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Northern Rockies/Alberta Third Time's a Charm - Banff Weekend

PhillyGuy

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Do you have a pic of what they sent you? Technically, with MCP, it's supposed to be 2 days at Louise and 2 days at Sunshine. But if they sent you 4 tri-area lift tickets, those don't specify where you can ski, so you can go anywhere. Or did they actually send you 2 Louise and 2 Sunshine tix?

For Norquay - they had the free day thing at Norquay up on the MCP website for a while and then it mysteriously disappeared, from what I understand, you cannot get a free day with MCP at Norquay, but you can go to the window at Norquay and get a half price ticket. Depending on when you're going, you could hit up Norquay for Toonie Day on April 11. I like to do that - $2 gets you a lift ticket for all-day!

I just got one pass in the mail that says Big3, not individual lift tix. It has all three resorts' logos on it.

Just searched my old email from MCP on the resorts you can request passes from and it says Banff Sunshine. So I'm guess this card only has 2 sunshine days on it?

But the MCP FAQ says you only get one card for all Big3 resorts, so I'm still confused.

I think you should still get Norquay for this year's pass. It's still on MCP website. And I remember seeing it for next winter's pass too.

https://themountaincollective.zende...ral-Information-About-Banff-Sunshine-Village-

MCP instruction says you can pick up lift tix from the Banff Ski Hub in town. Since I also have my Big3 pass, can I load the Norquay day there? If they load an extra day on my Big3 card, can I use it at other resorts too?

This is so confusing to me, so want to see if anyone has any experience at Banff this year.
 

dbostedo

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I just got one pass in the mail that says Big3, not individual lift tix. It has all three resorts' logos on it.

Just searched my old email from MCP on the resorts you can request passes from and it says Banff Sunshine. So I'm guess this card only has 2 sunshine days on it?

But the MCP FAQ says you only get one card for all Big3 resorts, so I'm still confused.

I think you should still get Norquay for this year's pass. It's still on MCP website. And I remember seeing it for next winter's pass too.

https://themountaincollective.zende...ral-Information-About-Banff-Sunshine-Village-

MCP instruction says you can pick up lift tix from the Banff Ski Hub in town. Since I also have my Big3 pass, can I load the Norquay day there? If they load an extra day on my Big3 card, can I use it at other resorts too?

This is so confusing to me, so want to see if anyone has any experience at Banff this year.

I don't have direct experience at Banff, but I do at several other MCP resorts. The pass they sent you should have all of your free days loaded onto it... 2 Sunshine, 2 LL, and 1 Norquay. They only reason you should need to visit a ticket window is to get additional days beyond those. (And if you have it linked to your credit card, you might not even have to do that.) That's how it's been at every other MCP resort I've visited.

And as the website mentions, if you do ski additional days, you get 50% off of the SkiBig3 pass good at all three places (not off the individual resort tickets).
 

karlo

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Can anyone comment about Banff itself in the winter? Things to do, places to eat? My wife is outdoorsy, but isn't so keen on alpine skiing. So, other than skiing, the sky is the limit. Dogsledding, winter camping, whatever. In town, she'll like good casual food and coffee, and the occasional finer dining. And, she'll like cultural opportunities. We've been there in the summer, to bike. Never been in the winter.
 

albertanskigirl

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@karlo - The Banff Centre always has amazing things going on. It's truly a world class facility: https://www.banffcentre.ca/events/calendar
The movie theatre in town, the Lux, plays movies from November's Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival throughout the winter.
Totally random, but the Banff Springs Hotel has a 5 pin bowling alley, and it's really fun :)
There will be all sorts of street festival and outdoor art throughout the winter. The various Banff craft markets usually attract great artists from around BC and Alberta. There is the usual dogsledding, horse drawn carriages at Lake Louise etc.
One of my favourite things to do in winter is spend a day at the Banff Springs Hotel's spa - the Willow Stream Spa. In winter, they have this mid-week special - you get a 45 minute massage and all day access to the baths/pools for around $150CAD. The baths and pools are amazing. There are separate men's and women's areas with steam rooms, saunas and whirlpool baths. And then you go into a large beautiful space that is co-ed that has a bunch of plunge pools at different temperatures and a large mineral pool. And there is a large outdoor jacuzzi pool as well.

