Whitefish, Big sky, or Fernie...

[asland]

So many good choices... Whitefish, Big sky, or Fernie (we'll probably choose one and stick with it for 5 days)

Any people out there with first hand experiences...which do you suggest for my family...

What we need:

Our objective is to ski...
Great slack-country for me... steeps, powder, trees...
steep groomed fall line trails for my wife
good beginner or intermediate options for my kids
A pool available for the kids so I can ski hard in the am or pm

What we do not need:

Fancy stuff (resort, hotel, restaurants...)
Romantic stuff is good but not priority for this trip
off-slope activities (we ski hard and then pretty much fall asleep)
night life (with two young kids partying is pretty much out)

thanks

[rossibandit]

I guess its hard to leave your decision to the last moment but I think Fernie would fit the bill.

[Eluder]

Whitefish sounds right as well, as long as you don't my skiing in fog.

[The Duke of Hurl]

I'd have to go with Big Sky, first, for variety and steeps, Fernie a close second for quality off piste runs and reasonable variety, and Big Mtn (all due respect to Whitefish locals) a distant third for lack of fall line runs and consistent pitch. I've skied all these mtns w & w/o family. Have only skied slackcountry at Fernie (Fishbowl) unless you count the Big Couloir at BS so my comments only reflect inbounds really. At BS the Huntley has a good pool and slopeside, at Fernie its Lizard Creek onslope and others in town. Several new options at Whitefish. None of these places are crowded so you could wait for storms if travel plans allow. All fun places.

Peace.

[Team Blurr]

If you're going to go to Fernie, then I would go to Castle Mt. It's steep with a lot of vert... like 3000' or so. It's still small enough so the wife and kids can meet you at the bottom. You can buy a bag from someone at the bar... real easy. Great skiing and small area vibe.

[The Duke of Hurl]

+1 for Castle, but make sure you check the wind report. Having spent a "breezy day" on the upper chair I can now state with some confidence that I understand what it's like to traverse Antarctica.

[M111S]

+1 for Castle, but make sure you check the wind report. Having spent a "breezy day" on the upper chair I can now state with some confidence that I understand what it's like to traverse Antarctica.

+1 and the bloody thing stopped while we were on it Great little mountain tho, but the liftlines....

[mnskier]

+1 for Big Sky great hike to stuff. Depending on when you go the back side will hopefully be open and skiing off the backside of Lone Peak to MLB is quite the line. Great hike to stuff off of challenger.. a through zs or if you get a MLB ticket you have the headwaters (also good hike to)

[Sparwood Dave]

I can't comment on Big Sky but Fernie is better than Big Mountain (Whitefish) for your described conditions. Whitefish is foggy and compartively flat with lots of groomers. Fernie doesn't winch groom anything but has some steepish groomers and it's a great place for your wife to learn off piste.
Regarding Castle - my wife and I have passes at both Castle and Fernie and prefer Castle midweek. If you can settle for wind groomed runs this is a video made March 10 after 3 weeks of no snow on blue runs on the upper mountain at Castle. Note the wind and crowds.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fku-oIBqks"]YouTube - Castle March 10, 2010.wmv[/nomedia]
Yes it's windy and yes it can be cold but if you want warmth go to Mexico. It also has a great separate beginners hill (Mount Haig). In terms of fancy the nearest Starbucks is 100 miles away. There is a cheap almost new hostel on the hill but no pool.

[toast2266]

You're not going to go wrong with any of them. I've found Fernie and Big Mtn. to be generally similar, meaning that both mountains reward a bit of poking around to find the goods. Fernie is bigger, with more vert. Both have lots of slackcountry. Big sky is awesome when its in good shape, but I don't think of it as having much slackcountry (although I could be wrong on that, I've only skied there a handful of times). Big sky is also a ways from a real town, but that doesn't seem like its a huge concern for you. Big sky will likely be the most expensive, followed by Fernie due to the shitty exchange rate.

[montanamike]

Big Sky would suit you and your family well

[Bobcat Sig]

Another one for Big Sky. It will have all the terrain you asked for, and more. Some slackcountry, but honestly - you'll get enough between the ropes that it probably won't matter. The village will have what you need.

Whitefish/Big Mountain = Big Fog.

[marcusling]

go where its good when its good. In the last decade, I havent booked anything more than a week out and still got the "book in advance " prices. The economy will allow this style of travel for atleast a few more years. You are talking about resorts that share the same storms, so I would have to say Big Sky.

[john c]

Fernie has a nice little town to hang in, can be great pow skiing during the cycle but may get rain. The people are nice and the scene is mellow pow people. Whitefish is a beer drinkin town and has some nice skiing. Probably the most affordable of the three. Folks are once again super nice and kinda core rednecky skier motorbiker types. Big Sky is an awesome place to meet real estate agents and get attitude from wanna be bro brah's in the tram line. A tram that goes into flat light and windfuck 90% of the time and has a line that averages an hour wait if it is anything other than junk.

[montanaskier]

For what you are looking for, I'd say NOT Whitefish. Fernie or Big Sky

[Harry]

I am biased, but for the family I would say Big Sky hands down.

Huntley Lodge is right on the mountain and has lift ticket + lodging packages for $99. Outdoor pool and hot tub. Includes a very nice all-you-can-eat-breakfast too.

Down the hill on the highway is the Whitewater Inn, they are advertising $69 ticket/lodging package (which is basically free lodging). 15 minute drive to the mountain, somewhat ghetto rooms but clean, cool indoor waterslide for the kids.

