• For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.

Northern Rockies/Alberta TR - Powder Highway, April 1 – April 8, 2018

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
TR - Powder Highway, April 1 – April 8, 2018.
(I was required to include a prefix. However, since this trip covers at least two areas: Northern Rockies/Alberta as well as Pacific NW/AK/BC - perhaps a moderator could put this in both.)
A long belated TR, but hopefully the content will make it worth the wait. With the first week of April off for my spring break, enough points on Southwest for a free round-trip flight to Spokane from Reno, and “free” skiing using a Mountain Collective Pass as well as Powder Alliance resorts on my Sierra at Tahoe Pass, I was ready to go solo and explore.

Saturday, March 31, 2018 – Getting There

Incoming flight to Reno is over an hour and a half late. This would mean that connecting flights would be missed, so I get rescheduled, Instead of flying through Las Vegas and arriving in Spokane at 2:30 PM, I get sent on a 2:00 flight through Denver for a four hour layover which has me arriving in Spokane close to 11:00 PM. (I get a whopping $100 voucher for the inconvenience.) After picking up my rental car, a Jeep Patriot, I arrive at my hotel, Sandpoint Days Inn, at close to 1:00 AM.

Sunday, April 1, 2018 – Schweitzer, ID

After sleeping in I arrive at Schweitzer, which received a few inches of fresh snow, and start skiing at 10:15 AM.

Looking up from the base of Schweitzer.
IMG3633cr.jpg

Toomey’s Trail
IMG3636cr.jpg

I parked next to Shawn, who helped direct me to the lodge to get my ticket using my Sierra at Tahoe (Powder Alliance) pass. I see him at the base of a chairlift a little later. He is a local and shows me around the mountain. There are plenty of powder stashes around the mountain that involve going through tight trees to get to some steep untracked stashes that hold deeper and fluffier snow than the few inches of dust on crust on other parts of the mountain. There are also some steep bowls that hold softer snow too. I finish skiing at 1:30 PM.

I drive to Ymir, BC and stay at the Ymir Hotel, a funky old hotel that played jazz songs and had artwork everywhere. I met Hans the 80-year-old owner. I am motivated to get to sleep early with more snow in the forecast.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Monday, April 2, 2018 – Whitewater, BC

Whitewater Ski Resort has reported 41cm of snow overnight. I get an early start only to be held up for nearly an hour at the access road, which still needs to be cleared.

I ski runs with Rowan who was separated from her friends and family. We traverse to find untracked areas.
Video:
or

The food in the lodge is very good. I enjoyed a special salad made with roasted carrots and garbanzo beans.

Afterwards I drove to Silver Star Bed and Breakfast. Silver Star Bed and Breakfast is very nice. The rooms are spacious. There is an outdoor hot tub. More to come...
 
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - Silver Star, BC
The breakfast at Silver Star Bed and Breakfast was delicious with beautiful presentation. The owner, Mike, skis every day.
More fresh snow fell at Silver Star Ski Resort. I skied with Mike and was given an amazing tour of the resort. The backside is full of many impressive chutes.

A frontside view.
IMG3639cr.jpg

Here is an Alpine Meadows that KSL hasn’t touched.
IMG3640crcr.jpg

Mike
IMG3656cr.jpg

Lunch on the upper mountain restaurant included a delicious salad made with beets and hemp.

Afterwards I drove to Revelstoke.

I stayed at The Cube, a hybrid hotel/hostel (Private room with toilet and sink, shared shower facilities.)
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – Revelstoke, BC

There were a few centimeters of fresh snow on top of the previous days' snowfall at Revelstoke.

A pano from the top.
IMG3681pano.jpg

They either really like some guy named "Cliff" or just lack imagination in naming their runs. I saw orange signs with his name all over the place.
IMG3683cr.jpg

IMG3684crcrpano.jpg

IMG3685cr.jpg

IMG3686crcr.jpg

Some of the trails further down were pretty interesting too.
IMG3687cr.jpg

I skied part of the day with Ken, a longtime local. He reminded to tell others how overrated Revelstoke is. Still, it was helpful and enjoyable to be shown around.

I did 3 top to bottom runs to experience the full vertical.
IMG6204cr.jpg
I ate at the Little Boulangerie at the base for lunch.
IMG3688cr.jpg

Afterwards I drove to Golden, BC. From here I could see the slopes of Kicking Horse (this place has moved up on my to-do list. Even higher next season since it will be on the Epic Pass.) I also made my first visit to a Tim Horton’s. I liked their coffee.
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Thursday, April 5, 2018 – Lake Louise, AB

Lake Louise also received more fresh snow. The skiing was great on the Back Bowls (See the video below.) I was also given a front side
sidecountry recommendation by a snowboarder I rode a lift with and found more fresh snow there.

A panoramic view.
IMG3694panoS.jpg
Another view.
IMG3696crS.jpg
Another view after a hike further up.
IMG3710cr.jpg

Video
or

On the drive to Banff I stopped at Sunshine Village to drop off my skis for a hot wax (I was given a discount because of my Mountain Collective Pass) I saw a mountain goat along the road.

