# Canadian Dollar is KILLING Us.



## christopherglim (Feb 7, 2013)

YUP...I've got a bachelor party and we've decided on a ski trip. All they guys are from the US except me...I'm trying to convince them to come up here with the allure of the strong USD, plus Whistler or Banff!


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

OTOH, I get paid in US$ for my book royalties and shareware sales, so I'm pretty happy about it. :jumping1:


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## Seppuccu (Dec 4, 2012)

This is kind of how I'm thinking about the euro and the Alps...


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

just print some!


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Yep. We getting killed.


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Donutz said:


> OTOH, I get paid in US$ for my book royalties and shareware sales, so I'm pretty happy about it. :jumping1:


Nice work, if you can get it ( I know, I know, Jealousy is an ugly emotion )


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

Hell yea... 'Murica. 

I'll have to come up and shred and smoke some of your schwaggy lumberjack weed on the cheap this winter. Viva Canadian Depression!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

ShredLife said:


> Hell yea... 'Murica.
> 
> I'll have to come up and shred and smoke some of your schwaggy lumberjack weed on the cheap this winter. Viva Canadian Depression!


you sound poor


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## txb0115 (Sep 20, 2015)

I'm hyped becuase this is back to like it was in the early 2000's.... Got 32% off my Baldface trip this year!


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

ShredLife said:


> Hell yea... 'Murica.
> 
> I'll have to come up and shred and smoke some of your schwaggy lumberjack weed on the cheap this winter. Viva Canadian Depression!


You can try some of my Schwag:hairy: Dispensary shit can't touch mine.:embarrased1:
https://vimeo.com/
You can be my camera man:eyetwitch2:


TT


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## alchemy (Apr 28, 2014)

sounds like it's a good time for a Canada trip...


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## Mig Fullbag (Apr 15, 2014)

alchemy said:


> sounds like it's a good time for a Canada trip...


And to order canadian made snowboards...


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I would choose Canada over a trip to Colorado anyway....
maybe this is a blessing in disguise?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

I invested a bunch in oil about half way down the downturn. So at the moment I've lost on that, but because our dollar is also dropping my actual loss in CDN $$$ is minimal right now...

We've got a cruise booked for January. Airfair is already paid for in CDN, cruise is 10% paid, but the balance is in CDN. It's just our spending money that we're going to get hammered on. Hopefully oil comes back up a bit by then and I'll cash out some in USD. Or it's time to fill scope bottles with vodka and use a little food colouring! lol :injured:


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## SnowDragon (Apr 23, 2012)

Yup, the weak loonie changed my plans.

My snow club's charter trip offerings came out a few weeks ago.
They are offering Aspen again this year and I wanted to go. But I was fairly certain that it would be much more expensive than in previous years, and I was right.

So...
Panorama and Big White are my destinations this year. Gotta love that B.C. interior!


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## Misterious (Oct 5, 2015)

I heard the Ontario area is in HUGE HUGE debt also. Boy but does going to canada as an american awesome.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Oh and yeah it changed my plans for sure. This yr i think going to USA will be out of the question..... weak dollah plus very unstable economy, means $ is at a prime right now. My industry is not doing so well.

It used to be a bargain to go to the states to buy stuff. Now it's better to buy here, which has always been expensive.

So i guess BC interior trip for me it is eh
Can't complain either way  unless i lose my job hahaha


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Misterious said:


> I heard the Ontario area is in HUGE HUGE debt also. Boy but does going to canada as an american awesome.


Nobody, but nobody is more deeply in debt than good old America, well maybe the Greeks. And to think that China is holding a HUGE HUGE portion of that debt. 
US debt that is, not Greek.

Not quite sure where you heard that the "Ontario Area" which by the way is a PROVINCE the size of most of New England, was HUGE HUGE in debt. If I recall, it was the USA that had the mortgage crisis of epic proportion, remember the one that gave a go at collapsing the worlds economy.


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## Peyto (Mar 21, 2012)

F1EA said:


> Oh and yeah it changed my plans for sure. This yr i think going to USA will be out of the question..... weak dollah plus very unstable economy, means $ is at a prime right now. My industry is not doing so well.
> 
> It used to be a bargain to go to the states to buy stuff. Now it's better to buy here, which has always been expensive.
> 
> ...


No more fall trips to the border to pick up gear for me... We had a good thing going for a few years with a great exchange rate and removal of the import duties from snowboarding hard goods.

