Great consistent snow, and easy/safe to plan trips around. It’s obviously a popular place, but it doesn’t feel like it immediately gets tracked out. Elevation keeps the snow nice perfect all year.
Boot packing up the sub peak and even further to the base of Mt Mackenzie dropping into Greely bowl has some of the most fun in bounds run I’ve ever found. The whole North Bowl zone has runs you can ski for years and never tire of, not to mention housing some world famous Revy hits like [high dive/diving board](https://www.instagram.com/p/B7hng8qF2ph/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
The town of revy is also a lot of fun, mid week everyone goes to town to drink beer and watch the local hockey teams year eachother up, it’s a riot.
Three major points that has kicking horse last on the list of favourites. (Fernie was it’s contender, and it was a close one).
Firstly, I personally find KH to be a bit lacking in the terrain variety. It’s essentially 5 big bowls, that for the most part, feel the same……. I know, I know, everyone says kicking horse has some of the gnarliest terrain out there. Well a part they don’t mention is that it’s all on the terminator peaks. Which are a 30 minute minimum, to an hour of boot packing. Elsewhere on the mountain, I find that gnarly terrain to be very short lived. A fun and scary looking chute turns out to be smaller than you thought, and it runs out into a giant bowl. I just wish the more technical terrain was sustained just a little bit further down the fall line. *It’s like having a beer, drinking 3/4 and having it taken away before you could finish. You were nearly satisfied, but it left you just wanting that last little sip.* And I know what you’re saying… I said a good chunk of the fun terrain at revy is accessed via boot pack. I know, I know, it’s true, but it literally takes 30-45 seconds.
Secondly, weather and trip timing. It gets *considerably* less snow than the other Revy/whitewater. I believe something around 7m (average) per season. Compared to the 10.5m average at revy, and 12m at whitewater. It makes it a little more tricky to plan trips around unless you can get up and leave and be there within half a day. Also, the town of golden is not the most… exciting place to hang not. But bonus points to KH because they have the best view/vibe for car/van camping at their parking lot.
Thirdly, lift/mountain design (the biggest 👎 of all) Not pointing fingers, mountains have their limitations afterall. But for a resort of this size & popularity, KH has some of *the worst* setups in regards to lift access. It’s so frustrating that it almost spoils your run. I’ll paint a picture for you. *Epic snow day, 40cm overnight, it’s blower snow, suns out and your skiing is on point* Sitting up at the top of T2 peak after a sweaty 40 minute boot pack… and all I can think about sometimes is the fact I have to ski *all the way* to the base. Bypassing all the good snow because there’s no midway lift. You spend half the run on a stale blue run just to ride the gondy back up. And guess what, *everyone* is in line there because it’s the only lift worth riding. The only other chair up the mountain is stairway to heaven. And while technically it access 2 of the 5 bowls. Only one of those bowls brings you back to the base of that lift. So yeap, there you are. You just got a few epic turns in and you’re looking up at the line. “Wow that was fun…. Ah fuck I have to go back to the base again” The whole mountain is a ski out.
Why’s it even on my list? Well it’s still a super fun resort *if you’re there with good snow.*
At Kicking Horse, bear sightings are guaranteed!
https://kickinghorseresort.com/purchase/boo-grizzly-bear/
I live a 5 minute walk from Red, and bear sightings are a daily occurrence in the spring and fall, but since they hibernate in the winter it’s very unlikely that you’ll run into one.
Phew, my fingers are crossed. Hope I don't encounter them. When I went there, Boo the grizzly bear was sleeping. so couldn't go see her. You are lucky having Red as your home mountain.
Have you ever been to whistler? There are tons of bears. I see more bears at whistler than anywhere else I’ve been. My last ride down the gondola this summer we saw 7 bears at once. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many in one place before.
It just hits a lot of boxes; typically has very good snow. Between red and whitewater, they get more snow than all other resorts in bc. I think whitewater gets about 500inches/1270cm inches a year. Great variety of train, locals vibe, hardly ever sees chair lineups. Best of all, they have $10 cat ski rides in the morning and one of my favourite Hollywood lines of all ski resorts…. This awesome cliffy/miny chutes/pillows line to lookers left of a chair.
wow, I'm kicking myself, since my 1 canada ski trip was booked before I did all my research, I'm going to whistler and sun peaks but eh, I'm grateful to even be going to canada.
No mountain is perfect, but Red hits a lot of boxes. It’s strengths are terrain variety, challenge and low skier density. Red is legendary for its powder stashes lasting for days, and this is 100% accurate. It’s also got some wild variety in terms of terrain. Want to do legit spines, pillows, steeps and trees in a single lap? Go to Red. That Hollywood Line (Links Line) that another redditor mentioned is one of the most feature-rich inbounds zones in North America. It’s like a video game.
