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Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 7th 03, 07:32 PM
Mark
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

Greetings.

My wife, son, and I are planning a trip from 3/20 - 3/27. We have
narrowed our choices to the following 5 possibilities (listed in
alphabetical order):

1. Banff (Lake Louise and Sunshine)
2. Big Mountain
3. Snowbird/Alta
4. Snowmass
5. Steamboat

First, should any of these be eliminated from consideration due to
potentially poor conditions at that time of year. Specifically, I'm
worried that Steamboat, due to its relatively low elevation (for
Colorado) and primarily western exposure, will be too slushy.

Secondly, will Big Mountain keep us interested for six days of skiing?
My wife and I like long cruisers and the easier blacks, and would
really like more powder experience. Two or three bumped-up runs a day
are enough for us. My son (age 18) skis everything up through the
easier double-blacks - steep with big moguls is OK, but no cliff
jumping/ultra-narrow chutes, etc.

Of course we really hate crowded lift-lines and slopes (like Vail, for
example) and icy conditions.

Nightlife is a minor consideration. We like to hit a few good
restaurants and bars, but no major partying. Strongly prefer moderate
ski-in/ski-out lodging which must have a nice outdoor hot tub.
Examples of good lodging choices would be the Cliffs Lodge at Snowbird
or the Stonebridge (maybe a bit expensive...) at Snowmass. I know no
ski-in/ski-out in Banff. We were thinking about the Inns of Banff if
we go there. Anyone familiar with that place?

And finally, is there anyplace else we should be considering? For
example, is there enough terrain at Jackson Hole within our abilities?
"Our" meaning my wife and I - I know my son would love it.

Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated!

Thanks,
Mark

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  #2  
Old November 7th 03, 07:40 PM
Chester Bullock
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

Mark wrote:

Greetings.

My wife, son, and I are planning a trip from 3/20 - 3/27. We have
narrowed our choices to the following 5 possibilities (listed in
alphabetical order):

1. Banff (Lake Louise and Sunshine)
2. Big Mountain
3. Snowbird/Alta
4. Snowmass
5. Steamboat



I cannot speak to the resorts outside of Colorado, but I would expect
Steamboat and Snowmass to be overrun with Spring Breakers at that time.

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  #3  
Old November 8th 03, 02:50 AM
Dana P
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

I can only speak of Banff and Big Mountain having spent time at both.
My choice would be hands down Banff. You will have great conditions in
and around Banff during that time period and might have fewer people,
though I don't know when the Canadian school spring breaks are.
Sunshine and Lake Louise have a lot to offer and each of you can find
some fun terrain to explore, from cruisers to the challenging. Spend
time at both and see which you prefer (we like Sunshine). Sunshine has
three separate mountains, be sure to explore each. A car for Banff is
nice to have though not completely necessary (there are ski busses) but
having a car is more convenient. Inns of Banff is quite nice with a
large outdoor hot tub (almost pool) but is on the far end of town making
for a 15-20 minute walk to the downtown area (shops and restaurants).
The Canadian Rockies are beautiful summer or winter and try to do a
little sightseeing.
Have fun.

  #5  
Old November 11th 03, 05:12 AM
Dana P
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

Not sure about better or not but a couple of places that are in the
downtown area and close to everything are the Banff Park Lodge and the
Banff International Hotel. Both are close to all restaurants, theatre,
and shops (if interested). There are several others just depending on
what you are looking for in lodging. As far as driving from the Inns of
Banff and finding parking, you should have no trouble. We find even in
the summer months parking is not a particular problem. You will need to
have a National Park permit for your car, which you will get as you
enter the park or at the visitor center in Banff. A car can be nice if
you plan to do any sightseeing of the area while there. If you are just
going to board/ski and stay in close to town the busses are adequate for
getting to and from the resorts. Personally we like the freedom of our
own schedule with a car. If you have boards make sure you have an
adequate rack for carrying, as many car rentals have ski racks, not
racks for boards.
I will miss the Banff area this year as we will spend the season at our
mountain, Alyeska Resort. Let the snow fall!!!

  #6  
Old November 11th 03, 06:21 AM
Brent Harsh
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

Mark wrote:
Thanks for the reply, Dana.

It sounds like you're pretty familiar with Banff. Is there a better
choice than Inns of Banff that's closer to town?


I'm chiming in here too... my wife and I have spent the last two ski
trips in Banff/Lake Louise, mixing it up a bit so we've stayed in quite
a few hotels in the area. Here's my (apparently long-winded) opinion
grin:

Two years ago, we stayed at the Douglas Fir Inn, up on the top of Tunnel
Mtn, about a mile or so from downtown (straight downhill). There's a
little trolley bus we used to get there and back each night as we didn't
take a car. Ski buses for LL and Sunshine picked us up right outside
our door. Room was cheap, with a kitchen but no fireplaces - there's 3
or 4 of this type of room directly above the office and they weren't
advertised well. I just happened to call and ask if they had anything
cheaper than what was on the website... we enjoyed the stay there and
the location as well. Breakfast at the next-door Buffalo Lodge was a
$$$ treat on our last day.

