Powder Highway Planning Help

[SkiLyft]

337 miles in 6 hours equals 56 mph average. Definitely not doable especially in winter.
I know the Canadian part of that road and it's more like 8 or 9 hours minimum in winter.

You drive up the valley floor and there are no passes between Spokane and Golden. He ain’t lying. It’s a 6 hour drive homie.


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[DanoT]

You drive up the valley floor and there are no passes between Spokane and Golden. He ain’t lying. It’s a 6 hour drive homie.


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Google maps calls Spokane to Golden as 6hrs 8 min., but they don't factor in such realities as traffic, snow covered roads (can be significant in rural B.C.), diminished daylight driving in winter, or stops for food and fuel.

[GoldMember]

I've done it in six hours in winter but, yeah, winter weather can stretch it out. As SkiLyft notes, it's all lower elevation driving and can be pretty fast if conditions are decent. Plus, who stops for fuel or food? Gas up before you start and snack in the car. Stop to pee but that's about it.

[Pinned]

I've done it in six hours in winter but, yeah, winter weather can stretch it out. As SkiLyft notes, it's all lower elevation driving and can be pretty fast if conditions are decent. Plus, who stops for fuel or food? Gas up before you start and snack in the car. Stop to pee but that's about it.

If you don't stop for Tim Hortons then did you even road trip in Canada?

They do a pretty good job keeping the roads reasonably clear up there, but they're not roads I'd want to drive fast in a rental (which probably doesn't have snow tires).

[Lomax]

TL;DR

go to Panorama

[DougW]

The valley is pretty dry esp past Invermere and Golden to Invermere is probably getting more attention with night closures in the kicking Horse Pass ( Golden to lake Louise 12am to 7am every night).

How about breaking up with side trip to Fernie? But agreed its not a bad drive.

[SteveUrkel]

You can do a one-way car rental Kelowna-Calgary. It's about an hour more driving to get to Red/Nelson compared to Spokane. I think there is a bus from Rossland to Kelowna as well so you could take the bus, then rent the car in Kelowna and Drive on to Revy if you're set on flying into Spokane. This adds an additional 2hrs to the drive. You'll go right past Big White and Silverstar so you could break the drive up and ski a day at either of those resorts. BW and SS both have pretty cheap night skiing. I'm not sure if they still do it, but BW was giving out a free lift ticket if you fly in same day.

[Fishskisurf]

My $.02 having one powder highway road trip.
Be flexible and have a car. We hit 5 resorts in 6 days > that was too on the go, and we saw drastically different conditions at each, even at neighboring resorts (~2 hour drive apart)
Priority for our first trip was hitting the loop and checking off towns/resorts, next time our MO will be to wing it entirely (a little easier being in PNW w. our own car, granted).
We also found the dollar stretched further in non-Ikon towns, offsetting the having to buy lift tix as Ikon pass holders.

[XXX-er]

If you live somwhere that doesnt have good ski shops Whistler has lots of good stores,

I went out for a bottle of wine and came back with new boots and a new ski helmet

[DanoT]

If you live somwhere that doesnt have good ski shops Whistler has lots of good stores,

I went out for a bottle of wine and came back with new boots and a new ski helmet

Whistler is best skied from late March to early April when the crowds are gone and end of season sales are on. And yes WB does have the best ski-centric shopping in North America.

[GoldMember]

My initial plan would be fly to Spokane, go to Schweitzer for your few days, hit Red, next day hit Whitewater (stay in Nelson), head to Revvy, on to KH, maybe hit Fernie, back to Spokane and out.

[DanoT]

My initial plan would be fly to Spokane, go to Schweitzer for your few days, hit Red, next day hit Whitewater (stay in Nelson), head to Revvy, on to KH, maybe hit Fernie, back to Spokane and out.

^^^It is a good plan except the driving distances between resorts really does necessitate skiing more than one day/resort. With that many resorts you probably need close to 3 weeks.

[plugboots]

We did this once:

Red, WW, Rev, SS, BW
But we drove from the blue dot, and did a slightly different order.

[XXX-er]

Whistler is best skied from late March to early April when the crowds are gone and end of season sales are on. And yes WB does have the best ski-centric shopping in North America.