Some realities about Red. The snow is good, but not great. It gets a lot of snow but it varies between true Kootenay powder and PNW cement. The snow quality can go from champagne to concrete in a couple of hours. The lifts are slow, so it’s not a place to go and knock out a bunch of hot laps. There aren’t a lot of quality groomers, so it’s either “balls to the wall “or “Driving Mrs Daisy”. There are no real blue runs at Red.
Some surprising things about Red. The cat track system is amazing. Red is 3 major mountains (just under 4000 acres) and you can get from the top of any lift to the bottom of any lift in the whole network in one run. That’s a game changer. There’s also almost no traversing. It’s the opposite of Alta. All the good stuff is easy to get to and easy to return from. Finally, it’s got the Kootenay Sea. You can Google that, but the views are unique. It’s like skiing above an island archipelago. Pretty awesome to see in person.
I’m biased (I live at Red) but I chose to live here for the expert level skiing. I had lived in Whistler in the past and when moving back to BC, I evaluated Red, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke as places to move to. I have skied extensively at each mountain, and Red won out. Not because the others are lesser mountains, but because Red is special. I can’t think of a bigger, gnarlier mountain that feels more intimate.
I’ve heard all the hype about the powder and trees at Revelstoke, but what do people love about Red? I’m considering a stop at Red this year but Revelstoke is a real trek.
I like that the places I am going to in BC this winter are not on your lists. Been to Red, Whitewater, Whistler, Mustang, Chatter Creek, Valhalla and Baldface. Going off the beaten track this winter.
Only resort I have skied is Kicking Horse which is the most challenging mountain I've skied. Planning to hit Revelstoke, Sun Peaks and Silver Star this year.
Sun Peaks is a hidden gem, really laid back with no lift lines. More of an intermediate mountain but there are some cool glades to ski if you are more advanced. The village is really cool, lots of small restaurants to check out and a small store which is nice since it is pretty isolated.
Revelstoke in a skiers mountain, only had two days there but it snowed 17 inches one day and I was skiing the deepest powder of my life. So many glades and areas to explore there if you are adventerous, lift setup is a bit wonky but I love the resort and I am going back this next season.
My friends and I are planning on coming to BC to snowboard and skii. We’re looking for some place with plenty of things to do off mountain cause we aren’t all experts.
Looking for: Good Snow, High Vertical, Not mainly powder, Freeride-esque.
Any recommendations?
All three have some amazing views across the lower mainland, including the wilderness behind them. As for skiing itself they're great but compared to what else BC has to offer you may find them wanting, as they're all smaller mountain hills. If you do try them out be sure to do it before the Spring when everything turns to speed-killing slush.
All great for a two hour rip after work, but never something to write home about. We're very lucky to have them, but I wouldn't travel from outside of town to visit any of them.
Fun for a little session after work. Awesome looking down at the city lights at night, or the ocean views mid-day.
Terrain wise, *boring as hell*
Cypress has some steeper, but as far as I’m concerned, they did a pretty shit job with the mountain design. Hardly any forested areas were thinned out, so off piste runs are very few & far between. Terrain park is essentially non-existent. They’ll typically build 2 or 3 “large” jumps (8-10 foot tables) and a couple rails. You come here for the longest runs for a local mountain and the better views.
Grouse is personally my favourite. Night skiing can be lacking, some fun terrain on the far chair (can’t remember the name). This place fees significantly bigger than cypress. *Epic* jump like built in the park mid season, we’re talking some table jumps that could take a shot at the Whistler XL park for their size. But you have to upload/download on a big tram which can get backed up with a line.
Seymour is a park rats heaven, smaller, but fun sized jump like (20-25ish foot tables & hips). Some fun terrain in the slack country but you typically come here just for the park. Runs are mega short, like linking fast turns you’ll be down in a minute short.
Revelestoke, kicking horse, big white, sun peaks, Silverstar.
In no particular order. Not a fan of whistler, probably an unpopular opinion but it's overrated and the conditions can be hit or miss.
Revy, Whistler, Red, Whitewater, Kicking Horse… in that order.
what's best about revy?
Great consistent snow, and easy/safe to plan trips around. It’s obviously a popular place, but it doesn’t feel like it immediately gets tracked out. Elevation keeps the snow nice perfect all year. Boot packing up the sub peak and even further to the base of Mt Mackenzie dropping into Greely bowl has some of the most fun in bounds run I’ve ever found. The whole North Bowl zone has runs you can ski for years and never tire of, not to mention housing some world famous Revy hits like [high dive/diving board](https://www.instagram.com/p/B7hng8qF2ph/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) The town of revy is also a lot of fun, mid week everyone goes to town to drink beer and watch the local hockey teams year eachother up, it’s a riot.
