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  1. #26
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Whitefish
    Posts
    4,501
    Quote Originally Posted by Sparwood Dave View Post
    My wife and I live in Sparwood....

    Best way to express the difference is we go to Whitefish for the shopping.

    if you are an expert shopper and have infrared vision Whitefish wins.

    As a Whitefish local I can attest to the fact that our local economy is doing well due to the Canadians spending their money here. Not only do they shop here but they leave their own country to come and party here as well (beer is WAAAAAAY cheaper here). Its a double edged sword, good for the local economy but sometimes real annoying when the town is filled with drunken canucks on holiday.


    If you're a groomer skier than you might want to skip Whitefish due to fog. Our mountain is a gaper killer. Many a gaper has been disappointed due to fog. If you like trees then you'll enjoy the skiing and lack of lines while all the tourons are in the base lodge complaining about the fog and too much powder on the "groomers".

    Did I mention the Cougars? Many a Canadian variety are know to remove their wedding rings so that "What happens in Whitefish stays in Whitefish". Its truly a sight to behold.

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    RM trench
    Posts
    1,969
    drunk tourists on holidays is an annoyance with all ski / touristy towns, no?

    Spare a thought for Fernie locals who get the triple whammy - drunk Australians, drunk kiwis & drunk Cal-garians...

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    The CH
    Posts
    1,465
    Thanks. Lots of good info here.

    I'm flying into Calgary in early March, plan to hit Fernie for a couple of days, then a couple in Whitefish. I have a couple of more days before our flight leaves from Calgary. Where to spend the extra days? Sounds like I should spend some time at Castle. Might just leave it open and follow snow. We loved KH, but don't want to drive that far for so few days.

    It will be our first trip to Fernie and Whitefish. Any info will be appreciated.

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Central OR
    Posts
    5,961
    Spend a day or two at Kimberley for some variety.

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Vinyl Valley
    Posts
    1,796
    As mentioned earlier, Castle is worth a visit if you're staying in Fernie. The base elevation at Castle is ~1500ft higher than Fernie, making the Alberta resort more attractive if it's raining in Fernie. A short 1.5 - 2 hour drive over the pass will get you to another empty resort with great skiing and some incredibly friendly locals.

    Check out the RCR ski more card for discounted lift tickets. https://secure.skircr.com/pass_types...js=1&season=14

    Never skied at Big Mountain, heard from friends it's a fun stop.

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Central Cascades
    Posts
    83
    Quote Originally Posted by AsheanMT View Post

    BC Bud is soooo 90's..
    Beat me to the punch on that one. I was about to type the exact same thing.

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Banff
    Posts
    22,192
    wait and see who has snow...


  8. #33
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Paradise
    Posts
    5,190
    The Big Mountain has plenty of fun skiing. If I remember correctly the lines off of the East Rim has some good steep shots. Lots of good tree skiing on the back of there in the cat skiing area. I haven't skied there since 95 tho when I was a season pass holder. Fernie does look like a mountain with a lot more exciting terrain and Castle looks really cool. Hopefully one day I will get up there. mtlion has the right idea, get there and decide on whatever feels right.

  9. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    The CH
    Posts
    1,465
    Quote Originally Posted by skuff View Post
    Check out the RCR ski more card for discounted lift tickets. https://secure.skircr.com/pass_types...js=1&season=14
    .
    We ordered the RCR card. That is a great deal.

  10. #35
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Salida, CO
    Posts
    1,974
    WTF I remember buying a 6 pack with $20 merican and getting $20 in loonies in change.

  11. #36
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    SLc,UT
    Posts
    441
    What are the odds of the Big Fog being the Big Fog? That viz sounds brutal almost 60++% of the time yet I know someone who goes to WF religiously despite that.

  12. #37
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    42
    Fernie hands down is better

  13. #38
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Vancouver BC
    Posts
    3,261
    Quote Originally Posted by marcg View Post
    What are the odds of the Big Fog being the Big Fog? That viz sounds brutal almost 60++% of the time yet I know someone who goes to WF religiously despite that.
    Not much alpine terrain there is there? If not, who needs vis

  14. #39
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    none
    Posts
    8,320
    Quote Originally Posted by gramboh View Post
    Not much alpine terrain there is there? If not, who needs vis
    Gets pretty thick there. But it would be pretty sweet living on the lake.

