J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by steverandomno

Very sad. Thoughts go out to her friends and family.

ise wrote:
There's some misconceptions here. The run grading isn't arbitrary, it's based on gradients so it's an absolute measure not something someone made up, the idea that an experienced skier or instructor lacks the insight into what other people might find hard doesn't really stand up either.

Agreed. Though, it's not the by the book classification that is the issue. It is simply idenitifying places that can freak out a beginner even though it meets all of the criteria for a "blue run". e.g. a gentle slope 4 meters wide may qualify as a blue but if you don't fence off the 2,000ft drop off the side, you will freak out the beginners. (I'm exagerating for illustration :-) ) !

My example above - where the trail crew inadvertantly created a huge ice mogul is a good example.


P.s. I'm interested - what are the criteria used in Europe. I always thought it depended on the resort?

I totally agree.

The problem is that these decisions are made by intermediate/advanced skiers who have forgotten the fear factor of being a beginner. Also, the marketing dept are likely to put a stop to any upward reclassification of a key connector that would potentialy discourage beginner skiers from choosing the resort in the first place.

I have always wondered if resorts ever employ/consult the odd beginner on their saftey crew. It might give them a unique insight into the world from their perspective.


The worst beginner unfriendly thing I have ever seen was where the trail crew had errected a big orange chicane fence (forcing skiers through a big s-turn) with the intention of slowing them down at the bottom of the hill. Unfortunately this had the effect of creating a huge ice mogul that even the most advanced were falling over. It turned a saftey feature into an potential death trap. (read in style of Lynn Faulds Wood) :)

Very sad.

You have to put these stories in context though. You can kill yourself falling over in your living room.

Silver Star is run by the same company that owns Big White. It has more steep terrain and slightly less variety for the beginner intermediate. It is much smaller scale than Big White.

I would rather use the time to do a trip like the following -

Vancouver - 1 night
Big White - 7 nights
Big White to Revelstoke or Golden via Nakusp (Day of travel) - stay night
Ski Revelstoke or Golden (Kicking Horse) 1 day - stay night
Travel up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper and back to Banff (day of travel)
Stay Banff 4 nights (and ski)

Total 14 nights.
This is quite a packed itinerary, but still feasible. You could streetch it out, skip going via Nakusp or leave the Icefields Parkway for another visit to slim it down a bit.

You can do the Icefields Parkway up and back in a long day so it fits nicely if you stay in Golden for a couple of nights and do it on the way to Banff. Alternatively you can do it in a day from Banff. If you can squeeze it in, then it is a fantastic drive. Be sure to go to Num-Ti-Jah lodge and Bow summit lookout on the way.

Kicking Horse and Revelstoke are more for the adventurous intermediate to advanced skiier. I would check them out just for a day and see how you get on. (I'm sure your kids will love it)

If you book the one way rental well in advance it could work out at a reasonable price.

caron-a wrote:Big White was another consideration high on the list, the only thing that put me off is the apparent lack of sun (the rain in whistler also is a slight concern for me). although I'm not skiing to get a tan, there's nothing quite like skiing under blue skies. is this your experience of it?

I'm going to have another look. Would you go snowmass or big white?

Do you charge commission for your extensive knowledge??? :D

Lets face it. Everywhere has it's pros and cons when it comes to Weather. You can be lucky or not. You will be unlikely to get rain in Big White. You will likely have some days when it is a white out at the top. But those are often the days when the powder in the trees is good. Also the tree skiing in Big White is very accessible. There is a range from very widely spaced trees to very chalenging close knitt trees with steep and deep powder.

As you have already been to Snowmass, I would go for Big White to try something different.

With some adventurous kids in tow, I would definately try to do the trip from Vancouver to Calgary. It will be an experience to remember. You can be as adventurous as you like on the way through, there are a variety of routes you can take from the straightforward Coquihalla/Trans Canada Highway to more adventurous routes via Jasper to the north or via Nakusp Revelstoke to the south.

I have done most of these routes. If you need any advice, let me know.

We always take ours with us.

In an ideal world you could keep sight of your partner all of the time, but this is not realistic if your ahead of them. Radios are realy useful when you are skiing in a pair and the last person crashes. When I have been waiting too long at the bottom of the lift it is comforting to hear my GF's voice to confirm that she is OK.

Make sure you try to get a set that operate over 10k, otherwise you might find that they don't work when you realy need them to. Remember that reception is curtailed in the mountains.

Have you considered Big White?

It ticks all the boxes. Tons of stuff for the kids to do. It consistently gets best family resort awards. Almost all of the accomodation is ski-in out and will be much less busy/expensive than whistler/blackcombe. Whistler is cool, but for the expense, I would wait until you have an empty nest before giving it a go. It is a bit overrated in my view, when you factor in the crowds and cost.

Whistler is probably not the place where you could let your kids roam free. In contrast Big White is very self contained so you might feel safer letting them romm about a bit.

The drive from Calgary to Big White or vice versa is amazing. It would be an unforgettable experience.
A good itinerary is to fly in to Vancouver and pick up a one way car rental. Stay a couple of nights in Vancouver and drive to Big White for 10 days or so. Then drive to Banff and stay a night or two before flying out of Calgary. It is easier than you think and well worth it.

Snowmass is great and quite similar to Big White. If you fancy somewhere you haven't been before, then give Big White a go.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to what WTSS says about Banff and the bitter cold. They have to come up with some negatives to balance out the positives. It is true that they have very cold periods but in my experience, it has only once in 7 years prevented me from skiing and I'm more of a wimp than Pablo Escobar. The other factor about Banff is that it is likely you will be staying in town. The town is great, but it does mean that you will have to transport yourself or get the shuttle bus each day. This is not as bad as it sounds as the scenary makes each drive a pleasure. It is something to consider though.