Was always nice to have to option to plan snow trips south of the 49th parallel but I won't hold my nose at the BC interior


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## powderjunkie (Jun 30, 2015)

Oldman said:


> Nobody, but nobody is more deeply in debt than good old America, well maybe the Greeks. And to think that China is holding a HUGE HUGE portion of that debt.
> US debt that is, not Greek.
> 
> Not quite sure where you heard that the "Ontario Area" which by the way is a PROVINCE the size of most of New England, was HUGE HUGE in debt. If I recall, it was the USA that had the mortgage crisis of epic proportion, remember the one that gave a go at collapsing the worlds economy.


LOL someone that has no idea how national debt actually works... stop reading the canadian headlines about american debt and actually look into it. Fun fact... we actually own most of our own national debt.


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Ok, did my homework and Powder I take it back. You are quite correct in the way that ones local media loves, just loves to toss dirt on the guy next door and paint the picture their way.

The chart is from Forbes and of the foreign held debt, China in fact holds about 7% with Japan holding about 7% as well. 

According to Forbes your Social Security holds the biggest portion of your debt. It indeed is yours. Hope there comes a day when you can climb out from under the load of a total of 18 TRILLION, yes TRILLION dollars.

My take is that that day will never arrive. Life will go on, the debt load for every country around the world will simply continue to grow with each passing day. 

Greece has yet to disappear.


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Dollar value is useless when talking about debt. All that matters is % of GDP, which currently is sustainable though surely could be a bit better.

There is a reason why during the recession foreigners were flocking to us bonds even though they were paying almost nothing.


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## Seppuccu (Dec 4, 2012)

Rejoice at the influx of foreign capital. Hmmm, there are British Airways flights Copenhagen-Calgary for 500€. I just might...


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

alchemy said:


> sounds like it's a good time for a Canada trip...


Don't come to BC, the high cost of beer will offset any gains from the low dollar


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Anticrobotic said:


> Rejoice at the influx of foreign capital.


Yeah if I were an American close to the border I'd be seriously looking at Canadian vacations right now...

Unfortunately I like to fly south in the winter and all the islands like to deal in USD or Euros. The Canadian dollar has taken a beating compared to both in the last year or so. 

When we sold our house last year I should have put the money into foreign currency! Ah well, I suppose we needed some place to live...


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## alchemy (Apr 28, 2014)

kalev said:


> Don't come to BC, the high cost of beer will offset any gains from the low dollar


yeah, I remember beer was crazy expensive when I went to Lake Louise last summer. I had chalked it up to small mountain/tourist town prices.

we just loaded up when we got down to Montana and had to finish up our case the last morning before we hit the road again.


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## rpadc (Mar 10, 2014)

First let me express some sympathy for my Canuck friends and their monetary woes.

I would like to add my little tiny drop of tourism dollars to your coffers as an American gesture of goodwill.

So if I were to consider making a run up to Canada this winter, what are the best spots I should consider? I've heard nice things about Big White.


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## powderjunkie (Jun 30, 2015)

Oldman said:


> Ok, did my homework and Powder I take it back. You are quite correct in the way that ones local media loves, just loves to toss dirt on the guy next door and paint the picture their way.
> 
> The chart is from Forbes and of the foreign held debt, China in fact holds about 7% with Japan holding about 7% as well.
> 
> ...


I didn't mean to appear angry about it!  I just hate the way media sensationalizes our national debt. Especially when we own the vast majority of our own debt as well as most of China's and Japan's debt. In fact, if you look at the numbers Japan is in a whole lot more trouble than any other country is debt wise. I believe their debt is like 180% of their GDP. The US is in no danger of having issues with our debt. First of all, we own tons of other countries debts. Second, the USD is the reserve currency for the entire world simply because it is easily the most stable currency in the world. And lastly, our treasury bonds (the means by which we finance our debt) are extremely lucrative. Every good investment portfolio should have some US treasuries in it. And really... there does come a point at which you are too big to fail. And we are at that point. Besides, we all know that starting a war is good for an economy. Worse comes to worse, we invade some poor random country and all our monetary issues are fixed! All my defense industry stocks, oil, and gold would go through the roof! :jumping1:


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey Powder, no offence taken. :bop:

Just so long as that "poor random country" you speak of is not Canada. :eyetwitch2:


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## Mig Fullbag (Apr 15, 2014)

Oldman said:


> Hey Powder, no offence taken. :bop:
> 
> Just so long as that "poor random country" you speak of is not Canada. :eyetwitch2:


It probably will be, once they run out of water... :hairy:


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Sounds like you guys may have to tap into your strategic maple syrup reserve for some extra cash.


