Northern Rockies/Alberta Alberta and Eastern BC discussion thread

[blah]

Interesting. Looks like the pass options offer up to 7 days across all the resorts of RCR. Rather than 7 days at each resort.

https://www.epicpass.com/info/rcr.aspx

I'll get my MCP as usual for next year, but depending on pricing, I might pick up an epic 4day pass as well.

 

[BlueSquare]

Hey folks,

Need some advice as we'll be visiting Canadian Rockies for the first time in early April for an entire week.

Family of 4 (wife is an experienced beginner, DD 10 is a solid int, and son 13 and I are upper intermediates). As MCP holders, we're already set for Sunshine Village (3 nts in Banff) and Lake Louise (2 nts) as bookends of our trip. In between, I haven't decided whether or not to:

(1) travel through Rogers Pass on to Revelstoke and ski one or two days there and soak in the aquatic center there with the kids,or
(2) travel along Icefields Parkway to Jasper National Park and back with an overnight stay in Jasper

Don't mind the 4+hr duration each way as I understand them to both be visually stunning drives but can't fit both into this trip unfortunately.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[albertanskigirl]

Hi @BlueSquare - are you and your family comfortable offpiste/ungroomed conditions? Based on skill level, and also time of year (Revy will close 4/13), I would probably suggest jasper. The drive is amazing, and you can get some great turns in, if you want to ski in jasper, there's marmot basin (https://www.skimarmot.com/) I love Marmot - we're going for 4 days at the end of March. It's a great mountain with a local vibe and usually very uncrowded. The drive up the Icefields is spectacular and I highly recommend it.

I would also say keep an eye on the forecast - early April, Revy could be pretty melty (low elevation and temps), and so that wouldn't leave much open for your wife or DD. The drive to Revy is also amazing though - but, for me, not quite as spectacular as the Icefields.

And let me know if you'd like a local mountain tour - I'd love to meet up with you and show you around. I can do weekdays, and on weekends, SO, and my DD and DS (12 and 14) are usually around too!

 

[BlueSquare]

Hi @BlueSquare - are you and your family comfortable offpiste/ungroomed conditions? Based on skill level, and also time of year (Revy will close 4/13), I would probably suggest jasper. The drive is amazing, and you can get some great turns in, if you want to ski in jasper, there's marmot basin (https://www.skimarmot.com/) I love Marmot - we're going for 4 days at the end of March. It's a great mountain with a local vibe and usually very uncrowded. The drive up the Icefields is spectacular and I highly recommend it.

I would also say keep an eye on the forecast - early April, Revy could be pretty melty (low elevation and temps), and so that wouldn't leave much open for your wife or DD. The drive to Revy is also amazing though - but, for me, not quite as spectacular as the Icefields.

And let me know if you'd like a local mountain tour - I'd love to meet up with you and show you around. I can do weekdays, and on weekends, SO, and my DD and DS (12 and 14) are usually around too!

Wow albertanskigirl! Exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for here. Love all the pics and details you, Mike Rogers, blah and other locals provide here.

And what a gracious offer to show complete strangers around. Of course, we'd love to be introduced to any of the mountains by you. But only my son and I are comfortable offpiste, when on wide skis. I'll PM you our travel details.

THANKS!

 

[blah]

RCR (kicking Horse, Fernie, etc.) joined Epic.

Hard to choose a pass for next year.....

Like the IKON Pass, people in this region do not have an unlimited days option. (Vail and Alterra do not own the resorts).

I was trying to decide on whether to get an Epic 7-day or a 4-day pass for next season to complement my Mountain Collective pass when I came upon an arbitrage opportunity...

According to the fine print here: https://www.epicpass.com/info/rcr.aspx
With the Epic 4-day Pass, "After the four days, regardless of the resort at which they were redeemed, pass holders can get 50 percent off additional lift tickets at RCR."

And with 2018/2019 Epic pass prices just published: https://www.epicpass.com/pass-results/passes.aspx,
a 4-day pass is going for $439 USD, while
a 7-day pass is going for $669 USD

So an additional 3 days at RCR mountains will have to run > $230 USD to make the Epic 7-day pass worthwhile. Or put it another way, with the 50% discount after the 4 free days are used up on the Epic 4-day pass, RCR mountains will need to charge > $153.33 USD for a single day lift ticket to make paying for the Epic 7-day pass a good deal. In today's exchange rate, that's $198.22 CAD for a day lift ticket. Given that this season's walk-up window rate at Kicking Horse and Fernie are $104.95 CAD, an almost 90% increase in ticket prices for the RCR mountains seems unlikely next season.