    Fernie's much better hill.

  15. #40
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    4
    Fernie and Whitefish are both great places. It's worth a trip to either.

  16. #41
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Kootenays
    Posts
    396
    Polar peak chair at Fernie.
    /end thread

  17. #42
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Whitefish, MT
    Posts
    171
    Dude, anyone who would try to claim the skiing is better here (WF) than in Fernie is on crack. Fernie is fucking legendary. On the other hand, WF is a serious party town, especially if you're here on the weekend. As was stated above, Castle is an absolute must-visit when you're in this area.

    Depending on your budget, you might want to consider booking a trip with Great Northern Powder Guides, who run a cat-skiing operation in the northern Whitefish Range. They service some great terrain and they often run specials to get people in the seats.

    The sidecountry at Whitefish is easier to access, especially with the installation of the new chairlift on the backside this season. But don't be a retard, if you're planning on going OB, bring your avie equipment.

    The only real upside to Whitefish over Fernie is that we don't get tracked out quite as quickly when the storms hit. The fog can be fierce, but that tends to stabilize temps and keep the snow cool despite our southern exposure. The view from WMR on a clear day - into Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, down to Flathead Lake and up to the Canadian Rockies - blows Fernie's view out of the water.

    Fernie is much steeper, has much longer fall lines, and is just fucking dope. The only thing I hate about it is having to take multiple chairs to get to the summit (but there is good terrain off most lifts). Fernie is spread out along a ridgeline, while Whitefish is skiing off a single peak.

    Whitefish has way better food and entertainment. And it's cheap to party here.

    When you make it to WF, send me a PM and I'll give you a tour if I'm in the mood.

    -TTT

  18. #43
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Vancouver BC
    Posts
    3,261
    Quote Originally Posted by Shredhead View Post
    Gets pretty thick there. But it would be pretty sweet living on the lake.

    Fernie's much better hill.
    Haven't been to Whitefish but I agree that Fernie is awesome, was always my favourite place to go when living in Calgary for big storms. Super fun terrain everywhere.

  19. #44
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    290
    Quote Originally Posted by TwinTipTele View Post
    Dude, anyone who would try to claim the skiing is better here (WF) than in Fernie is on crack. Fernie is fucking legendary. On the other hand, WF is a serious party town, especially if you're here on the weekend. As was stated above, Castle is an absolute must-visit when you're in this area.

    Depending on your budget, you might want to consider booking a trip with Great Northern Powder Guides, who run a cat-skiing operation in the northern Whitefish Range. They service some great terrain and they often run specials to get people in the seats.

    The sidecountry at Whitefish is easier to access, especially with the installation of the new chairlift on the backside this season. But don't be a retard, if you're planning on going OB, bring your avie equipment.

    The only real upside to Whitefish over Fernie is that we don't get tracked out quite as quickly when the storms hit. The fog can be fierce, but that tends to stabilize temps and keep the snow cool despite our southern exposure. The view from WMR on a clear day - into Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness, down to Flathead Lake and up to the Canadian Rockies - blows Fernie's view out of the water.

    Fernie is much steeper, has much longer fall lines, and is just fucking dope. The only thing I hate about it is having to take multiple chairs to get to the summit (but there is good terrain off most lifts). Fernie is spread out along a ridgeline, while Whitefish is skiing off a single peak.

    Whitefish has way better food and entertainment. And it's cheap to party here.

    When you make it to WF, send me a PM and I'll give you a tour if I'm in the mood.

    -TTT
    TTT is a good guy to ski with/be shown around by, thanks for last time I was out there, hoping to make it this winter but not sure yet, if not see you MTB season!