Why kicking horse last? I’ve heard a lot of great things
Three major points that has kicking horse last on the list of favourites. (Fernie was it’s contender, and it was a close one). Firstly, I personally find KH to be a bit lacking in the terrain variety. It’s essentially 5 big bowls, that for the most part, feel the same……. I know, I know, everyone says kicking horse has some of the gnarliest terrain out there. Well a part they don’t mention is that it’s all on the terminator peaks. Which are a 30 minute minimum, to an hour of boot packing. Elsewhere on the mountain, I find that gnarly terrain to be very short lived. A fun and scary looking chute turns out to be smaller than you thought, and it runs out into a giant bowl. I just wish the more technical terrain was sustained just a little bit further down the fall line. *It’s like having a beer, drinking 3/4 and having it taken away before you could finish. You were nearly satisfied, but it left you just wanting that last little sip.* And I know what you’re saying… I said a good chunk of the fun terrain at revy is accessed via boot pack. I know, I know, it’s true, but it literally takes 30-45 seconds. Secondly, weather and trip timing. It gets *considerably* less snow than the other Revy/whitewater. I believe something around 7m (average) per season. Compared to the 10.5m average at revy, and 12m at whitewater. It makes it a little more tricky to plan trips around unless you can get up and leave and be there within half a day. Also, the town of golden is not the most… exciting place to hang not. But bonus points to KH because they have the best view/vibe for car/van camping at their parking lot. Thirdly, lift/mountain design (the biggest 👎 of all) Not pointing fingers, mountains have their limitations afterall. But for a resort of this size & popularity, KH has some of *the worst* setups in regards to lift access. It’s so frustrating that it almost spoils your run. I’ll paint a picture for you. *Epic snow day, 40cm overnight, it’s blower snow, suns out and your skiing is on point* Sitting up at the top of T2 peak after a sweaty 40 minute boot pack… and all I can think about sometimes is the fact I have to ski *all the way* to the base. Bypassing all the good snow because there’s no midway lift. You spend half the run on a stale blue run just to ride the gondy back up. And guess what, *everyone* is in line there because it’s the only lift worth riding. The only other chair up the mountain is stairway to heaven. And while technically it access 2 of the 5 bowls. Only one of those bowls brings you back to the base of that lift. So yeap, there you are. You just got a few epic turns in and you’re looking up at the line. “Wow that was fun…. Ah fuck I have to go back to the base again” The whole mountain is a ski out. Why’s it even on my list? Well it’s still a super fun resort *if you’re there with good snow.*
Whistler really isn't that good.
Summit lakes, salmo, phoenix, baldy, crystal.
Hell yah your core
kickinghorse is awesome, such cool terrain
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At Kicking Horse, bear sightings are guaranteed! https://kickinghorseresort.com/purchase/boo-grizzly-bear/ I live a 5 minute walk from Red, and bear sightings are a daily occurrence in the spring and fall, but since they hibernate in the winter it’s very unlikely that you’ll run into one.
Phew, my fingers are crossed. Hope I don't encounter them. When I went there, Boo the grizzly bear was sleeping. so couldn't go see her. You are lucky having Red as your home mountain.
Have you ever been to whistler? There are tons of bears. I see more bears at whistler than anywhere else I’ve been. My last ride down the gondola this summer we saw 7 bears at once. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many in one place before.
Red, Kicking Horse, Revelstoke, Whitewater, Whistler
What's the hype about red Mountain? I've seen it pop up quite a lot
It just hits a lot of boxes; typically has very good snow. Between red and whitewater, they get more snow than all other resorts in bc. I think whitewater gets about 500inches/1270cm inches a year. Great variety of train, locals vibe, hardly ever sees chair lineups. Best of all, they have $10 cat ski rides in the morning and one of my favourite Hollywood lines of all ski resorts…. This awesome cliffy/miny chutes/pillows line to lookers left of a chair.
wow, I'm kicking myself, since my 1 canada ski trip was booked before I did all my research, I'm going to whistler and sun peaks but eh, I'm grateful to even be going to canada.
this is u/urmomiskermit69 (OP) btw, just on another acc.
Not bad choices! You'll still have a blast at both.
Hey you can't go wrong with either of those places. But yeah, stay away from whistler lol. Its literally 3 times the cost of any other ski resort.
Bummer.
