Golden Alpine Holidays, anybody have experience with them?

[TahoeJ]

Well, headed to the same area in 6 days... I think the snowpack will mellow out by then after these big dumps and with relatively small top-layer storms coming in, it should be prime and I suspect you are going to score big time. Funny to see this thread bumped because I was on the verge of changing things up and doing some cat / heli / or hut touring instead of my original resort plans.

[hercule33]

Well, headed to the same area in 6 days... I think the snowpack will mellow out by then after these big dumps and with relatively small top-layer storms coming in, it should be prime and I suspect you are going to score big time. Funny to see this thread bumped because I was on the verge of changing things up and doing some cat / heli / or hut touring instead of my original resort plans.

You still may want to get out of the resorts if the conditions are right. In my opinion inner BC has the best backcountry skiing in the world in terms of snow and terrain. Pillows, chutes, trees bowls with 2000 feet of sustained vertical. Guides in Canada are amazing at finding safe steep terrain in high avalanche conditions. When I was there is January we skied terrain like this in considerable conditions with three buried weak layers.

[TahoeJ]

You still may want to get out of the resorts if the conditions are right. In my opinion inner BC has the best backcountry skiing in the world in terms of snow and terrain. Pillows, chutes, trees bowls with 2000 feet of sustained vertical. Guides in Canada are amazing at finding safe steep terrain in high avalanche conditions. When I was there is January we skied terrain like this in considerable conditions with three buried weak layers.

Oh I’m definitely bringing my touring setup and planning at least one day on Rogers Pass. Tough to line up something organized on short notice since I planned this last second. GAH is definitely on my list for future trips...

[hercule33]

Oh I’m definitely bringing my touring setup and planning at least one day on Rogers Pass. Tough to line up something organized on short notice since I planned this last second. GAH is definitely on my list for future trips...

You should definitely try to get a certified guide for your backcountry day. Not only are they great for safety (remember other tracks mean nothing when there are buried weak layers), the quality and amount of skiing you be able to do is much greater with a guide unless you are an expert in backcountry skiing and reading topo maps. Considering the conditions in Tahoe, I would try to make the maximum of your time in Canada.

[TahoeJ]

You should definitely try to get a certified guide for your backcountry day. Not only are they great for safety (remember other tracks mean nothing when there are buried weak layers), the quality and amount of skiing you be able to do is much greater with a guide unless you are an expert in backcountry skiing and reading topo maps. Considering the conditions in Tahoe, I would try to make the maximum of your time in Canada.

There are no experts in the backcountry IMO, but I'm certified and have enough experience to make smart decisions. More importantly a few local maggots are (hopefully) going to show me the goods.

Anyway - Meter-Man, look forward to seeing your pics from the lodge.

[hercule33]

Nice. Local knowledge can be just as good as a guide. Although you do have to be careful with expert halo having someone familiar with the snowpack and terrain is a big plus. Post some pics too so we can live vicariously while enjoying the beers and food at the Ritz

[adrenalated]

Bump. Went to Fairy Meadow hut this year. Blew my fucking mind (TR to come). Considering a trip next year (or the year after), GAH looks like a good option.

If I had an awesome time skiing mini golf, trees, and pillows under high avy danger at FM, which GAH hut do I want to go to?

[LightRanger]

Bump. Went to Fairy Meadow hut this year. Blew my fucking mind (TR to come). Considering a trip next year (or the year after), GAH looks like a good option.

If I had an awesome time skiing mini golf, trees, and pillows under high avy danger at FM, which GAH hut do I want to go to?

Saw you bumped meter-man's thread from last year. He'll be back from their Vista Hut in a few days and should be able to give you a good comparison.

[DougW]

I'd say the best option is fly to calgary - shuttle or cab to greyhound station - greyhound to Golden (drops you at the Husky station on the transcanada)

I haven't lived here long enough to comment on highway closures, I'll let someone else chime in there. Regardless of what you do you'll have to get to the staging area for GAH which is about 35km or so from Golden.

The Kicking Horse Pass does close on occasionally but usually not long but in a big event can be closed for days. Can usually go by Radium which only adds an hour.

Just an important point on the Rogers Pass closure when getting to GAH staging ( or Sorcerer &Fairy Meadows staging). If the hwy is closed in Golden going west, whole town filled with semis , still go to the closure and say you are going to Heather Mountain Lodge ( very close to the GAH staging) . Don't stay in Golden waiting when you don't need to.

[DougW]

Anybody ski both GAH and Sorcerer for comparison. I've heard Sorcerer is the best around but I have only been to Sorcerer so have no comparison.

[goldenshowers]

Might get a deal at GAH, they are currently getting sued: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...suit-1.4543585

[nest]

Might get a deal at GAH, they are currently getting sued: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...suit-1.4543585

Wow. Looks like Canada is as fucked up as the US.

[DougW]

Can't say much but the part that probably won't or shouldn't hold up in any way is "Golden Alpine Holidays, Inc., and a resort employee, Cody Lank, who Churchill claims was with the group." As it wasn't a GAH trip as they had rented out the lodge to the guide. The employee was the custodian, so why is that poor guy being sued.

[goldenshowers]

I think they name anyone they can find in hopes of more monetary outcome. Hopefully none of this holds up as the implications of the precedence could be far reaching in the industry. With that said, I don't know exactly what did or did not happen out there.

As an executive of the Golden Cycling Club the amount of insurance we have to carry is insane.

These are inherently dangerous sports and you could die. There's the disclaimer, if one doesn't like it, stick to shuffleboard or playing cards, don't sue everyone around you when shit goes south.

[LeeLau]

The litigant will lose. There will be more precedent that waivers/ releases work and that assumption of risk dominates all in Canadian law gor inherently risky activities.

