Red Mtn or Whitewater?

**wooley12** · 12-09-2009, 08:33 PM

Thinking of a January trip with the wife and kids to B.C. Trying to decide between Red Mountain or Whitewater. My lady and I are strong, advanced skiers with a lot of back country experience. Anybody want to give me some personal input? Thanks.

**sparkletarte.** · 12-09-2009, 08:39 PM

why not both? red has more inbounds terrain and probably more groomed for the kids b/c it's bigger. ww has the backside which is almost like inbounds for the use it sees but not really suitable to take your kids if they are young and/or you don't know where you are going and/or they can't ski trees.

get here and watch the snow and spend at least a day at each. ww is higher elevation and sometimes that little bit makes the difference but generally both are fairly on par.

**slaymore_sessions** · 12-09-2009, 08:46 PM

^^ what he said. go to both. You can't go wrong either way though.

**SPREAD EAGLE** · 12-09-2009, 09:11 PM

BOTH! - red would allow more for everyone though. Whitewater's best terrain is hike traversing so you may need more time alone there. Visit Nelson and drink some beer

**wooley12** · 12-09-2009, 09:15 PM

Native Sockeye salmon or Lobster tails? Hmmmm. Which of the two has better steeps? Powder? Forget the kids, they'll deal. Thinking best for the wife and I

**schussfahrt** · 12-09-2009, 09:32 PM

Red for skiing. Check out the slides, Sarah's chute (ask -unload from motherload, bear right and an immediate left under the ropes), coolers, and stuff around powder fields. Lunch in Paradise lodge is better IMO -get something off the grill outside.

You can skin/ boot pack up Robert's (with avi gear) pretty quickly, or there is a ton of nearby touring and it is usually easy to find some accomodating locals. Check out stuff along the 7-summits/Nancy Greene pass and tour with a local if you can -great terrain.

Whitewater will bore you pretty quickly unless the snow is really good -in that case there is a lot of good steep tree skiing or traverse the bowl as pointed out above. However, Nelson has a lot more to offer than Rossland/Trail. Nice restaurants, B&B's, a big lake, ski shops, etc.

Have fun, BC rules! I have never found an easier place to show up, say hi, and find a touring partner.

**sparkletarte.** · 12-10-2009, 09:35 AM

(she)

Originally Posted by schussfahrt

Whitewater will bore you pretty quickly if all you like is groomers

fixed it for you.

both have great steeps and trees. ww has good direct fall line- get off the chair and go straight down. red has more inbounds and more vert. both have the same snow unless the elevation is super critical.

rossland is a cute town, so is nelson. nelson is bigger, about twice the size, more shopping and restos, art and that sort of thing. nelson is 20 minutes to ww, ~1hr to red, rossland is 5 minutes to red, ~1.25hr to ww.

if you want to stay in the middle in a wee little village (20 mins to Nelson), stay at the palace

you don't need to choose, you need to do both.

**teledance** · 12-10-2009, 10:11 AM

http://www.redwhiteandyoucard.com/

Great price on tickets and you can ski either resort. Personally I prefer skiing Red but love Nelson.

**oftpiste** · 12-10-2009, 10:37 AM

You'd be making a big mistake not hitting both while you're in the 'hood.

WW is a day trip (at worst) from Red so you can base in Nelson or Rossland and check out the other and adjust if necessary

**dk_alaskan** · 12-10-2009, 12:31 PM

depends on what you want, Whitewater has some of the best lift served bc pow around. Though because it is bc, there is some earning of your turns. Haven't been to red, but i would think that given more lifts there are more options for the whole family to ski, rather than 2 old decommissioned lifts from Whistler. I will say some of my best powder days have been at Wh2o

cw · 12-10-2009, 01:33 PM

Gonna put in another vote for go to both--only about an hour and a half drive. Nelson has more going on in terms of a town, but rossland is pretty cool too and you're closer to the hill. Red's inbounds terrain is more diverse and has anything you need. The BC at whitewater is better. Depends what you want...

**ruhiks** · 12-10-2009, 01:54 PM

Both!

123

**Beaver** · 12-10-2009, 02:05 PM

If you don't know where you are going or & don't have a guide WW is not as good in the same situation as Red would be. Top of Red is 6807' top of WW lifts is 6700' but there is an 8000' right there (Ymir peak) that catches clouds and produces more snow for the hill. Lots of good quick touring at both hills. I'd do both if I was visiting, fortunately I'm not. WW & Red are almost exactly the same time from my house and I choose Red if I'm going lift riding. I'd probably stay in Rossland, watch the snow reports and be prepared to hop in the car and blast to WW if they get a huge dump and Red gets shut out (it happens).

**Eldo** · 12-10-2009, 05:46 PM

Anyone know if you can buy that Red-White ski card in Canada, or is that only for our American friends down Spokane way?

**shirk** · 12-10-2009, 06:04 PM

Originally Posted by Eldo

Anyone know if you can buy that Red-White ski card in Canada, or is that only for our American friends down Spokane way?

There is only a US drop down for the card registration on the website.

You can get a Free Red Mountain day ticket by purchasing an IO-Bio Merino item.

You still in Cow Town? You can but IO-Bio at Aquabatics, Community Natural Foods and Techno Sport.

**powderpyg** · 12-10-2009, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by dk_alaskan

Haven't been to red, but i would think that given more lifts there are more options for the whole family to ski, rather than 2 old decommissioned lifts from Whistler.

Ummmm, wrong em boyo. The Summit Lift at WH2O has been there since day one, Silver King Chair is as you say the old Olive Chair from Whistler. Yes they're both old, but who gives a fack, they do the trick. New and fast ain't the be all and end all, in my books. I get lots of vert on the those relics!

If your looking for old Whistler Chairs you can find em at Red also. The Motherlode Chair is also a Whistler Relic. Not sure where they got their "new" Silver Lode Chair (the old one was from Whistler), but they should send it back, as it's gotta be the slowest fixed grip quad I've ever been on.

Go to Red it's bigger and better and has on hill accomodation, WH2O doesn't