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

A lot of market analyst are saying/betting on Canada's housing bubble to pop. If you have extra cash and no debt I'd buy up as many properties as possible after it happens and the market settles. Buy super cheap, sit on them for a year or two and rent them out to people who foreclosed, then sell when the market bounces back make a killing and retire.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Mystery2many said:


> A lot of market analyst are saying/betting on Canada's housing bubble to pop. If you have extra cash and no debt I'd buy up as many properties as possible after it happens and the market settles. Buy super cheap, sit on them for a year or two and rent them out to people who foreclosed, then sell when the market bounces back make a killing and retire.


A lot of analysts have been saying that for years, but it's not materializing yet. We're getting localized slowdowns due to the oil slump, but other markets continue to be areas that foreign money gets pumped into. Average house price in Toronto just topped $1,000,000!?! :eyetwitch2:

I wouldn't expect a major crash here any time soon. Calgary and Edmonton have levelled/dropped and I'd say now is a good time to buy here, but otherwise there are other places I'd invest my money in housing.


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## Seppuccu (Dec 4, 2012)

powderjunkie said:


> In fact, if you look at the numbers Japan is in a whole lot more trouble than any other country is debt wise. I believe their debt is like 180% of their GDP.


More like 250%...


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I haven't renewed my passport in years so I'll be riding local anyway.

In case any of you are still gonna make plans The Farmers Almanac winter predictions are most of BC will be cold and dry. Apparently the Rockies is where it's going to hit this winter. So I'm thinking a trip to Kicking Horse or Banff will happen this year. I'm hoping Revy will get some of that action tho.


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

rpadc said:


> First let me express some sympathy for my Canuck friends and their monetary woes.
> 
> I would like to add my little tiny drop of tourism dollars to your coffers as an American gesture of goodwill.
> 
> So if I were to consider making a run up to Canada this winter, what are the best spots I should consider? I've heard nice things about Big White.


Big White is fun. Whistler is a must if you have never been. Revestoke, Red, Kickin Horse, pretty much every hill in or near BC is awesome.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

rpadc said:


> First let me express some sympathy for my Canuck friends and their monetary woes.
> 
> I would like to add my little tiny drop of tourism dollars to your coffers as an American gesture of goodwill.
> 
> So if I were to consider making a run up to Canada this winter, what are the best spots I should consider? I've heard nice things about Big White.



This post is lol material


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## Matty_B_Bop (Jan 27, 2015)

A trip to Revelstoke might actually be possible given the "savings" an American can get. 

Would be a good way to take advantage of the Canadian dollar and directly aid in Canada's economical bounce-back. 

Though, I'm a little gun shy with Whistler/Canada as I went last year and the locals kept stating that the conditions were the worst they've ever been in 40 years. :/


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Matty_B_Bop said:


> Though, I'm a little gun shy with Whistler/Canada as I went last year and the locals kept stating that the conditions were the worst they've ever been in 40 years. :/


Yeah I'd certainly wait and book something last minute. Even in the best years here there are still good times and bad times. At least with the Calgary area if one hill is getting rain the others could be getting snow. Very different base elevations, different face directions, different mountain ranges.

I'd be fairly safe to book a flight to Calgary, but then figure out accomodation/hill etc. closer to the trip. :hairy:


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Yep. Wait it out.

A trip to the simpler interior resorts is a lot cheaper than Whistler. Much easier to find accom later in the season.


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## rpadc (Mar 10, 2014)

F1EA said:


> Yep. Wait it out.
> 
> A trip to the simpler interior resorts is a lot cheaper than Whistler. Much easier to find accom later in the season.


Could you rank a top three?

Or is it more that they're all pretty awesome as long as the weather is cooperating.

I like this approach though. I tend to dig the simpler spots. I don't need nightlife or fancy digs. And Whistler is so big you'd need a long trip to fully explore it. I'm looking at a couple days. Maybe three tops.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

F1EA said:


> A trip to the simpler interior resorts is a lot cheaper than Whistler. Much easier to find accom later in the season.


Kicking Horse, Fernie, Panorama, etc. etc. etc. are all in small to non-existent towns. So generally accommodations are cheaper than the big resorts like Whistler.

That said, unless it's a holiday weekend I think Banff has the cheapest average accommodation price of any Canadian ski town. You can get a GOOD room for $100/night most of the time.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

rpadc said:


> Could you rank a top three?
> 
> Or is it more that they're all pretty awesome as long as the weather is cooperating.
> 
> I like this approach though. I tend to dig the simpler spots. I don't need nightlife or fancy digs. And Whistler is so big you'd need a long trip to fully explore it. I'm looking at a couple days. Maybe three tops.


