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  1. #201
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Creekside
    Posts
    1,654
    RCMP confirmed that they believe the fire that destroyed the lift control shack at Kimberley was deliberately set.

  2. #202
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else
    Posts
    5,676
    ^^^ that is very disappointing.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  3. #203
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    give'er eh!
    Posts
    2,171
    Quote Originally Posted by aqua toque View Post
    The Mighty Rae shall advance again!

    Harkening the dawn of the New Highwood Ice Age. God help the sheep.

    Attachment 400592
    Not so quick...it all blew away as of yesterday....

  4. #204
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    312
    The Mighty Rae shall advance again!

    Harkening the dawn of the New Highwood Ice Age. God help the sheep.

    Lets see how the rest of the season snowfall pans out before we start counting sheep!

  5. #205
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    20 steps from the hot tub
    Posts
    3,773
    KAR has now confirmed the quad chair will not run again this season.

  6. #206
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    1,332
    Quote Originally Posted by Eldo View Post
    KAR has now confirmed the quad chair will not run again this season.
    Hope to see you for the gentle walk to the backside next month.

  7. #207
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    20 steps from the hot tub
    Posts
    3,773
    Quote Originally Posted by Gcooker View Post
    Hope to see you for the gentle walk to the backside next month.
    For sure!

    Skiing was great today and maybe 150 people on the hill since not a big pow day.

  8. #208
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Banff
    Posts
    22,210

  9. #209
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    499
    Quote Originally Posted by mntlion View Post
    Cool video! Thanks for posting!

    I didn't discover Fortress until the last 2 or 3 years of operation, I had some really good days there, would love to see it reopen!

  10. #210
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Creekside
    Posts
    1,654
    Don’t hold your breath, they have been promising next year since the early 2000. A buddy of mine has been hassling the government department responsible for the lease because they never fulfill the conditions. Supposedly if it doesn’t reopen by fall 2023 that lease will be terminated. As he has pointed out, to do that they would have to have building permits in place and lifts on order, none of which is happening. He is basically trying to force them to reopen the road so you could tour up there.

  11. #211
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Posts
    159
    Thanks for all the updates - the big two are (a) yes, arson (@memesofkimberley called it 3 days in); and (b) no Quad chair for the rest of the season.

    We'll be there on the weekend - might as well go down as all of our bookings have cancelled and better someone use our place than have it sit empty. We'll be with the kids, so it will be interesting to see how the walk goes with a 6, 8, and 10 year-old. Will try for the morning snow-cat but sounds like getting a spot is pretty hit-or-miss and mostly miss... if anyone cares I can update with a brief TR after we get back.

  12. #212
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    The great white north eh
    Posts
    272
    Quote Originally Posted by mntlion View Post
    Great video. Had some fun days there in the 90s. Used to call it freetress. Put your boots on at the truck and ski right onto the lift.

  13. #213
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Northern BC
    Posts
    2,596
    Loved how insanely moguled that place would get in the spring. Ahhh the eighties ......

  14. #214
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    91
    The first attempt at bringing fortress back:

    https://www.theglobeandmail.com/repo...article726134/

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calga...asses-1.618455


    It seems like lift service has been 2 years away for the last 10 years or so. The new owners (not Banff Rail Co.) don't seem to have the cash, and it doesn't seem like a good investment. I skied there quite a bit in the 90s. The upslopes in the the spring were really nice...and it wasn't ever that busy. The runs were pretty short though.

    Apparently Nakiska has more skiers than it can handle on sunny weekends, so maybe there is a market, but it would need to be priced for families and given the capital investment required to bring Fortress back, that might not work.

    I would love to revisit though.

  15. #215
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    312
    The big money upgrade required at Fortress was rumored to be the sewage disposal system. At this point in time, I bet the lifts need replacement/rebuilding along with most of the base facilities. I also heard the bridge on the access road was not up to snuff and that was before the 2013 floods. It won't be cheap to get it back into full amenities lift served. It would be sweet if the Province found a partner and used some of the K-Country pass money to build a low key, self-powered facility similar to W. Bragg but that seems out of reach as well.

