Pacific NW/AK/BC Road Trip Feb/Mar (Baker, Red Mt, Whitewater, Schweitzer, Silver, Mission, Stevens)

[pchewn]

My high school buddy and I are planning a ski road trip around the PNW to areas we have not been to. Looking for suggested places to stay, places to eat, etc.

For various reasons we are starting/ending at Bellingham Wa (his brother), and mid-trip visiting Bozeman (my brother-in-law). We are deliberately avoiding the mega-resorts (Whistler, Big-Sky, etc). We have a preference for the Powder Alliance areas due to free pass exchange with home areas.

10 days of skiing at 7 different ski areas, plus a day of X/C skiing in Yellowstone, and one X/C ski day near Red Mt.

Here's the agenda and basic map:

 

[Posaune]

A short time ago I started a thread asking for advice on a trip of exactly the same length in mileage, but a bit longer in time. You might like to see the responses people gave. It has made me consider other options besides the places I first was thinking about.

It's at: https://www.pugski.com/threads/road-trip-advice.12199/#post-281049

 

[kayco53]

Hi know the BC part of your road trip. If you want to break up the drive from Mt Baker to Red. After you leave Mt Baker and cross the border you are on highway 1 heading east. restaurant in Bridel falls called Ranchers is good old school diner decently priced. Then you drive up Highway 3 (Crowsnest) Stop in at Manning Park ski Hill. You can even get a half day pass. There is a lodge by the highway, and the hill is 10k in. There is also a hostel across the street which is cheap and if you ask at the lodge they will point you to it. There is a pool and hot tub at the hotel you can go to for a few bucks and they even supply towels. Very friendly mountain .Nice little hill. Not much in the way of line ups and we can be blessed with some fairly good pow.( the mountain where I patrol.) There is a lot of XC skiing there as well. Then there's is Apex mountain (classed as Pentiction if you look it up). But not that far from Keremeos lots of steep runs with decent powder. When it snows its great for about 3 days.That brings you to about 4 hrs from Red. Also another forgotten but good ski hill called Mt Baldy (people call it cat sking without the cat) It's just past Osoyoos up the hill and then in I think about 25-30k . You are about 2-3 hrs from Red then. We used to camp out of our van when we were younger and rough it to keep the cost way down by sleeping in the hill parking lots. We had good sleeping bags. Manning park and Mt Baldy are fairly cheap with their lift ticket prices as they are smaller hills.
Sometimes places on hill can be cheap as they have midweek deals with room and lift ticket as well as midweek 2 for 1 ski passes.

 

[David Chaus]

In Rossland (Red Mountain) there is an affordable and funky inn right at the resort, Ram’s Head Inn http://ramsheadinn.ca/ They have a ski storage and boot dryer room and include a nice breakfast, much better than most hotels/motels. A popular skier-friendly option in Rossland is the Rossland Motel. http://www.stayandplayrossland.com/

There’s also a BnB in Rossland I found that’s pricier but the owner is an experienced pastry chef . Didn’t stay there http://www.sweetdreamsheritageinn.com/

In Sandpoint, there’s lots of lodging. I’ve stayed at really nice lodge accross the water in Sagle http://lodgeatsandpoint.com/. Hotel Ruby Ponderay and Day’s Inn are pretty affordable, both in Ponderay, a little north of Sandpoint but closer to the Schweitzer cut off road. There’s some nicer hotels in Sandpoint. Also the Schweitzer BnB is slopeside at Schweitzer, ski in/out and more affordable that the condos and hotels that are slopeside.

You will find good- to-excellent food at Rossland and Sandpoint, several really good restaurants and drinking establishments. These are not glitzy, over-priced places, Rossland particularly is on the anti-resort, funky side, but Sandpoint has some cool spots as well.

When you’re on your Mission/Stevens leg of the journey, it’s cheaper to stay in Wenatchee after skiing Mission, but more fun to stay in Leavenworth. Also in Leavenworth, stop at Pavz Creperie for crepes, both savory dinner crepes and desert crepes. You’re welcome.

 

[Castle Dave]

Don't forget your passports

 

[noncrazycanuck]

just a heads up the posted speed limit on the southern BC route hwy (#3) is very slow.
It's a well maintained but its also 2 lanes for a good chunk of it and not a lot of passing options in some sections.
Allow more time than you would south of the border.

 

[New2]

Looks like a fun trip! Seems like kind of a shame to drive all the way to Bozeman with your Powder Alliance benefits and then skip Bridger Bowl. But I don't really know what to recommend skipping to accommodate a day or two at Bridger, either

 

[pchewn]

Looks like a fun trip! Seems like kind of a shame to drive all the way to Bozeman with your Powder Alliance benefits and then skip Bridger Bowl. But I don't really know what to recommend skipping to accommodate a day or two at Bridger, either

Already been to Bridger and don't want to skip the "new" places.....

 

[Posaune]

If you let me know closer to your Baker days I might be able to meet up and show you around.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

let me know too, maybe you can double dip.
With Posaune - who knows the hill inside out.
and possibly me - I at least know where to park.