I guess the moral of the story is, get a 4-day pass and you'll come out ahead. Especially if you use the 4 free days at the more expensive US resorts or Whistler.

Someone check my math?

 

[Mike Rogers]

Nice catch, Blah.

The four and 7 pack make no sense for a person who is ONLY skiing RCR.

For this year:

With the discount card, you can ski for 4 days at 270 CAD (208 USD)

100 + 85 +85 +0

You can ski for 7 days for 440 CAD (339 USD)

100 + 85 +85 +0 +85+85+0

BUT, if you plan on skiing somewhere expensive first, the 50% off would be really nice.

Although if that other place is Whistler, there are deals for Western Canadians and people in the PacNW.

For Whistler, you can get a 5 day edge card for 460 CAD (355 USD) for unrestricted or 420 CAD (324 US) with blackouts...you don't want to ski Whistler at christmas anyway!

So many options! It's a good thing I am an an accountant!

 

[kitchener]

Booked a week's stay in Banff today for my kids' Easter Break (skiing 2 April - 6 April). We did much the same thing three years ago and we all really loved Sunshine.

As much as we loved Sunshine, I'm reluctant to commit to a 5-day "big-3" ski pass. As much snow as the area seems to be getting, it's tempting to leave our options open to perhaps check out Kicking Horse or one of the other area resorts for a day. What do you think? It's a long four weeks til we get there -- do "Big-3" lift prices change as you get closer to your arrival date? Do I run a risk of increased costs if I wait until a few days before we arrive?

Also, on our 2015 late-March trip to Banff, we were blindsided, lol, by the Banff National Park entry fee. I forget how much but $100ish rings a bell! When I got back, I learned people in the same boat were selling those passes on Ebay (something I'll look at finding this time around). Does the park still charge this fee? My sister visited a summer ago and there was no fee but she thinks it was for an anniversary.

 

[Mike Rogers]

That should be a great week for a vacation!

You are arriving after the holiday weekend, so the slopes shouldn't be crowded.

There IS still a charge to enter the park. It was waved for 2017, but it's back on...and enforced at ski hills.

Under 17 are now free though. It will cost you about $10/day if it's just you and the kids,or you can get the annual pass for 70ish. Double the cost for 2 adults.

https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/tarifs-fees

Technically, the passes aren't transferable, but there are always a bunch for sale online...and there is no way to trace a pass to its original owner.


Regarding Big 3 passes... I am not sure if they are always the best deal.
Sunshine charges adults 110 at the window, Louise charges 105. Big 3 is 120 for the day (purchased on day of skiing). You won't change resorts during the day.

You do save a lot when booking in advance. I am seeing 109 for a day, 279 for 3 days, and 464 for 5 during your timeframe. It will likely increase as you get closer to the date.

Maybe a better deal is at Calgary Costco (a hassle though) 2 for 166 at LL and 169 at Sunshine. But you lose the free bus and hotspring benefit of Big 3 pass. You can share the 2 tickets or use both of them yourself. Might want to call ahead to see stock though.

One last way to save...The sunshine super card is still on sale. It's good value IF you plan on skiing sunshine for 4 days. You pay 130 for the card, get the first day free, second day at 85, third at 85 and fourth free....so 300 for 4 days. Day 5 would also be 85... This won't help you at Louise though.


Big 3 might be easiest.

I recommend skiing more than just sunshine though.

 

[Jenny]

Under 17 are now free though. It will cost you about $10/day if it's just you and the kids,or you can get the annual pass for 70ish. Double the cost for 2 adults.

Forgot about this. It was 2017 when we were there before. Gotta go look at the website and see if it’s a vehicle fee or a person fee, but that could affect the car vs shuttle calculation.

 

[Mike Rogers]

Forgot about this. It was 2017 when we were there before. Gotta go look at the website and see if it’s a vehicle fee or a person fee, but that could affect the car vs shuttle calculation.

It's per person. A group rate is for 2 adults. Extras are free.

I always forgot about the park pass too!

Mine expires at the end of April.

 

[albertanskigirl]

@kitchener - are you renting a car? It might be more economical forget the rental car, take a shuttle from calgary to banff, stay in Banff and get the tri-area lift ticket, which includes shuttles between banff and sunshine, lake louise and norquay. if you want to take a day and ski kicking horse, you could also take a shuttle:
https://www.banfftours.com/activities/kicking-horse/

if you want a deal for the tri-area lift ticket, the best thing to do is sign up for the skibig3 email list -every so often they have flash sales for lift passes, and they are usually 20% off, but can be up to 40% off:
https://www.skibig3.com/newsletter-signup/

Forgot about this. It was 2017 when we were there before. Gotta go look at the website and see if it’s a vehicle fee or a person fee, but that could affect the car vs shuttle calculation.

