Fernie/Red Mountain vs. Tahoe
So it's that time again: Time to determine where to go skiing in February. Right now, it's between Lake Tahoe (Squaw, Alpine, Kirkwood, Sugarbowl) and skiing Fernie and Red Mountain, British Columbia.
I've skied both areas, with the exception of Red Mountain and am used to going to Canada for ski trips where the dollar has been worth so much more than the Canadian dollar. But this year is different, our dollar is almost even with theirs, making a trip to Canada not so much of a deal as it used to be. But that is not factoring into the deicision much. The bottom line is where is the skiing going to be best.
Fernie is a kick-ass ski hill: Steeps abound from nearly every chair. And their powder is legendary. The town is laid-back and about 3 and a half hours from Calgary. Red Mountain would be a trek from Fernie to the tune of about five hours. I'd fly in to Kelowna, drive four hours to Rossland, where Red is and ski for a few days. Then, drive to Fernie. Fernie can be fun and world-renowned Island Lake Lodge is located in town. Island Lake Lodge is booked two years in advance, but a day trip for cat skiing might be possible. Fernie is a small Kirkwood-type hill that offers steeps and plenty of OB skiing. Fernie is the real deal. Rumor has it that Mike Lennox is a snowmaker out there: I'd hook up with him and get his inside tips. We'd stay on the hill, at the Griz Inn. I don't know what our plans for Rossland would be.
Tahoe is amazing. But it can also be hollywood. Tons of people - people fighting for first tracks, a spot for lunch, a place for dinner and on the roads. The skiing is top-notch. Kirkwood is just like Fernie - good snow, great steeps. Probably needs a couple of days to ski the whole hill. I'd stay cheap in a south Tahoe casino (about $60 per night) and drive each day to Kirkwood (about an hour, can be longer depending on roads and chain restrictions). I would also consider taking a trek to Mammoth Mountain and skiing there for a few days. The skiing there is great as well, so long as there is snow. We could also drive from Reno straight to Mammoth and stay there for a few days, before coming north to South Tahoe so we could ski Kirkwood (where I have 2 two-for-one tickets). We could also stay in Kirkwood, although it can be pricey. From there, we would probably stay in Stateline at one of the Casinos and ski Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows and Sugar Bowl. My friends Shana, Jason and Dennis live in Kings Beach, CA on the North Shore. Dennis and Shana work at Alpine Meadows and know the backcountry, so we'd be able to get a day or two touring the backcountry - that's fun.
Other considerations include the amount of schelping we'd have to do. Car rental and the chain restrictions in and around the Tahoe area and of course snow.
We're all expert skiers looking for lots of snow, steep runs and varying terrain. Nightlife doesn't matter much as we're pooped by days end.
So what do you think, where should we go?
I've skied both areas, with the exception of Red Mountain and am used to going to Canada for ski trips where the dollar has been worth so much more than the Canadian dollar. But this year is different, our dollar is almost even with theirs, making a trip to Canada not so much of a deal as it used to be. But that is not factoring into the deicision much. The bottom line is where is the skiing going to be best.
Fernie is a kick-ass ski hill: Steeps abound from nearly every chair. And their powder is legendary. The town is laid-back and about 3 and a half hours from Calgary. Red Mountain would be a trek from Fernie to the tune of about five hours. I'd fly in to Kelowna, drive four hours to Rossland, where Red is and ski for a few days. Then, drive to Fernie. Fernie can be fun and world-renowned Island Lake Lodge is located in town. Island Lake Lodge is booked two years in advance, but a day trip for cat skiing might be possible. Fernie is a small Kirkwood-type hill that offers steeps and plenty of OB skiing. Fernie is the real deal. Rumor has it that Mike Lennox is a snowmaker out there: I'd hook up with him and get his inside tips. We'd stay on the hill, at the Griz Inn. I don't know what our plans for Rossland would be.
Tahoe is amazing. But it can also be hollywood. Tons of people - people fighting for first tracks, a spot for lunch, a place for dinner and on the roads. The skiing is top-notch. Kirkwood is just like Fernie - good snow, great steeps. Probably needs a couple of days to ski the whole hill. I'd stay cheap in a south Tahoe casino (about $60 per night) and drive each day to Kirkwood (about an hour, can be longer depending on roads and chain restrictions). I would also consider taking a trek to Mammoth Mountain and skiing there for a few days. The skiing there is great as well, so long as there is snow. We could also drive from Reno straight to Mammoth and stay there for a few days, before coming north to South Tahoe so we could ski Kirkwood (where I have 2 two-for-one tickets). We could also stay in Kirkwood, although it can be pricey. From there, we would probably stay in Stateline at one of the Casinos and ski Squaw Valley USA, Alpine Meadows and Sugar Bowl. My friends Shana, Jason and Dennis live in Kings Beach, CA on the North Shore. Dennis and Shana work at Alpine Meadows and know the backcountry, so we'd be able to get a day or two touring the backcountry - that's fun.
Other considerations include the amount of schelping we'd have to do. Car rental and the chain restrictions in and around the Tahoe area and of course snow.
We're all expert skiers looking for lots of snow, steep runs and varying terrain. Nightlife doesn't matter much as we're pooped by days end.
So what do you think, where should we go?
posted by Skier at
8:35 AM
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