 

[pchewn]

Here's an alternate plan which moves further south (no Canada) and involves fewer changes of Lodging location, basically centered on Bellingham (free lodging), Post Falls (lots of local skiing), Bozeman (free lodging), and La Grande (fee lodging). For this alternate plan, I'd be very interested in hearing from locals about where would be a good location in Spokane/Post Falls for lodging? And which of the several ski areas around Post Falls are good. Schweitzer definitely, But what about 49 deg North, Mt Spokane, Silver Mountain, Lookout Pass ...... etc?

 

[David Chaus]

Schweitzer for sure, and Silver and Lookout are both right on I-90 so seems like a no-brainer. Other options, from Missoula you’ve got Snowbowl right outside town, also consider Lost Trail to the south of Missoula, and Discovery. I realize time is not unlimited.

 

[New2]

Did either of you make it to this year's Warren Miller film? The giveaways from the Portland showings are perfect for a trip like this... 2-for-1 tickets at Lookout Pass and Silver; free ticket at Red Mountain. Plus giveaways for other areas not far off the routes you're considering (Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee, Sun Valley, Soldier Mountain, Whitefish, Brundage).

From the little I've seen so far, Post Falls seems like a pretty dull suburb. Spokane is a fun city with funky neighborhoods like Portland... the Hotel Ruby downtown is fairly affordable and pretty nice... an old motel that's been updated. The Couer d'Alene resort is beautiful (and probably expensive), and downtown Couer d'Alene has lots of cool shops, restaurants, and bars.

 

[Mike Rogers]

I've stayed at the Ruby in Spokane. Great value!

I really like the city of Spokane as well.

Watch a Chiefs or Zags game on your downtime.

 

[Pete in Idaho]

Pchewn, have made the loop many times so heres some of my input. Love to ski groomers but really love the powder first.

Red Mt. sometimes very variable snow Red is lower than most BC resorts. Has some really good powder and tree skiing. If you are going to ski two days there I recommend a guide for a couple hours to get the layout. Some of the real good skiing you won't find in two days without a guide to show you. There is a new and really nice Hostel almost on the hill, short walk, this is not the one downtown as it sucks. Theres some good food in down Steamshovel is good bar type food and pretty lively. The best food though and price is a the Italian restaurant (if you are just short/downhill of the main ski area it is about 150yard to the right on same ele. at main lodge. After skiing take in the beer and the bar on the 2nd floor of the main bldg really where everyone goes. 2nd after the Mangy Moose at JH.

Whitewater is about 1hr and 20 mins to the east of Red. It is quite a bit higher and has really good snow. Best ski resort food I have eaten. Great powder .

Fernie is good great mt. but don't go on weekend as Calgary unloads on the place,.

Whitefish is sorta on the route.

Lookout pass, small, good snow good intermediate skiing and a few advanced runs. Well run Mt.

Silver Mt. is a med. sized mt. with a lot of terrain especially if it is a powder day and you have someone who knows the area with you. Let me know and will meet you if I can at Silver or Lookout.

Foodin Wallace City Grill under freeway on 5th st.


Lookout: my tracks-really crowded

Silver:

Be glad to meet you at Lookout or Silver if I am here.

 

[New2]

@pchewn I know you weren't planning on skiing east of Bozeman this trip, but the MTN Powder Pass could be a nice deal to give you a few extra days on the slopes without breaking the bank.

 

[pchewn]

On the way to Bellingham today. Baker tomorrow (friday), then driving to Whitewater Saturday.

 

[pchewn]

A great 1st day skiing at Mt Baker. Lots of new snow, a bit hard to see at the top due to the wind. Took a few runs with @Posaune (Phil) who guided us to some nice mellow sheltered tree skiing. Off to Whitewater this morning, if the Canadians will let us into their country.

 

[martyg]

I used to live in Glacier,WA, the closest town to Mt. Baker.

Thoughts:

- Get a rental in Glacier through Mt Baker rental. Let Dan know that I said hi.

- Stop by Glacier ski shop.

- Stop by Wake 'n Bake coffee shop in Glacier. Get tee-shirt or mug, and a coffee.

- Milano's to eat in Glacier. Some of the best Italian food anywhere, much less a town of 200.

- If you want to backcountry hit up John at the ski shop, or ask around for Woods. People will know who he is. His whereabouts, however, may not be known.

 

[Posaune]

Nice to meet up with @pchewn and crew. It was a doozy of a day. 11 inches fell during the ski day with steady winds up to 35 mph and gusts to 50 according to telemetry. It felt like it. Powder (the real stuff) was piling up so fast it was filling in the tracks from your last time down the hill. Even the groomers had great powder turns. Then, again, the wind scoured everything in places leaving a hard base exposed with deep powder piled up right next door. The bumps were particularly a concern because they were covered up and not so visible due to the powder in the troughs. The snow was quite light so when you hit it, it was still a trough. A little heavier snow would have served better.