Canadians... HELP!

Hi Guys!

A mate and I from Australia are coming up your way... we've booked in some
travel, and I wanna know how feasible it is.

We're basically flying to Calgary, then bussing to Banff. We're spending a
week at Sunshine, then grabbing a four-wheel-drive, and heading West to Lake
Louise, then to Big White etc. for another week or so... then.. and this is
the tough bit, we're planning to DRIVE to Vancouver for a week in Whistler
before flying out to Japan.. but that's another story.

Now... before you all go 'That's a long way'... in Australia, it's quite
normal to drive over a thousand Km's in a day. I'm concerned however that we
may not be able to do that in Canada with weather conditions etc. I know
NOTHING about your roads, and whether they're tops or they suck..?

Here's where I need some local help:
- Is it at all possible to complete the trip as planned or is it simply
"impossible".
- If it's possible, how long should we allow to make the Big White
Vancouver leg of our Journey, given that there's 2 of us, happy to drive
around the clock in a 4WD vehicle
- How 'likely' is it that we'll come to grief, get laid up, lost, die in the
wilderness etc.

All the accom/car hire etc. has been booked and paid, so there's not much
room for me to make changes, and the Travel Agent didn't flinch, so they
obviously think it's all OK (or simply don't care)... what do YOU guys
think?

Thanks... I'll buy ya' a beer when I get there!

Rich.

On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 01:18:44 GMT, "RR"
allegedly wrote:

Here's where I need some local help:
- Is it at all possible to complete the trip as planned or is it
simply "impossible".
- If it's possible, how long should we allow to make the Big White
Vancouver leg of our Journey, given that there's 2 of us, happy to
drive around the clock in a 4WD vehicle
- How 'likely' is it that we'll come to grief, get laid up, lost, die
in the wilderness etc.

It's definitely possible, but all depends on the weather. If there's no
storm pending, and there hasn't been one for a day, then most of the
roads will be reasonably clear. The authorities know how to shift a
heap of snow in a hurry.

I've never done that particular drive (although I've probably done
something equivalent in the US), but I reckon on about 6-7 hours.
Mapquest or a local will correct me.

With a decent map you shouldn't get lost. Navigation is not a difficult
task in BC. Whether you die or not depends on if you hit a massive
storm, then drive at 100kph round a bend, power sliding into a tree,
roll down a canyon, and wake a grizzly bear... or something like that.

- Dave.

--
The only powder to get high on, falls from the sky.
http://www.vpas.org/ - Snowboarding the worlds pow pow -
Securing your e-mail

The Snowboard FAQ lives here - http://rssFAQ.org/

"RR" wrote in message ...

We're basically flying to Calgary, then bussing to Banff. We're spending a
week at Sunshine, then grabbing a four-wheel-drive, and heading West to Lake
Louise,

Louise is 45 minutes outside of Banff, Sunshine 20 minutes. If I were
you I'd stay in Banff and ski both places the first 2 days, and then
decide how you're going to divide your time between them based on snow
conditions, personal taste etc.

then to Big White etc. for another week or so... then.. and this is
the tough bit, we're planning to DRIVE to Vancouver for a week in Whistler
before flying out to Japan.. but that's another story.

Actually the drive from Kelowna to Vancouver is cake, the tough bit is
the drive from Banff to Kelowna. You have to cross Kicking Horse Pass
and Roger's Pass - those both can be scary in bad weather and
sometimes are closed for days at a time. Allow 8 hours in good winter
weather from Banff to Kelowna, and make sure your flexible enough to
handle a delay of a day or two if the passes are closed. The roads
are in good condition, mostly 2-lane with the odd passing lane on the
uphill stretches.

From Kelowna to Vancouver the quickest route is the Coquihalla toll
road, 5 hours in good conditions. The more scenic route is
Hope-Princeton, more like 7 or 8 hours. Coquihalla is wide,
double-lane much of the way and about as boringly safe as mountain
roads get. It does have some pretty steep grades so again you may be
delayed if the weather is bad.

Have fun, sounds like an amazing trip.