  20. #45
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Posts
    38
    Quote Originally Posted by geezerb View Post
    Polar peak chair at Fernie.
    /end thread
    ha, is polar peak supposed to win the argument in fernie's favour or against it?
    just sayin', i lived here all last winter. i work etc... so i try to only go on good days but i was only ever on the hill ONCE when polar peak was open. ha. fernie's awesome, but if you're looking at the trail map getting excited about the terrain off the peak.... well, don't bank on skiing it i guess is what i'm saying.

    having said all that, even tracked out - you can find stashes for DAYS.
    hoping to get down to whitefish soon.

    oh yea, and castle is fun. one of the strangest, weirdest feeling places i've skiied in all my life, but it's true - raining in fernie = good chance of snow at castle.

  21. #46
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Kootenays
    Posts
    396
    Sometimes polars just open on sub par days, on other weekends it's the perfect distraction for albertans to wait in line to ski a pretty short run. Sometimes it's pretty sick though, the wind rolling across it is like free freshie refills all day. Such a memorable experience ripping in total whiteout listening to some heavy bass. And then there's the headwall...

  22. #47
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else
    Posts
    5,668
    Quote Originally Posted by Todds View Post
    Thanks. Lots of good info here.

    I'm flying into Calgary in early March, plan to hit Fernie for a couple of days, then a couple in Whitefish. I have a couple of more days before our flight leaves from Calgary. Where to spend the extra days? Sounds like I should spend some time at Castle. Might just leave it open and follow snow. We loved KH, but don't want to drive that far for so few days.

    It will be our first trip to Fernie and Whitefish. Any info will be appreciated.
    Castle is a hidden gem. It's nothing fancy, with slow lifts and basic lodge, but the terrain is great and the vibe is relaxed. There's a good chance you get a hug from the older ticket-check lady if she's working.

    The chutes have probably the longest un-interrupted fall-line runs anywhere within an 8 hour drive or more, and the high winds refresh the runs pretty quick many days.

    Any resort is better during the week than weekends, but I'd say that might go double for Castle... on a snowy weekend it can get pretty long lineups, so if you can, aim for it on a weekday. Even if it's busy on a weekend, the archaic lift system means it takes a lot longer to get tracked out than some other places around. They also have a cat skiing area that runs Thursday to Sunday, but Monday to Wednesday you're allowed to tour into it if you have the appropriate gear.

    It's also probably the cheapest resort around that actually has good terrain and vertical.

    I've got a pass there this year but will mostly ski weekends... send me a PM if you're going to go an if possible I'll show you around a bit.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  23. #48
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Out There
    Posts
    1,748
    Quote Originally Posted by whipski View Post
    WTF I remember buying a 6 pack with $20 merican and getting $20 in loonies in change.
    It's not the northern peso anymore.
    2 words: Tar. Sands.
    "We need sometimes to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment at no matter what. -George Santayana, The Philosophy of Travel

    ...it would probably bother me more if I wasn't quite so heavily sedated. -David St. Hubbins, This Is Spinal Tap

  24. #49
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Out There
    Posts
    1,748
    Quote Originally Posted by Deadgoat View Post
    Fernie hands down is better
    Dead or not, gotta go with the goat on this one...

    All due respect to local mags, a friend of mine once said, regarding the WF terrain, "This place has the contours of a fried egg." I haven't found anything to contradict him on multiple attempts. I would be happy to apply much beerage to any WF local who could change my perspective on this.

    Fernie OTOH, is a place that I associate with many steep, deep (sometimes whiteroom) days, and some wet manky days, and this one time where the entire house was infected with dysentery... But I digress.

    The Castle is steep, and the nearest town is Beaver Dam, Alberta. Go there, past the world's largest dump truck in Sparwood, and the Frank slide area (spooky), on the second day after a dump at Fernie as long as there is no wind. No wind.
    "We need sometimes to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment at no matter what. -George Santayana, The Philosophy of Travel

    ...it would probably bother me more if I wasn't quite so heavily sedated. -David St. Hubbins, This Is Spinal Tap

  25. #50
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    really? You can't guess it?
    Posts
    703
    Last time I was there it was -22c on the east side of Crowsnest Pass, and +8C at the base of Fernie. Needless to say pow was not slashed. Frank Slide is very cool.
    Quote Originally Posted by iceman View Post
    This is kinda like the goose that laid the golden egg, but shittier.

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