@Jenny - there's a person fee, or a family fee. but if you've got two people basically, the family and person fee is the same (person fee is $10, family fee is $20). another thing we should talk about with car v. shuttle

 

[albertanskigirl]

Maybe a better deal is at Calgary Costco (a hassle though) 2 for 166 at LL and 169 at Sunshine. But you lose the free bus and hotspring benefit of Big 3 pass. You can share the 2 tickets or use both of them yourself. Might want to call ahead to see stock though.

I heard that all of the ski area tickets will be in stock at Costco until April 15, but not afterwards.

 

[kitchener]

Thanks all. I've come to the right place, lol. Funny, the car vs. the shuttle question is the germ of my park pass fee question. Last time we came, we did rent a car, but my wife was with us and we took a (memorable) mid-week day trip up the Icefields Parkway. But, if it weren't for that, we never used it. This time, we're staying at the Banff Park Lodge -- one of their claims to fame is their ski shuttle stop is "last on, first off." But, the transport schedule isn't a good marriage with my flight times (top of my head, one issue was being forced to get to the airport on my departure for home hours ahead of when I needed to). Since it's only three of us, a sedan with a fold-down seat should work (need to make sure it's a split!), and on the face of it, it's like $20 more. But the hotel is going to charge me about $8 (US) per day for parking, so I'm adding that to the equation, and my last question before deciding how much the convenience is worth, is that park pass lol!

Let me ask, will I pay the same Park Pass entry fees if I'm in the shuttle as I would if I were in a rental car? Anyway, to tighten down that cost, we'd be me, the dad, my newly-minted 18-yo (lol, yeah, "adult" -- he hasn't gotten the memo), and my 12-yo.

Also, Mike mentioned skiing more than just Sunshine. That's my other piece of the puzzle. We've been to Lake Louise before, what other areas shouldn't we miss with it being in mind it's going to be the first week of April?

 

[kitchener]

if you want a deal for the tri-area lift ticket, the best thing to do is sign up for the skibig3 email list -every so often they have flash sales for lift passes, and they are usually 20% off, but can be up to 40% off:
https://www.skibig3.com/newsletter-signup/

With a 4 week window, does the skibig3 email list roll out those sales enough, or does waiting run the risk of a price jump? I'm not _that_ worried about it, but Vail went for my eye teeth when I waited too long a few years back.

 

[albertanskigirl]

Thanks all. I've come to the right place, lol. Funny, the car vs. the shuttle question is the germ of my park pass fee question. Last time we came, we did rent a car, but my wife was with us and we took a (memorable) mid-week day trip up the Icefields Parkway. But, if it weren't for that, we never used it. This time, we're staying at the Banff Park Lodge -- one of their claims to fame is their ski shuttle stop is "last on, first off." But, the transport schedule isn't a good marriage with my flight times (top of my head, one issue was being forced to get to the airport on my departure for home hours ahead of when I needed to). Since it's only three of us, a sedan with a fold-down seat should work (need to make sure it's a split!), and on the face of it, it's like $20 more. But the hotel is going to charge me about $8 (US) per day for parking, so I'm adding that to the equation, and my last question before deciding how much the convenience is worth, is that park pass lol!

Let me ask, will I pay the same Park Pass entry fees if I'm in the shuttle as I would if I were in a rental car? Anyway, to tighten down that cost, we'd be me, the dad, my newly-minted 18-yo (lol, yeah, "adult" -- he hasn't gotten the memo), and my 12-yo.

Also, Mike mentioned skiing more than just Sunshine. That's my other piece of the puzzle. We've been to Lake Louise before, what other areas shouldn't we miss with it being in mind it's going to be the first week of April?

If you don't have a car, you don't pay the park fees. The park fees are essentially fees for vehicles and their occupants. The shuttles will have the park pass, so you don't need to buy one.

What are your flight times? As far as I know, the shuttles run almost 24 hours a day between YYC and Banff, so that shouldn't be a problem.

If you are staying in Banff - you have easy shuttle access to Louise, Sunshine and Norquay. Norquay is more of a locals hill, and the terrain is not quite like Sunshine and Louise. But it could be a fun day, if that's what you're looking for. The other resort that is easy to access from Banff is Kicking Horse - this is great if you are advanced skiers. Mike has posted lots of amazing photos from the Horse on this website, so you should definitely look for those. If you are shuttle and Banff-limited, those are the best ones to hit up.

If you have a rental car, and are willing to change hotels, then Fernie and Castle also become doable. I haven't skied Castle yet, but it's high on my list. And i love Fernie - however, by the first week of April, things will be winding down and conditions may not be great. So for your trip, I would probably recommend sticking to Sunshine, Louise and KH.