Neil

Rich,

If you are heading west from Banff you should check out Kicking Horse.
It's a ski area that has recently undergone a huge series of
improvements and it has some of the sickest terrain around. I was
riding powder that was several weeks old there when the rest of Banff
was all ice.

http://www.kickinghorseresort.com

Chris Stringer
RDCShop.com Online Board Shop
Bend Ski and Board Sport
1009 NW Galveston
Bend, OR 97701
Email:
Web: http://www.rdcshop.com
Toll Free Phone: 1.877.BEND.SKI

"Baka Dasai" wrote in message
news:slrnbu5h3q.gmv.idontreadthis@yahoobb220004112 021.bbtec.net...
On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 01:18:44 GMT, RR said (and I quote):
Hi Guys!

A mate and I from Australia are coming up your way... we've booked in
some
travel, and I wanna know how feasible it is.

We're basically flying to Calgary, then bussing to Banff. We're spending
a
week at Sunshine, then grabbing a four-wheel-drive, and heading West to
Lake
Louise, then to Big White etc. for another week or so... then.. and this
is
the tough bit, we're planning to DRIVE to Vancouver for a week in
Whistler
before flying out to Japan.. but that's another story.

Where are you going in Japan? If it's for
snowboarding, check out Niseko.
--
A: Top-posters.
Q: What's the most annoying thing on usenet?

Yeah, it's Niseko allright. I thought that place was the worlds best kept
secret, so I'm going back. Last time I was there, we were getting 3-4ft
drops overnight. Hills aren't so big, but the snow is just unbelievable
ain't it?

Thought it would be the place to unwind, soak in the onsens, and rest after
my time in Canada... well, that's if all goes according to plan.

"Switters" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 18 Dec 2003 01:18:44 GMT, "RR"
allegedly wrote:

Here's where I need some local help:
- Is it at all possible to complete the trip as planned or is it
simply "impossible".
- If it's possible, how long should we allow to make the Big White
Vancouver leg of our Journey, given that there's 2 of us, happy to
drive around the clock in a 4WD vehicle
- How 'likely' is it that we'll come to grief, get laid up, lost, die
in the wilderness etc.

It's definitely possible, but all depends on the weather. If there's no
storm pending, and there hasn't been one for a day, then most of the
roads will be reasonably clear. The authorities know how to shift a
heap of snow in a hurry.

I've never done that particular drive (although I've probably done
something equivalent in the US), but I reckon on about 6-7 hours.
Mapquest or a local will correct me.

With a decent map you shouldn't get lost. Navigation is not a difficult
task in BC. Whether you die or not depends on if you hit a massive
storm, then drive at 100kph round a bend, power sliding into a tree,
roll down a canyon, and wake a grizzly bear... or something like that.

- Dave.


Ummm... a little bit too much thought appears to have gone into my demise
here Dave. I'll hunt up some decent maps. I guess if it's bucketing snow,
hehehe... I'll be staying put... heheheee.. worst things could happen !

Thanks.

"Neil Gendzwill" wrote in message
om...
"RR" wrote in message
...

We're basically flying to Calgary, then bussing to Banff. We're spending
a
week at Sunshine, then grabbing a four-wheel-drive, and heading West to
Lake
Louise,

Louise is 45 minutes outside of Banff, Sunshine 20 minutes. If I were
you I'd stay in Banff and ski both places the first 2 days, and then
decide how you're going to divide your time between them based on snow
conditions, personal taste etc.

then to Big White etc. for another week or so... then.. and this is
the tough bit, we're planning to DRIVE to Vancouver for a week in
Whistler
before flying out to Japan.. but that's another story.

Actually the drive from Kelowna to Vancouver is cake, the tough bit is
the drive from Banff to Kelowna. You have to cross Kicking Horse Pass
and Roger's Pass - those both can be scary in bad weather and
sometimes are closed for days at a time. Allow 8 hours in good winter
weather from Banff to Kelowna, and make sure your flexible enough to
handle a delay of a day or two if the passes are closed. The roads
are in good condition, mostly 2-lane with the odd passing lane on the
uphill stretches.

From Kelowna to Vancouver the quickest route is the Coquihalla toll
road, 5 hours in good conditions. The more scenic route is
Hope-Princeton, more like 7 or 8 hours. Coquihalla is wide,
double-lane much of the way and about as boringly safe as mountain
roads get. It does have some pretty steep grades so again you may be
delayed if the weather is bad.