My vote would be the Huntley Lodge at Big Sky, challenging steeps for the adults, a billion groomers for the kids, lifts right there, outdoor hot tub in the afternoon apres-ski looking right up at the peak is the shit. Plus The Crazy Austrians every afternoon at 4pm in the bar. Kind of a corny show but kids love them... You and the family can spend a week there and never touch your car. Lots of shuttles to/from the Bozeman airport= no need for rental car.

Be sure to check out Moonlight Basin too. At least one or two days upgrade to the combined BS/MLB pass. Moonlight has some fun terrain for all ability levels.

Fernie = expensive + euro-trash trust-funder infested. Low elevation mean sking is either great or shitty, no in between.

Whitefish = fun but foggy. On mountain family lodging expensive now that the hedge-fund new owners tore down the working class friendly Alpinglow.

[dhc02]

Just a couple of notes.

1. I work for WMR, so grains of salt all around.
2. On average, it is cloudy/foggy in Whitefish, on at least some part of the mountain, more often than other places you might ski. That means everything negative that low visibility means to you, but it also means A) the snow stays better longer, without sun exposure or freeze/thaw cycling for weeks at a time, and B) wide open lines stay untouched because people can't scope them from the chairlift. Seriously, snow quality is very, very consistent in Whitefish. Finally, fog and epic ski days are not mutually exclusive. Just stick to the glades (of which there are many).
3. Whitefish is by far the least expensive of the three places being discussed.
4. Anyone who has skied here and describes it as flat and unexciting did not do a very good job of skiing here.
5. Sidecountry here is pretty awesome, although it is pretty awesome at Fernie, too.
6. Fernie's lift system/layout can be frustrating.
7. Fernie is not "much bigger" than Whitefish, it is 500 acres smaller.
8. Historically, La Niña winters have been much kinder to Whitefish and Fernie than to Big Sky.
9. If you are flying, Whitefish is by far the most conveniently located, although airfare here can be highish.
11. You cannot really go wrong at any of those three places this winter. Have fun.

--dhc--

Edit: just to directly answer one of the original poster's questions, there are lots of places you can stay on-mountain which include access to the indoor pool at Anapurna. There are also several hotels down in town with pools (Pine Lodge and Grouse Mountain Lodge are good choices)

[danimal's dead]

Hey Donnie what's up, while you're here trolling for tourists can I ask you a question. Are you going to open the litfts on time on powder days this year or can I look forward to another winter of standing in line in a blizzard until 11 am every powder day?

[dhc02]

Hey danimal. Even if we get as many powder days this season as in '07-'08 (fingers crossed), this year Chair 1 will not be a brand new lift with kinks to be worked out, so we shouldn't be having to fight it as much.

That being said, opening time delays are as often due to avy control work as they are to mechanical issues. Ours is a 360°, one-chair-to-the-top mountain at a northern latitude, and that means sometimes we wait for patrol before we load Chair 1.

One thing we are going to do a better job of this year if I have anything to do with it is communicating with people in line if/when we have delays at Chair 1. The lifties are scared of all you grizzled veterans and tend to hide in the shack rather than weather insults and expletives when things go wrong. We're going to try to train some toughness into them, but we'd appreciate if you did your part and went a little easy on the front liners as well.

--dhc--

[danimal's dead]

Oh come on Donnie, lifties don't come any tougher than Denise. You guys just need to get patrol up there dropping bombs earlier.

But thanks for the 2 new high speed quads, they're awesome. And I'll give you this Donnie, you've been a tireless promoter of the mountain, seriously pat yourself on the back, you've worked hard.

And just to show you that I'm actually pretty cool, I've guided several maggot tourists around the big, and if you hook up with somebody who knows their way through the trees in the fog you will find hidden treasures. Fernie and Big Sky are big open Alpine resorts with obvious lines, most of the goods here are start at the timber line. PM me if you want a free guide, I'll even take you out the canyon if you bring a beacon, probe and shovel.

[dhc02]

Ha. Denise is the toughest person I know.

I know some resorts do avalanche control work in the dark, but our patrol director does not think that wise and I tend to respect his opinions regarding safety. He has never explained his reasoning to me, but it is what it is, and I don't see anyone changing his mind any time soon. In the end, too much snow is a better problem to have than the alternative (the lifts ran like clockwork last season).

Thank you for the props; seriously. It's an easy job here because here is pretty awesome most of the time. I'd hate to be the one who has to spin the percentage of days the Lone Peak Tram is open in a typical season ;-).

To anyone looking to ski the Fish for the first time reading this: I'd take danimal up on his offer. A local guide in Whitefish is a shortcut to bliss not available many other places. A free tour with an Ambassador is a surprisingly decent alternative, too.

24" - 39" in the NOAA mid-mountain forecast between now and Thursday morning. Keep those fingers crossed. http://skiwhitefish.com/weather.php?link_id=noaa_link

--dhc--

[AsheanMT]

Donnie is now posting on TGR?!?!





Edit to add that Danimal is indeed a good BigMtn tour guide as is Gripen.

I can be if I can get away from the lil grom for more than 4 hours.

[AsheanMT]

To the OP,

La Nina is here and that means you want to come to Whitefish or Fernie. In fact, they are so close to each other you may as well do both.

[Bobcat Sig]

The base area today at Big Sky:

[AsheanMT]

^^^ We're predicted to be more than that by Friday.

Hey Danimal, hiking with the crew tomorrow. You should join us for old time sake. Should be good. Backside is skiing nice and NOAA is saying mucho snow manana.