# Big Sky or Banff?



## DexterMichigan (Feb 18, 2009)

Friends, I have a terrible dilemma. I can't decide if I should take a trip to Big Sky or Banff this winter. Help me decide. I tend to do more groomers (blues and some black) and some woods (I liked Jackson Hole and a bunch of the blacks there for comparison of skill level if it helps). My wife is more of a groomer rider of similar level and we always ride together. We are not backcountry material. We love to bomb groomers, but tend to dislike the mogulled out terrain.

Big Sky looks epic, but that Lone Mountain looks a bit out of my skill. I think I would do the easiest blacks, but that's about it. Is there enough terrain otherwise to make it fun.

Banff, 3 mountains, pretty cool places, really good exchange rate (18% U.S. savings right now). Probably a better mix of terrain overall.

Help me decide friends who are awesome boarders.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

Bigsky has a ton of intermediate terrain, that's what you are looking for. They also have quite a bit of beginners terrain, the place is huge. 

Banff is also beautiful. I have only driven through it heading to revelstoke.


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## Karpediem (Aug 29, 2007)

DexterMichigan said:


> Big Sky looks epic, but that Lone Mountain looks a bit out of my skill. I think I would do the easiest blacks, but that's about it. Is there enough terrain otherwise to make it fun.


I would say you could handle Liberty Bowl off Lone Peak if it's open...either way it's worth a ride up the tram for the view (and the ride up) and you can just ride it back down. Leaving Lone Peak alone, you will have MORE than enough terrain, the place is HUGE and crowds/lift lines are non-existent. They have more than enough for all skill levels and I promise you won't be disappointed. Not much of nightlife though, if thats your thing!


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## jtg (Dec 11, 2012)

Banff blows. It's worse in every possible way no matter what your skill level. And I hope you aren't counting Norquay or Nakiska as part of the 3 mountains.


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## ARSENALFAN (Apr 16, 2012)

Fly to Calgary. Rent Car. Stay in Canmore (20 minutes from Banff). Use Sunshine as your base. I have a seasons pass there. Excellent mix of terrain. We are finally getting some good snow. Hit up Lake Louise for the scenery. Can't beat the exchange rate at the moment.

I would recommend Castle Mountain, Kicking Horse and Revelstoke if you were a solid intermediate rider.

Not much to do around Big Sky from what I understand. Calgary is a metropolitan city and Banff is Banff. Lots of tourists but a nice place to go if you have never been there before. Much cheaper in winter as opposed to summer and better vibe.

And see if you can get a cheap night at Sunshine Mountain Resort. Nothing like staying slope side at Sunshine. Its a great hotel.

This is assuming your like me and don't have a fortune to blow. If you do.....stay in Banff.


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## DexterMichigan (Feb 18, 2009)

Thanks for the advice. We are solid intermediates. I'd say we're advanced after 20 years of snowboarding, but as flatlanders, we only manage a handful of days a year (unless we enter the local ski race beer league for slaloms on the trash dump at Mt Brighton, Michigan).

I am voting for Big Sky, but some friends we travel with are leaning towards Banff in part because they are intermediate groomer skiiers.

Revelstoke looks fantastic and I hear is has awesome powder. I love the trees on powder days, but Revelstoke looks like a 3.5 hr drive from Banff. That would be tough to day trip.


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## DexterMichigan (Feb 18, 2009)

so, i am scoping out big sky. i had an idea. after boarding a few days i want to go over to yellowstone and stay at the old faithful lodge so i can cross county ski the grand canyon of yellowstone. the problem is i would have to spend yet anoother wasted night in bozeman because it is so far from big sky. anyone ever done yellowstone in winter and have tips?


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## Bamfboardman (Dec 11, 2012)

DexterMichigan said:


> so, i am scoping out big sky. i had an idea. after boarding a few days i want to go over to yellowstone and stay at the old faithful lodge so i can cross county ski the grand canyon of yellowstone. the problem is i would have to spend yet anoother wasted night in bozeman because it is so far from big sky. anyone ever done yellowstone in winter and have tips?


Could you explain what you mean by "A wasted night in Bozeman"? Because if you're staying in Big sky you wouldn't drive from Through Bozeman to Big Sky. Bozeman is an hour from Big Sky, I wouldn't call that far.


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## DexterMichigan (Feb 18, 2009)

Sorry for vagueness, was typing on a tiny screen. The snowcoach picks up at Mammoth Lodge only at 7:30am to take guests over to the Old Faithful Snow Lodge, where there is a hotel. Because it picks up so early in the morning, I don't think I can get there from Big Sky that morning unless I leave absurdly early (130 miles - 2.5 hrs in best conditions assuming all roads are passable). Also, on my way out of Yellowstone, I would have the same dilemma, as I would need to be in Bozeman for a morning flight, and can't depend on the snowcoach (afternoon pickup only) and then hour drive back up.

That means that on my vacation to ski and go to Yellowstone, I'd have to put two nights in at Bozeman on different days like a stopover in between each leg, so I'd end up with 4 different hotels for 7 nights. Seems like a lot of effort of moving luggage and whatnot.

Maybe I am overthinking this, but it seems to take some of the relaxation out of vacation this way.

Any thoughts? Shut up and stop whining? Just go skiing instead? Try dog-sledding around Big Sky?


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## billyd0912 (Jan 2, 2015)

We were trying to figure out where we wanted to go also abd decided to go to big sky. I have researched it a fair amount and with flights, lodging and the amount of terrain that big sky has we decided to book it.


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## rockets (Jan 9, 2015)

I'm in Banff right now and just went up to Sunshine today. I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't recommend the green runs though for snowboarders - there seem to be a lot of traversals and it sucks when it's foggy and you don't know where you're going to get the speed up to make it over! But if you're good with the intermediate and advanced runs there are some really nice ones here that absolutely are worth it. 

I also loved the tree runs on both the intermediate and advanced runs... there's plenty of untracked snow to be found if you go looking in there, but not so much on the runs, with plenty of worn runs... but apparently Sunday was a very busy day for some reason so it will probably be better after the next snow. Not sure why but there were heaps of people here over the weekend which I didn't like so much. Make sure there's no events for the week you're thinking of. 

Lake Louise looks nice too so we'll head that way later this week but it's a bit further than Sunshine and seems to get less snowfall.


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## walove (May 1, 2009)

lots of great xc skiing around west yellowstone 40 miles from big sky, in and out of the park. Intermediates should love big sky, it has lots of long groomers, especially on the moonlight side.


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## sabatoa (Jan 18, 2011)

Funny, I basically posted this exact same question last week.

The answers there will help. 

I've never seen you post in the Michigan thread. Get with the program Dexter. :happy:


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