There are tons of good food options in Banff.
I can recommend Bear Street Tavern (good food and great cocktails - possibly the best Old Fashioned in Alberta), Nourish (an amazing vegetarian place - my SO and I go there often), Block Kitchen and Bar (tapas style eatery), Park Distillery, Coyote's for a sit-down breakfast, Wild Flour Bakery is my favourite for lunch and breakfast, Saltlik if you are into meat.

For a really nice dinner (special occasion), SO and I go to the Three Ravens at the Banff Centre. The food is outstanding. https://www.banffcentre.ca/three-ravens-restaurant-wine-bar We try to do dinner and an event together for a special occasion.

The Banff gondola is now open throughout the day in the winter, and in the evening too. They even have a new restaurant at the top - I haven't been but I heard it's actually pretty good. I've also heard that the restaurant at the Juniper Hotel is really good.

Besides that, the usual wonderful winter stuff - from Banff, you can easily tube at Norquay, snowshoeing at Norquay, walk to Bow Falls, fatbiking from Cave and Basin to Sundance Canyon in winter is fun. Great cross country skiing at Lake Minnewanka, the Spray River West trail is one of my favourite cross country trails - really beautiful! The hiking trail from the Banff Centre to the top of Tunnel Mountain is usually either snowfree, or packed down that it is hikeable with spikes for almost all of the winter. And that's a great in-town hike. Most people do it, but the drive over to and hike up into Johnson Canyon in winter is beuatiful -lots of frozen waterfalls - but you definitely need microspikes for that.

Banff is a great destination for the non-skier too!
 
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albertanskigirl

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I just got one pass in the mail that says Big3, not individual lift tix. It has all three resorts' logos on it.

Just searched my old email from MCP on the resorts you can request passes from and it says Banff Sunshine. So I'm guess this card only has 2 sunshine days on it?

But the MCP FAQ says you only get one card for all Big3 resorts, so I'm still confused.

I think you should still get Norquay for this year's pass. It's still on MCP website. And I remember seeing it for next winter's pass too.

https://themountaincollective.zende...ral-Information-About-Banff-Sunshine-Village-

MCP instruction says you can pick up lift tix from the Banff Ski Hub in town. Since I also have my Big3 pass, can I load the Norquay day there? If they load an extra day on my Big3 card, can I use it at other resorts too?

This is so confusing to me, so want to see if anyone has any experience at Banff this year.

Hi - if you have the plastic scannable pass with the lanyard - you will have all of your days already loaded onto it. You will have 2 days at Louise, 2 at Sunshine. I am not sure about the Norquay day, I haven't tried that, but the 1 day is probably loaded there too. I have mine linked to my credit card, so I don't have to go to the window for anything - it automatically does the 50% straight to your credit card. It is super easy.
 

PhillyGuy

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Hi - if you have the plastic scannable pass with the lanyard - you will have all of your days already loaded onto it. You will have 2 days at Louise, 2 at Sunshine. I am not sure about the Norquay day, I haven't tried that, but the 1 day is probably loaded there too. I have mine linked to my credit card, so I don't have to go to the window for anything - it automatically does the 50% straight to your credit card. It is super easy.

Yes I do have the plastic pass mailed to me.

Is it 2 days at LL and 2 days at Sunshine strictly enforced? Or can they be used anywhere since they are all on the same SkiBig3 pass?
 

albertanskigirl

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Yes I do have the plastic pass mailed to me.

Is it 2 days at LL and 2 days at Sunshine strictly enforced? Or can they be used anywhere since they are all on the same SkiBig3 pass?

Yes it is enforced. it’s 2 at LL and 2 at Sunshine. I did my first 4 days of the season at Sunshine, and I got 2 free then they started charging. Then when I went to Louise I got my 2 free.
 

Mike Rogers

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Depending on when you're going, you could hit up Norquay for Toonie Day on April 11. I like to do that - $2 gets you a lift ticket for all-day!