I was there for course work at the olympics so I think they brought in a lot of product for the olympics, a lot of partying not much skiing so I'm not sure how they sold all that product

but also you got the boot fitters at Fanatyk or Surefoot if you want surefoot and its all slope side, I have wierd feet and I need at least an XL helmet and they had em both

YMMV but personaly I couldn't wait to leave Whistler after the 08 WC or the 2010 Olympics

[DanoT]

I was there for course work at the olympics so I think they brought in a lot of product for the olympics, a lot of partying not much skiing so I'm not sure how they sold all that product

but also you got the boot fitters at Fanatyk or Surefoot if you want surefoot and its all slope side, I have wierd feet and I need at least an XL helmet and they had em both

YMMV but personaly I couldn't wait to leave Whistler after the 08 WC or the 2010 Olympics

The last time I skied Whistler might just be the last time. It was early March and snowed a ton on Thurs and Fri, so the upper mountain was closed for avi control both days. Saturday morning I got in a lift line at 10am, lift opened at 10:30, and then another 20 min until I got to the front of the line to load. I got in 2 great runs and then the mountain was skied off with cut up snow everywhere. I then went home.

2 days worth of powder and all I got was 2 runs, late morning on the 3rd day. Now you know why I haven't been back to WB.

[apex dave]

The last time I skied Whistler might just be the last time. It was early March and snowed a ton on Thurs and Fri, so the upper mountain was closed for avi control both days. Saturday morning I got in a lift line at 10am, lift opened at 10:30, and then another 20 min until I got to the front of the line to load. I got in 2 great runs and then the mountain was skied off with cut up snow everywhere. I then went home.

2 days worth of powder and all I got was 2 runs, late morning on the 3rd day. Now you know why I haven't been back to WB.

We should start a "Why I Hate Whistler" thread and share our horror stories. I know I have a few.

[paulster2626]

The last time I skied Whistler might just be the last time. It was early March and snowed a ton on Thurs and Fri, so the upper mountain was closed for avi control both days. Saturday morning I got in a lift line at 10am, lift opened at 10:30, and then another 20 min until I got to the front of the line to load. I got in 2 great runs and then the mountain was skied off with cut up snow everywhere. I then went home.

2 days worth of powder and all I got was 2 runs, late morning on the 3rd day. Now you know why I haven't been back to WB.

2 good pow runs on a Saturday is pretty good for Whistler. Sucks that if it were Mon-Fri you'd have had a drastically better day. I won't even ski there on weekends anymore.

[paulster2626]

Just pay for the early access Gondi ride if its a pow day. That thing is a must and the breakfast itself is worth it.

Any idea when people can travel to Canada without the arriveCan app? I have no clue when the USA will drop their restrictions.

On a pow day first tracks gets busy, early. By the time you get up there, eat breakfast, steal bacon and muffins for later, and start skiing you can get 1, maybe 2 good runs to Emerald before the masses start showing up. After that, it's still the same old trying to time openings of Harmony, Peak, and Symphony/Flute.

Personally I like first tracks breakfast when it's a clear morning and there isn't new snow. Nice views when the sun is coming up and all that, and you don't feel rushed. The breakfast is indeed worth the cost!

arriveCan app is probably here to stay forever. It's just a replacement for the card you had to fill out on a plane before, except now you don't need to ask someone to use a pen. Maaaaaybe they get rid of it for car crossings, but who knows.

Back on topic:
Kicking Horse must be skied - even with no fresh snow, there will be fresh snow there somewhere. The views alone are awesome and you can rack up some serious vert. Golden is also a nice place for a meal, and I like to stay at the Best Western. Decent prices, clean, friendly, and a solid breakfast.

[apex dave]

Typical day at Castle

[NW_SKIER]

We should start a "Why I Hate Whistler" thread and share our horror stories. I know I have a few.

Only time I've ever been was a Valentines weekend a handful of years back when we found out afterwards, they set some sort of attendance record. It was busy as fuck, and the snow was shitty from mid mountain down.

[kootenayskier]

Rent a car. Bring touring gear if you have it. Try to hit Whitewater and Kicking Horse. Happy to show you some lines at Red if you’re here mid-week.

[XXX-er]

Golden is also a nice place for a meal, and I like to stay at the Best Western. Decent prices, clean, friendly, and a solid breakfast.

I like Mary's motel cuz of the ground level parking right outside yer door, you can get a kitchen ( we had a guy who wanted to cook) if your want to cook and its right downtown so you can walk to everything if you wana go out and drink some beer , I guess it depends what you want

[hatchgreenchile]

Happy to show you some lines at Red if you’re here mid-week.

Kootenay - I will be passing through in mid January, on the way to Nakusp. Super stoked to ride at Red, I'll hit you up!

[DanoT]

Kootenay - I will be passing through in mid January, on the way to Nakusp. Super stoked to ride at Red, I'll hit you up!

Don't bypass Whitewater. You can thank me later.

[BFD]

Kootenay - I will be passing through in mid January, on the way to Nakusp. Super stoked to ride at Red, I'll hit you up!

Since you brought up Nakusp I will sidetrack the thread a bit. I am thinking about spending a chunk of time there next summer. Was wondering if you or anyone else has connections there. Did a quick VRBO search and did not turn up anything. Would like to rent for about a month.