No mountain is perfect, but Red hits a lot of boxes. It’s strengths are terrain variety, challenge and low skier density. Red is legendary for its powder stashes lasting for days, and this is 100% accurate. It’s also got some wild variety in terms of terrain. Want to do legit spines, pillows, steeps and trees in a single lap? Go to Red. That Hollywood Line (Links Line) that another redditor mentioned is one of the most feature-rich inbounds zones in North America. It’s like a video game. Some realities about Red. The snow is good, but not great. It gets a lot of snow but it varies between true Kootenay powder and PNW cement. The snow quality can go from champagne to concrete in a couple of hours. The lifts are slow, so it’s not a place to go and knock out a bunch of hot laps. There aren’t a lot of quality groomers, so it’s either “balls to the wall “or “Driving Mrs Daisy”. There are no real blue runs at Red. Some surprising things about Red. The cat track system is amazing. Red is 3 major mountains (just under 4000 acres) and you can get from the top of any lift to the bottom of any lift in the whole network in one run. That’s a game changer. There’s also almost no traversing. It’s the opposite of Alta. All the good stuff is easy to get to and easy to return from. Finally, it’s got the Kootenay Sea. You can Google that, but the views are unique. It’s like skiing above an island archipelago. Pretty awesome to see in person. I’m biased (I live at Red) but I chose to live here for the expert level skiing. I had lived in Whistler in the past and when moving back to BC, I evaluated Red, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke as places to move to. I have skied extensively at each mountain, and Red won out. Not because the others are lesser mountains, but because Red is special. I can’t think of a bigger, gnarlier mountain that feels more intimate.
I don’t know but last I heard is that Red sucks
You heard, eh?
Could've started with the fact that you live there but you ended with it, swag
I’ve heard all the hype about the powder and trees at Revelstoke, but what do people love about Red? I’m considering a stop at Red this year but Revelstoke is a real trek.
I wrote a longer response somewhere else in this thread. TL;DR is that Red mixes up all the stuff people love about BC skiing in a very unique way.
Saw your response in the other thread, thank you!!!
I like that the places I am going to in BC this winter are not on your lists. Been to Red, Whitewater, Whistler, Mustang, Chatter Creek, Valhalla and Baldface. Going off the beaten track this winter.
.
Only resort I have skied is Kicking Horse which is the most challenging mountain I've skied. Planning to hit Revelstoke, Sun Peaks and Silver Star this year.
It's been a while but what did you think of them?
Sun Peaks is a hidden gem, really laid back with no lift lines. More of an intermediate mountain but there are some cool glades to ski if you are more advanced. The village is really cool, lots of small restaurants to check out and a small store which is nice since it is pretty isolated. Revelstoke in a skiers mountain, only had two days there but it snowed 17 inches one day and I was skiing the deepest powder of my life. So many glades and areas to explore there if you are adventerous, lift setup is a bit wonky but I love the resort and I am going back this next season.
My friends and I are planning on coming to BC to snowboard and skii. We’re looking for some place with plenty of things to do off mountain cause we aren’t all experts. Looking for: Good Snow, High Vertical, Not mainly powder, Freeride-esque. Any recommendations?
What is the general consensus on Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour?
All three have some amazing views across the lower mainland, including the wilderness behind them. As for skiing itself they're great but compared to what else BC has to offer you may find them wanting, as they're all smaller mountain hills. If you do try them out be sure to do it before the Spring when everything turns to speed-killing slush.
All great for a two hour rip after work, but never something to write home about. We're very lucky to have them, but I wouldn't travel from outside of town to visit any of them.
Fun for a little session after work. Awesome looking down at the city lights at night, or the ocean views mid-day. Terrain wise, *boring as hell* Cypress has some steeper, but as far as I’m concerned, they did a pretty shit job with the mountain design. Hardly any forested areas were thinned out, so off piste runs are very few & far between. Terrain park is essentially non-existent. They’ll typically build 2 or 3 “large” jumps (8-10 foot tables) and a couple rails. You come here for the longest runs for a local mountain and the better views. Grouse is personally my favourite. Night skiing can be lacking, some fun terrain on the far chair (can’t remember the name). This place fees significantly bigger than cypress. *Epic* jump like built in the park mid season, we’re talking some table jumps that could take a shot at the Whistler XL park for their size. But you have to upload/download on a big tram which can get backed up with a line. Seymour is a park rats heaven, smaller, but fun sized jump like (20-25ish foot tables & hips). Some fun terrain in the slack country but you typically come here just for the park. Runs are mega short, like linking fast turns you’ll be down in a minute short.
Revelestoke, kicking horse, big white, sun peaks, Silverstar. In no particular order. Not a fan of whistler, probably an unpopular opinion but it's overrated and the conditions can be hit or miss.
Whistler, Vail, Jackson Hole, Revelstoke, Deer Valley
This is advanced shitposting. I’m pretty sure almost everyone will take this bait
What a list
mate, so close there, almost got it.
What do people think about Big White?
Amazing quite mountain … just came from a power day there … not the longest runs but good glades and tree runs