Also, staying at the Banff Park Lodge, you're close to my favourite breakfast/lunch place - Wild Flour Bakery

With a 4 week window, does the skibig3 email list roll out those sales enough, or does waiting run the risk of a price jump? I'm not _that_ worried about it, but Vail went for my eye teeth when I waited too long a few years back.

They are pretty frequent - there's one right now, it's 20% off. You can see if if you go to the main skibig3 page. That deal is on until March 7.

 

[albertanskigirl]

@kitchener - I was just on the skibig3 website, and for your dates right now, the flash sale prices are $279CAD for 3 days of skiing - that's a pretty good price, and remember that includes the free shuttle. 5 days are $464CAD.

 

[kitchener]

I think now that I know I'll pay another $100 (US) for the park pass if I rent a car, I think I'd just as soon save that money and use it for something more fun. We'll just have to suffer through the 2 hour wait for the shuttle when we land in Calgary (we land 7 minutes after the 1:30 pm shuttle departs, and they run every two hours -- of course, we still need to get bags etc.). Still, after a long flight from Philadelphia, I might prefer not waiting an extra hour and then riding a bus -- if I take the airport shuttle to an off-airport car rental agency, it whittles that $100 difference to $70. Guess I have time on that to decide.

With regards to Kicking Horse (the shuttle for KH stops at the hotel at 7:30 am), I'd say we're all confident on single blacks out West, but not double blacks (though my 18 yo might be there). And my hike-to days are way behind me. Would the juice be worth the squeeze for our level, headed to Kicking Horse?

 

[albertanskigirl]

I think now that I know I'll pay another $100 (US) for the park pass if I rent a car, I think I'd just as soon save that money and use it for something more fun. We'll just have to suffer through the 2 hour wait for the shuttle when we land in Calgary (we land 7 minutes after the 1:30 pm shuttle departs, and they run every two hours -- of course, we still need to get bags etc.). Still, after a long flight from Philadelphia, I might prefer not waiting an extra hour and then riding a bus -- if I take the airport shuttle to an off-airport car rental agency, it whittles that $100 difference to $70. Guess I have time on that to decide.

With regards to Kicking Horse (the shuttle for KH stops at the hotel at 7:30 am), I'd say we're all confident on single blacks out West, but not double blacks (though my 18 yo might be there). And my hike-to days are way behind me. Would the juice be worth the squeeze for our level, headed to Kicking Horse?

From what I understand, the shuttle times are pretty approximate. The shuttles are running constantly so you may make the 1.30 one, or the next shuttle may come sooner than you expect. For KH, I would say keep an eye on conditions - if you're comfortable on ungroomed single blacks out west, you should enjoy a trip to KH. @Mike Rogers ?

 

[Mike Rogers]

I think you will like Kicking Horse. It is steeper than most resorts for sure, and the steeps are very accessible, but it's still a ski resort designed to cater to most people. There is an easy way down to the Crystal bowl, and there are some chutes off CPR that are of single black variety. Same with Fuez into redemption.

Liz and I like to hike (not just for skiing), so we go up T1 or T2 on about half our laps. Most people don't bother. The only hike that is busy goes to Whitewall (double black terrain), and it is really short.

The best thing about kicking horse is you can see your line from top to bottom. You won't get cliffed out unless you are looking for cliffs. It should be a fun day! I should be there on Easter weekend (maybe meeting up with @blah), so I can share my thoughts on conditions.

I have never used the KH shuttle. The Big 3 shuttles should be good, but I think @Pumba had an issue with the ride to Kicking Hose. Cancelled? Maybe she can provide more info.

 

[blah]

I think you will like Kicking Horse. It is steeper than most resorts for sure, and the steeps are very accessible, but it's still a ski resort designed to cater to most people. There is an easy way down to the Crystal bowl, and there are some chutes off CPR that are of single black variety. Same with Fuez into redemption.

Liz and I like to hike (not just for skiing), so we go up T1 or T2 on about half our laps. Most people don't bother. The only hike that is busy goes to Whitewall (double black terrain), and it is really short.

The best thing about kicking horse is you can see your line from top to bottom. You won't get cliffed out unless you are looking for cliffs. It should be a fun day! I should be there on Easter weekend (maybe meeting up with @blah), so I can share my thoughts on conditions.

I have never used the KH shuttle. The Big 3 shuttles should be good, but I think @Pumba had an issue with the ride to Kicking Hose. Cancelled? Maybe she can provide more info.

Oh, for sure, we are hiking over Easter!

It also has the benefit of warming and loosening up my sore back. Getting old sucks.