s like inside though). Lift passes are now more expensive post Vail takeover. Transfer is 1h45 from YVR as long as you aren’t unlucky getting through the city.
Last edited by: Greg66: Feb 18, 18 11:06
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
Big White and Whistler are pretty different, condition wise, as well, aren't they?


OP, check out Banff.


Banff in December can definitely be cold, Whistler OTOH the averages are certainly not that bad.
https://www.whistler.com/weather/history/

FWIW, if you decide to check Banff weather - look at Sunshine Village & Lake Louise weather (Skiing Louise?) rather than the townsite as it's a bit warmer in the valley.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [racin_rusty] [ In reply to ]
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This is my ignorance as an islander speaking... Don't you want it cold? How cold are we talking?

Over here, if it's not cold on the mountain, it's rainy and the snow is shit.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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Cold is well below -10, this year we were in the low teens or 20s between Christmas and New Year's. And that was the high there is almost no worry of rain in December in Alberta.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
This is my ignorance as an islander speaking... Don't you want it cold? How cold are we talking?

Over here, if it's not cold on the mountain, it's rainy and the snow is shit.

IIRC, snow forms when the temperature is changing, either cooling or warming. Also usually not lower than -10 when it snows.
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [CaptainCanada] [ In reply to ]
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i echo big white or silver star. lineups are minimal and lots to do for the family (cross country skiing, tubing, snowshoe, skating rink, icewall climbing, lots of ski lesson availability).
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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Andrewmc wrote:
Thanks to all

Concern about whistler was snow. I recall that its not always great low down early in season

Have skied Fernie. As kids likely to be in ski school I recall there were accessible runs for beginners which at least one of mine coukd navigate

I will look at Flecks suggestion. Not heard of it before

Would like to to revelstoke don't know about kid facilities

Really criteria are good kids ski school. As certain as possible snow at Xmas. If really lucky powder for me. Have plenty of steep stuff here - chamonix - but rarely get west coast snow.

Don't care about the cold as I sent 4 year old out to ski school on Tuesday and it was -19 in the resort ;) (france)

She loves it and does not seem to get whiny about being cold or being wet given the last 2 days were torrential rain.

I am going to look at all the suggestions.

I'd really like ski in ski out, not to long transfers as it will be a long trip for us anyway and reasonable lift passes.

Thanks

If you are looking at Silver Star, you could easily do a two mountain trip combining Big White and SS. Both great mountains, only a few hours apart. Almost all accom is ski in ski out

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)
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Re: Oh Canada (ians)......family ski trip [Andrewmc] [ In reply to ]
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My kids are too young still and my wife doesn't ski/ride - but if i was going on a family trip in BC, i'd pick Silver Star, Sun Peaks, or Big White.
They all have a pretty heavy dose of blue-ish runs. Not much as exciting as Whistler, and the night life is a little meh - but that doesnt really matter for a family trip.
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