Have fun, sounds like an amazing trip.

Neil

Umm... don't wanna come along as a guide doya Neil?

1. Cool. We'll stay in Banff. Booked in the Hostel International at the
Alpine Centre for a solid week, and as you suggest, we'll try out both
Sunshine & Louise, then cut up our time accordingly. Good call. (Do you have
a preference Sunshine/Louise?)

2. As usual with travel, the bits you expect to be tuff are easy and vice
verca huh! So we'll allow more time for the Kelowna leg. Another poster
suggested trying Kicking Horse, so if we get stuck for a while, maybe we
could go there.. then cruise to Vancouver one way or another. I'm really
looking forward to the legendary Canadian scenery, so weather/time/alcohol
permitting, we'll consider the Hope-Princeton route.

Either way, we've got a full 8 day buffer at trips end to make our Japan
flight, so a coupla layovers in between should be survivable

Neil, thanks for your help. I'll print this out, and use it INSTEAD of a
map, coz Aussies aren't really travelling unless they're LOST!!!

"Chris Stringer" wrote in message
om...
Rich,

If you are heading west from Banff you should check out Kicking Horse.
It's a ski area that has recently undergone a huge series of
improvements and it has some of the sickest terrain around. I was
riding powder that was several weeks old there when the rest of Banff
was all ice.

http://www.kickinghorseresort.com


I checked out the site... I'm sold. Too many hills, too little time. We'll
fit it in somewhere!

"RR" wrote...
Do you have a preference Sunshine/Louise?

Louise if the snow is good there, but they are both amazing hills.
Bear in mind I'm a steeps/bumps/go real fast/all-mountain hardbooter
kind of guy. People who like to look for hits here and there tend to
prefer Sunshine.

So we'll allow more time for the Kelowna leg. Another poster
suggested trying Kicking Horse

Also in the Kelowna area are Silverstar and Apex, both of which are
good. But if you've only time for one hill in the Okanagan, I'd stick
with Big White.

Neil, thanks for your help. I'll print this out, and use it INSTEAD of a
map, coz Aussies aren't really travelling unless they're LOST!!!

It's pretty damn hard to get lost. Stranded, yeah. Dead off the side
of a cliff, definitely possible. But lost would take special effort.
Once you get out of Calgary heading west on the TransCanada (#1),
there's really only one road until you get to the turn-off for the
Okanagan (highway 97A). Then you just follow that until you hit
Kelowna.

Remember that our turn signals are the left stalk! That screwed me up
more than driving on the left when I was in your neck of the woods -
kept turning on my windshield wipers when I wanted to signal a turn.


Neil

R...your trip sounds great....very feasible if your in shape. You can make
B.W. to Van in a day. No need for a 4WD though....A.
"RR" wrote in message
...
Hi Guys!

A mate and I from Australia are coming up your way... we've booked in some
travel, and I wanna know how feasible it is.

We're basically flying to Calgary, then bussing to Banff. We're spending a
week at Sunshine, then grabbing a four-wheel-drive, and heading West to
Lake
Louise, then to Big White etc. for another week or so... then.. and this
is
the tough bit, we're planning to DRIVE to Vancouver for a week in Whistler
before flying out to Japan.. but that's another story.

Now... before you all go 'That's a long way'... in Australia, it's quite
normal to drive over a thousand Km's in a day. I'm concerned however that
we
may not be able to do that in Canada with weather conditions etc. I know
NOTHING about your roads, and whether they're tops or they suck..?

Here's where I need some local help:
- Is it at all possible to complete the trip as planned or is it simply
"impossible".
- If it's possible, how long should we allow to make the Big White
Vancouver leg of our Journey, given that there's 2 of us, happy to drive
around the clock in a 4WD vehicle
- How 'likely' is it that we'll come to grief, get laid up, lost, die in
the
wilderness etc.

All the accom/car hire etc. has been booked and paid, so there's not much
room for me to make changes, and the Travel Agent didn't flinch, so they
obviously think it's all OK (or simply don't care)... what do YOU guys
think?

Thanks... I'll buy ya' a beer when I get there!

Rich.