Then last year, somewhat off our budget now, we found an airline package
including 4 nights at Chateau Lake Louise. But after those days, we
were on our own (I had extended the airline flight before leaving). We
stayed one night at the Mount Royal Hotel, a classic old hotel in
downtown. It was nice and convenient to downtown. Then we went to LL
for 4 nights - I'm sure the airline package was so cheap we were
supposed to be tucked away in the basement, but checking in the front
desk guy overheard it was our anniversary and put us in the center of
the 5th floor with a lake view. Oh my god. It was insanely beautiful,
and also during the womens' world cup races so the place was packed with
these international ski teams. Amazing. Back to Banff... a couple
nights at the ??? (can't remember, may have been Tunnel Mountain Lodge
though) across the circle from Douglas Fir up on Tunnel Mountain. They
were too expensive for what you got, didn't seem very friendly and we
wouldn't stay there again. After the first night, we started calling
around and found a vacancy, much better room rate, AND a much better
room & view at Hidden Ridge Chalets which were also on Tunnel Mountain -
I really liked this place! Very friendly folks, and I think their
shuttle to downtown was free.

I guess you can tell, we liked being up on Tunnel Mountain - saw some
big honkin' deer one night (moose? elk? cityboy, I guess; they had no
horns). We did go downtown every night, one year we used the shuttle
bus; the next we had a car and did drive it down once or twice but other
times we took the bus that year too. It's quick and fun to get to know
the folks you wait with. Parking wasn't much of a problem that 2nd
year, but keep in mind we were WAY early in the season (Dec. 2 - cover
pretty much sucked, but the XC skiing was good at Lake Louise and in
Banff all the single-track mountain bike trails were still open to the
joy of many riders). Eating out in Banff is a treat, so many excellent
places. We did drive to ski areas this year, mainly because the weather
was great and the crowds were very low (8" of cover at sunshine meant a
front-row spot and pretty much only people out with their rock skis
getting the first fix of the season. I thought the busses ran fine in
the past though so if it was busy and a hassle, I'd probably take the
bus right to the front.

Unfortunately, we probably aren't going to go back this year, just
because we want a little variety in our skiing again, but it is one of
our very favorite places to ski - mainly because it's not some little
fake village like Whistler, it's a real place and the people who live
there really seem to be having a great time and it shows in their
attitude. On second thought, we haven't really decided on a destination
yet... maybe we will go back, I've almost talked myself into it!



Regarding the car, would it be usable to drive to town from the Inns,
or will we find nowhere to park when we got there? Do you think it's
easier to drive to the ski mountains than to take the busses?

Thanks again,
Mark

On Fri, 7 Nov 2003 17:50:55 -0900 (AKST),
(Dana P) wrote:


I can only speak of Banff and Big Mountain having spent time at both.
My choice would be hands down Banff. You will have great conditions in
and around Banff during that time period and might have fewer people,
though I don't know when the Canadian school spring breaks are.
Sunshine and Lake Louise have a lot to offer and each of you can find
some fun terrain to explore, from cruisers to the challenging. Spend
time at both and see which you prefer (we like Sunshine). Sunshine has
three separate mountains, be sure to explore each. A car for Banff is
nice to have though not completely necessary (there are ski busses) but
having a car is more convenient. Inns of Banff is quite nice with a
large outdoor hot tub (almost pool) but is on the far end of town making
for a 15-20 minute walk to the downtown area (shops and restaurants).
The Canadian Rockies are beautiful summer or winter and try to do a
little sightseeing.
Have fun.





--
Brent Harsh - KD4PBO /"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign: Say
bharsh at ncroadrunner \ / NO to HTML in email and news.
------------------------X-------------------------------
Cary, NC, USA / \ Read my mail with fixed fonts.

  #7  
Old November 11th 03, 03:31 PM
Peter Riley-Jordan
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Default Which of these resorts for March 20 - 27

Mark - I have stayed in the Inns of Banff and found it a great place to
stay. The walk to town really doesn't take that long.
So long as you tog up well if it's cold.

My wife forgot her hat one day and we made a couple of blocks before
stopping to buy a new one, her ears having gone
a nice shade of blue.

We are hoping to return again in the New Year and are looking at Douglas
Fir, as we will be meeting up with friends that have
stayed there before.

My wife and I stayed at Banff Springs Hotel for our honeymoon a few years
back, and is worth a visit if you have a spare day. They have
an ice-skating rink plus a small blowing alley for the kids/adults. Also the
hotel do a tour and the views over the Bow River are worth the walk.

I don't think you'll be off the mark at all if you stay in Banff.

--
Peter


 




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