  16. #216
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Creekside
    Posts
    1,654
    Bridge was rebuild years ago, paid for by one of the movies that used the place as the price of admission. Lodge is a tear down, when RCR walked away they didn’t do anything to mothball it, not even drain the water system so all the pipes and boilers burst the following winter. Anyone who ever worked there knows that in the spring the basements used to get water in them and since no sump pumps were kept running it was full of water, place is going to be full of mold. Vandalism and theft of anything of value has stripped it. Lifts were barely able to be run when Zrinko tried to restart, they have since removed the curved tbar and the remaining lifts have been sitting there with no maintenance. I’d wouldn’t be surprised if anything of value has also been stripped from them.

    That place is dead and done as a lift serviced ski area. My buddy proposed doing a back country touring operation but was told the lease conditions say you can only run a public ski area. Best we can hope for is the road gets reopened and they start plowing it as part of K country.

  17. #217
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Calgary
    Posts
    1,888
    Lots of awesome memories (Wall jump, far side and south side chutes) coaching and racing there but I'm of the opinion just let it die already. As fun as it used to be I think the place would get super boring super quick.

  18. #218
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Banff
    Posts
    22,210
    Quote Originally Posted by robnow View Post
    Lots of awesome memories (Wall jump, far side and south side chutes) coaching and racing there but I'm of the opinion just let it die already. As fun as it used to be I think the place would get super boring super quick.

    yup, good memories, but not as fun today.

    Cat skiing seems like a good use for it, funded by movie work


  19. #219
    Join Date
    Aug 2021
    Posts
    299
    Fortress has everything that's needed for a good resort: Snow, elevation, location relative to an airport, terrain (if they followed through with that master plan). But no one's interested in paying up and fixing it up. Went once, was a snotty kid that hated short runs and slow lifts, and that perfect age where the parents won't buy boots cause you grow too fast and I have fucked up feet. Now it's a bit late I say.

    Still seems to have a better chance of happening than Valemount though.

  20. #220
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Kootenays
    Posts
    401
    Might hit lake louise next couple days, hoping it snows, if anyone wants to rip get @ me 2fiveoh 4oh9 four78six.

    Or Panorama any time/columbia valley ski touring, happy to show the goods!


  21. #221
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    THOR-Foothills
    Posts
    5,992
    Quote Originally Posted by Skiwurrel View Post
    Might hit lake louise next couple days, hoping it snows, if anyone wants to rip get @ me 2fiveoh 4oh9 four78six.

    Or Panorama any time/columbia valley ski touring, happy to show the goods!

    Tomorrow should be good, unfortunately I have to work


    Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums
    It doesn't matter if you're a king or a little street sweeper...
    ...sooner or later you'll dance with the reaper
    -Death

    Quote Originally Posted by St. Jerry View Post
    The other morning I was awoken to "Daddy, my fart fell on the floor"
    Kaz is my co-pilot

  22. #222
    Join Date
    Dec 2004
    Posts
    934
    Today was probably one of the best days I've had at Louise in a while. Blue sky 30cm of good dense snow with blower on top. No lines, everything opened. Very impressed. Can still feel the make freeze crust under Neath on the front. White horn 2 gullys have more rocks still than you think. Rocky mountain edge tune.

  23. #223
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Somewhere else
    Posts
    5,676
    Quote Originally Posted by crashidy View Post
    Today was probably one of the best days I've had at Louise in a while. Blue sky 30cm of good dense snow with blower on top. No lines, everything opened. Very impressed. Can still feel the make freeze crust under Neath on the front. White horn 2 gullys have more rocks still than you think. Rocky mountain edge tune.
    That's good to hear as I'm heading there on Thursday. Was worried about conditions.
    Goal: ski in the 2018/19 season

  24. #224
    Join Date
    Jan 2022
    Posts
    13
    Anyone know how the lines are for the Big3 resorts Covid vaccination checking. Is this something we should get there 30 minutes before the lifts open to get though, or is it really quick?

  25. #225
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Banff
    Posts
    22,210
    Quote Originally Posted by LAAL22 View Post
    Anyone know how the lines are for the Big3 resorts Covid vaccination checking. Is this something we should get there 30 minutes before the lifts open to get though, or is it really quick?
    usually fast.

    have picture ID and vax scan ready


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