For the next two nights I stayed at YWCA, a nice hotel right in town and next to the river.
IMGYWCA1234.jpg

I had dinner at Sushi House Banff (Sushi on trays on electric train.) The served my favorite sushi, uni. It was great!
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Friday, April 6, 2018 – Sunshine Village, AB

I was fortunate to ride up the gondola with Bernie, a longtime Sunshine Village season pass holder who really knows the mountain. I skied with Bernie all day and was given a grand tour of the Sunshine Village slopes.

Video
or

The upper mountain lodge has sort of an international food court in place of the standard ski resort cafeteria. I had pho soup for lunch.

I had dinner at Barpa Bill’s Souvlaki in Banff. The gyros and spanakopita were scrumptious.
 
Last edited:
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Saturday, April 7, 2018 – Mt. Norquay
(The only day without much in the way of fresh snow.)

I rode up the North American lift with Emil, a ski patroller and did a run with him. He recommended skiing Gun Run to find the best conditions that day.
The North American lift is a unique experience. The double chair with a center pole has the chairs stacked in groups of 4 with longer gaps between the groups. The chairs slow down at the top and bottom to load and unload simultaneously and then speed up again. After unloading you need to make three or four switchbacks on a narrow traverse to get to the ski runs. The only other lift that I have been on that is designed to speed up and slow down is the Ritz Gondola at Northstar.

Looking up from the base.
IMG3723crmn040718.jpg
A view from the top.
IMG3724crcrmn040718.jpg
Looking up Gun Run.
IMG3726crmn040718.jpg
A panoramic view.
IMG3736panoS.jpg

I drove to Sandpoint, Idaho in rain, snain, and snow. I’m glad that I rented a 4-wheel drive.
 
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Sunday, April 8, 2018 - Mt. Spokane, WA
(This was the only day I needed to purchase a lift ticket. Since it was closing day, the special price was only $30.)
The fresh snow here had such a high water content that the liftie cleared the chairs with a squeegee.
IMG3738rs.jpg IMG3739rs.jpg

A panoramic "view" from the top.
IMG_3741.JPG
Snowtree.
IMG3743cr.jpg

The fresh snow was surprisingly fast and not that sticky.
The tree skiing was also impressive.

I definitely plan to make return trips on the Powder Highway.
 

Bigtinnie

Formerly 'sbooker' in another world.
Skier
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Posts
221
Location
Brisbane Australia
Nice report.
I've skied the Alberta resorts but not the others. It's such an obvious road trip out of Spokane. Fernie, Whitefish, Red, Schweitzer and Whitewater are all in easy reach.
So many ski hills, so little time.......................
 
Thread Starter
TS
Stev

Stev

Orange Mocha Frappuccino
Skier
Joined
Nov 15, 2015
Posts
778
Location
Mt. Sputnik, NV
Nice report.
I've skied the Alberta resorts but not the others. It's such an obvious road trip out of Spokane. Fernie, Whitefish, Red, Schweitzer and Whitewater are all in easy reach.
So many ski hills, so little time.......................

Thank you.
I skied Fernie many years ago. I also skied Whitefish back when it was called Big Mountain.
I'll need to make more time next time and/or take multiple trips north. A couple of my season passes added more Canadian resorts as partners. Marmot Basin and Castle Mountain were added to the Powder Alliance. Kicking Horse, Kimberly, Fernie and Nakiska (along with Stoneham and Mont-Sainte-Anne) were added to the (full) Epic Pass.
I gather that Red would be worth visiting even if I had to buy a lift ticket (or part ownership in the resort.)
 

fatbob

Not responding
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
6,288
Nice report - re the pulse lift at Norquay - a trip to La Grave in your future if you want to collect more.

You really motored around - it's easy to put in 3 weeks or so between Spokane and Calgary if you are motivated without overdoing it at any one resort. I've hit 49 North, Red. Whitewater, Whitefish, Fernie, KH, LL, Revy, Silver Star in a similar trip (+Baker, Alpental and WB on the Seattlle fly in/out end)
 

James

Out There
Instructor
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Posts
24,453
Monday, April 2, 2018 – Whitewater, BC

Whitewater Ski Resort has reported 41cm of snow overnight. I get an early start only to be held up for nearly an hour at the access road, which still needs to be cleared.

I ski runs with Rowan who was separated from her friends and family. We traverse to find untracked areas.
Video:
or

The food in the lodge is very good. I enjoyed a special salad made with roasted carrots and garbanzo beans.

Afterwards I drove to Silver Star Bed and Breakfast. Silver Star Bed and Breakfast is very nice. The rooms are spacious. There is an outdoor hot tub. More to come...
Nice! Geez, seems all the people aren't out on the trails!
 

4ster

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!
Instructor
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
7,219
Location
Sierra & Wasatch
Wow!
Looks like you hit great winter conditions, not usually the case in April.
My Powder Highway road trip was in March about 10yrs ago & began in Utah. North to Targhee, then Missoula Snowbowl, Fernie, Kicking Horse, Whitefish, Ski Discovery & Big Sky. A return trip a couple years later got us to Revelstoke & back to Kicking Horse.
100b1031.jpg
 

Sponsor

Staff online

Top