I haven't been to a toonie day in a couple of years...and they might not check anymore.

But, technically toonie day is for Alberta residents only. :(

http://winter.banffnorquay.com/event/toonie-day-2/

I was asked for my ID last time.


I'm hoping to ski some slush bumps on the 11th though...assuming spring arrives by then!
 

moreoutdoorYuri

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@karlo - The Banff Centre always has amazing things going on. It's truly a world class facility: https://www.banffcentre.ca/events/calendar
...
There are tons of good food options in Banff.
I can recommend Bear Street Tavern (good food and great cocktails - possibly the best Old Fashioned in Alberta), Nourish (an amazing vegetarian place - my SO and I go there often), Block Kitchen and Bar (tapas style eatery), Park Distillery, Coyote's for a sit-down breakfast, Wild Flour Bakery is my favourite for lunch and breakfast, Saltlik if you are into meat.
...
Banff is a great destination for the non-skier too!

to add to the 'food' category... if you like Indian food - very good! : Masala, on Bear St. corner of Wolf St, entry is 'inside', a v-small indoor 'mall'...
also, if you like Greek food : Balkan is good , on Banff ave, just down from Mt Royal hotel.
 
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sooneron

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I have a question that may have already been asked. Is Norquay worth it? We're staying in Banff at the Rimrock, but I don't hear many good things about it. It seems like traveling to LL or SV is worth it for more runs for my slightly better than beginner kids. I say that fully knowing that runs out there are probably less forgiving when it comes to designation than in the Catskills.
 

albertanskigirl

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I have a question that may have already been asked. Is Norquay worth it? We're staying in Banff at the Rimrock, but I don't hear many good things about it. It seems like traveling to LL or SV is worth it for more runs for my slightly better than beginner kids. I say that fully knowing that runs out there are probably less forgiving when it comes to designation than in the Catskills.

For the runs - yes, Norquay is fun. We prefer to go elsewhere largely because of the snow preservation. Norquay is at a much lower elevation than either LL or SSV, so conditions are generally iffier (especially early or late season). Norquay is also much smaller. But it does have some very challenging runs - actually it has some of the steepest longest bump runs around. For beginner and intermediate skiers, there are not that many runs so it gets boring fast. Norquay has also a really nice local vibe, which I like. But if you’ve travelled here and want some big mountain views and skiing, then LL and SSV are your place.
 

Jim Kenney

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@sooneron
if you have mcp, then you get a free day at norquay. i went there last friday and loved it. the north american chair is a cool antique of a lift and serves very legit double black diamond terrain. mystic chair serves good mix of terrain, both have about 1650 vertical. scenery at norquay is as good or better than at LL and SSV. not many people at Norquay last friday, but high percent were kids. they have two other chairs that serve gentle terrain. saw several school buses cycle through base lodge parking lot dropping off kids. very family-friendly place.
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also has possibly the world's most beautiful tubing operation:)
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NA chair
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Jim Kenney

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sooneron, my enthusiasm was a bit over the top because I got a free day at Norquay on my MCP that I wasn't expecting and it was probably my last ski day of the season. It's a neat place, but yes LL and SSV are much more comprehensive resorts. For slightly better than beginner kids I think they might like SSV the best. Lots of wide open low-intermediate terrain there that is very scenic in clear weather, but kind of tough in low vis conditions. LL seems to be the consensus best overall mtn of the three. More pics and comments here: http://www.dcski.com/forum/93462
 

sooneron

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@sooneron - I'll be skiing with @BlueSquare and fam at Sunshine on Monday. if you will be there, let us know! I think both you and @BlueSquare have kids too so that could be fun!
Hey sorry, just saw this. We had the best time! Skied Sunday at SV, Tues at LL, Wed at LL and Thurs at LL. Obviously, the kids really liked LL. I can't disagree. Conditions were phenomenal! Fresh dusting to 5" each AM. Easily, the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. I already want to go back! I'd like to hit Sunshine again as I only skied it with the kids. It's a great mountain. I'll post some more pics when I have some time.


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24TeWhb

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24TeWe5
 
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