Messages posted by : steverandomno
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P.S. If you get some - remember to take them off when you do go in to warm up or they will work in reverse and prevent your boot from warming up!
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I discovered boot gloves this season. When you get below -10 they are really effective.
All of the tips pavelski mentions (dry boot out never leave in teh car etc...) are essential to make sure you have a chance of warm feet. However, there is very little you can do to stop your boot cooling down in -10 other than go in for a warm up drink. Newton's law of cooling states that the rate of temperature decrease is proportional to the difference in temperature between the warm boot and the cold snow/atmosphere. So the colder it is the faster your boot will cool down. (obviously ! :)) The only thing you can do to change the speed of cooling is to place some insulation between the hot and cold temperatures. That's where boot gloves come in. They are made out of a thin layer of neoprene that fits over the front and sides of each boot with a velcro strap at the back to keep them on. They radically change the speed at which boots cool down and thus keep your feet warmer for longer. If you imagine that there is a temperature gradient, or slope, between your foot and the outside cold, what the boot glove does, is to shift the majority of the slope from across the plastic shell to across the neoprene layer. The result is that the boot portion stays warmer for longer. (Your foot dissipates it's heat more slowly.) Trust me, in -10 and below, they make the difference between having to take long morning and afternoon breaks to warm up and being able to go all the way through to lunch and then ski all afternoon too if you wish. I highly recommend them. |
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To be fair, I think the sad death of Sarah Burke would have been confirmed too late for them to realistically mentioned it in the show. The segment on Alta was poor. They didn't mention any of the real advantages of not having snowboard traffic (of which there must be some, mogul shape for instance?) other than with some predictably shallow narrative about prejudice and ageism. BTW. I didn't know there was a snowboard only resort in the US. Which one? (and why did they not mention it?) |
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Here are a few other suggestions for food/drink:
Wildflower Bakery Evelyn's for Coffee (they do food also) Muk a Muk bistro at teh Juniper hotel (A short drive away, but good when we tried it a couple of years ago) Also, pick up a copy of Taxi Mike's (you usually have to ask at hotel reception) which is quite a good guide as to the price of restaurants and will tell you where the regular specials are to be found on each night of the week. |
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pavelski, We got chatting to the Elan dealer at an exhibition in Banff last month and he introduced us to new skis that had a left and a right. It was late in the day and so I thought he was winding us up. He was looking at me, looking at him, suspiciously. He had the look of someone who had seen this expression many times. But it is true, they are called the Amphibio and incorporate a small camber that is almost inperceptable. The idea is that it works with the skiers downhill ski to increase responsiveness in turn initiation, or something like that. What will they think of next! |
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Big white is a good choice if you just want to stay in one place. Some good (and steep) cruisy blues and some amazing glades. Keep in mind that it is a very family oriented resort, so whilst there will be loads of ski-in and out accomodation, it is not the place if you are looking for amazing nightlife. Whistler is the obvious choice if you can afford it.
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Great trip report Gooseh! Your photo is great. :) Sounds like you had a great time and are very lucky to have skied so much with instructors from the area. Kicking horse is a great place to work on your skills, since there is very little traffic and a huge variety of terrain. We were there in december. The resort has built a great new beginners area with a new huge magic carpet. With the wide open gentle slopes accessed from the catamount chair it is now possibly one of the best places to learn in the Canadian Rockies. It is one of my favourite resorts. I can't wait to go back in a couple of weeks. |
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Jojo5000 has made some good suggestions. Best value meals in town in my opinion are at Bumpers and Melisa's. The Thai place is decent but most of the others are just chain restaurant food with much higher prices. There used to be lots of decent places but the quality has gone down in recent years. There are still great places to eat and drink it is just that they are harder to find and off the beaten track. The Japanese place on the corner near the Paddock and the Greek place is good for a cheap eat. For great Pizza I think that Athena pizza is the best (upstairs in the clock tower mall). If you want to really treat yourself,
go to the Banff Centre and try their fine dining restaurant, which although expensive, is one of the best meals I have ever eaten in Banff. They also do a buffet (all courses) at around 24 CAD per head which is excellent value. Aparently they have an agreement with the town not to market the restaurant for some reason to do with it's status as a government funded arts centre, which is lunacy given that there is one of the best restaurants and views in the Rockies up there. Specials on beer are decent at Melisa's. Lunch with a soft drink on mountain will set you back between 10 and 15 dollars. Look at paying between 5 and 8 dollars for a beer. To get you in the mood for your trip - Take a look at this graph of the snow pillow at sunshine village to see what an amazing season it is shaping up to be... http://www.environment.alberta.ca/apps/basins/DisplayData.aspx?Type=Figure&BasinID=14&DataType=4&StationID=SUNS Have fun. |
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