Doug. Sorcerer has massive glaciation. None of GAH's lodges have that but they have significant alpine and more tree skiing closer to lodges than Sorcerer

[LeeLau]

I think they name anyone they can find in hopes of more monetary outcome. Hopefully none of this holds up as the implications of the precedence could be far reaching in the industry. With that said, I don't know exactly what did or did not happen out there.

As an executive of the Golden Cycling Club the amount of insurance we have to carry is insane.

These are inherently dangerous sports and you could die. There's the disclaimer, if one doesn't like it, stick to shuffleboard or playing cards, don't sue everyone around you when shit goes south.

Hey steve. I'll copy you when I finish my writeup for liability in BC foe trailwork. I agree that the insurance burden is ridiculous and shouldn't have to be eaten by vollies

[gramboh]

The litigant will lose. There will be more precedent that waivers/ releases work and that assumption of risk dominates all in Canadian law gor inherently risky activities.

Doug. Sorcerer has massive glaciation. None of GAH's lodges have that but they have significant alpine and more tree skiing closer to lodges than Sorcerer

Hope this is the case (they lose). Is there an avalanche.ca write-up on this incident? I remember reading about it when it happened but can't seem to find it on the website.

[DougW]

I've heard that it was expected but dreaded that the lawsuit would happen. In some peoples opinion the suit may have merit.

[meter-man]

Bump. Went to Fairy Meadow hut this year. Blew my fucking mind (TR to come). Considering a trip next year (or the year after), GAH looks like a good option.

If I had an awesome time skiing mini golf, trees, and pillows under high avy danger at FM, which GAH hut do I want to go to?

What LL said re: Fairy Meadows v. GAH. That's what I've heard from folks who've been to both (I haven't made it to FM). FM seems to have more mind-blowing and jaw-agape terrain, while GAH seems to have terrain custom-made for backcountry skiing (less objective hazards, and ridiculously fun terrain).

Here's what I know about the lodges:

Vista
Most spread-out tenure. Generally speaking, there was more gnar and more pillows than Sunrise. But at Vista, you spend a little more time getting to the runs (and back up them). Big draw for pillows here is that there was an awesome pillow area though just below the lodge (V8/V9) on the GAH map. A fair amount of mini-golf just above the lodge too in the big, open valley at/above treeline.

Solid S/SE facing right above the lodge on Trundle Peak - trees, long pow runs, with some pillows and cliffs below. N-facing chutes as well.

Caribou Mt featured steep, loooong N-facing glades with an awesome pillow zone in the middle of the (very broad) face. Hard to lap that area because it was in the middle of a face.

West of Vista Peak had some sweet, long shots as well as some AK-style mini-golf and cliff skiing.

Sunrise
Smaller tenure means less skinning. A few less pillow zones than Vista, but had lots of areas to go on high avy danger days. Pano Dome is a 10-minute skin, with 1000 ft N-facing glades with smaller pillow features -- absolutely ideal lappable face. I think we did 7 laps on it one day last year.

Upper Mayvill Creek has some solid pillow features.

Meadow
Terrain looks amazing - at least as seen by my eyes from Vista (Caribou Pk) and Sunrise (Cupola Pk). People say it's damn good, but much more alpine than Vista and Sunrise, so harder to deal during high avy danger days.

"Front Door" run out the...uh...back door has crazy pillows that have been featured in many MSP flicks.

Sentry
Booked up 2018, 19, 20, taking bookings on 2021. This is the newest, largest most expensive lodge. Ping-pong, wifi, all the things you don't really need at a touring-focused lodge. I've heard the terrain is good, but I'm not really interested in it, so haven't asked many questions.

Your question: If I had an awesome time skiing mini golf, trees, and pillows under high avy danger at FM, which GAH hut do I want to go to?
Sunrise seems to have the most high-danger options. Vista was damn good too, just a tad more spread. Meadow is probably the worst for high danger, but might have the best pillows. Sentry...is the worst because you can't go for at least the next three years haha!

I cannot recommend GAH enough. We've done self-guided and self-catered (one week at Sunrise, one week at Vista), but I think guided/catered would be the tits too. Nice to go directly to the areas you mentioned without having to search them for yourself. I'm sure we missed lots of good areas, because the ski terrain is so damn good everywhere you turn. Maybe I shouldn't pimp GAH this much because then it will be harder for me to book with them, but fuck it, those guys did us backcountry skiers a favor I don't think I can ever fully repay. GIT SUM

[meter-man]

Some blogs/TRs/beta
Sunrise: http://biglines.com/categories/ski/b...sunrise-lodge/
Sentry:
Vista: http://adventureblog.nationalgeograp...-photos-video/
Sentry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2pDHpsq3GU
Hoji at Meadow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vptvSMdYJdQ (Hoji runs freeride camps at GAH in December....)

Guess I better go book my next trip before the TGR gangrush....

[panchosdad]

Just back from a Vista lodge trip. Great snow, "A bit touchy, eh" was the stability description, but we still got some great lines in. Here's some photos:

[Hammer-Down]

Just got back from a trip to Icefall Lodge (60k N of Golden). The whole trip was mind blowing. Awesome terrain, killer snow, big climbs, great food and guides. Highly recommend. Coincidentally sharing the week with 7 chicks from Telluride didn't hurt either

[zion zig zag]

Just back from a Vista lodge trip. Great snow, "A bit touchy, eh" was the stability description, but we still got some great lines in. Here's some photos:

Nice! That looks like a long one!

[TahoeJ]

Nice! That looks like a long one!

That’s what she said...

[panchosdad]

Nice! That looks like a long one!

Not us unfortunately. A crew from Meadow lodge got a heli bump over there.