Any of our Alberta/BC resorts would be fun for a few days.

For most extreme I'd say Kicking Horse.

For most trees I'd think Fernie/Revelstoke.

For most variety I'd say Lake Louise.

For cheapest on hill accommodations I'd say Kimberley.

Best snow is a crap-shoot. Lake Louise and Sunshine probably have the most consistent snow, but you want to be in Fernie/Kicking Horse when the snow is good, because they define while powder riding should be all about.

I haven't been to any of the interior BC resorts. Big white, silver star, etc. etc. etc.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Poutanen,

can you expand a bit on Revelstoke vs. Kicking Horse?

Thanks


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Sounds like this could be a good year for us Yanks to make a powder highway trip.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

poutanen said:


> Any of our Alberta/BC resorts would be fun for a few days.
> 
> For most extreme I'd say Kicking Horse.
> 
> ...



Just to add to the convo:

Whitewater & Red - steep trees, back-country & hippies

Big White & Silver Star - less steep trees, better groomers & bit more family'ish

All 4 generally have no lift lines (except maybe on holidays) and light, dry powder (when the weather's right)


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

deagol said:


> can you expand a bit on Revelstoke vs. Kicking Horse?
> 
> Thanks


I have not been to Revelstoke yet.

That said, they are fairly close together, so the snow forecasts tend to be similar between them. From what I've heard, Kicking Horse has the edge on cliffs and chutes, and Revelstoke has the edge on endless gladed runs that go on forever and ever... and ever... and ever (most vertical in North America)

I have no idea what the lifts are like at Revelstoke, but that is a downside to Kicking Horse, so they've got to be at least as good. Kicking Horse's problem is that there is one "main" lift from top to bottom. At 4200 ft of vert that's a lot of lift to go all the way down and back up, especially if it's been raining at the bottom and snowing at the top. There is a lift that starts 2/3rds of the way up but it's not a detatchable and doesn't serve the best terrain in my opinion.

I've had some fantastic runs, and one fantastic day at Kicking Horse. Almost every day I go to Fernie is fantastic even if each individual run might not be as spectacular as Kicking Horse.

What I like at a hill is:

1. Good terrain, little cliffs or rocks, trees, lots of fall line runs instead of traversing
2. Lifts and lift lines, I like high speed lifts, and I like being able to get away from crowds
3. Hikable runs, some hills offer fantastic in bounds runs that are a short hike away from lifts.
4. Low key vibe

Here's my list of hills that I've been to, in order of preference based on the above:

1. Fernie
2. Whistler/Blackcomb (long lift lines and skied out runs, can't really rate W/B without spending more time there)
3. Kicking Horse
4. Lake Louise
5. Jay Peak
6. Sunshine
7. Nakiska
8. Cypress Mountain
9. Kimberley

(long time ago I hit Tremblant, Mt Sutton, Mt St Anne, Loon, Cannon, etc. but it's been so long it wouldn't be fair for me to rate them)

Out of that list, on a shitty snow day Nakiska is my favorite (best grooming).

On a huge powder day Lake Louise is right up there with the best of them. Without big powder there are lots of sharks under the surface to come bite you.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

killclimbz said:


> Sounds like this could be a good year for us Yanks to make a powder highway trip.


that's what I am thinking....

Thanks Poutanen, that's great info. I think I have the same preferences as you do..


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Two words: Rogers Pass...


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

poutanen said:


> I have not been to Revelstoke yet.
> 
> That said, they are fairly close together, so the snow forecasts tend to be similar between them. From what I've heard, Kicking Horse has the edge on cliffs and chutes, and Revelstoke has the edge on endless gladed runs that go on forever and ever... and ever... and ever (most vertical in North America)
> 
> ...


Boooo Boooooo
haha Cypress should at least be up another slot or 2:embarrased1:

Haha actually I couldn't tell ya Of that list I've only been to Cypress & whistler.

Whistler does get pretty busy, but it is so fuckin' big.

Really you have no idea until you see it, or up as high as you can see. It still keeps going.
As ridiculously huge as it is.
There's an equally huge Monster right next door.

Whistler is definitely the one place that, you NEED someone to show you around, or @ least follow.

No matter how many people are there, you can get fresh turns all day.
If you have the ability to get there.
But without someone to show you where to go.
Doesn't matter how good you are you can't just take off & start bombin' cliffs, some of em are hundreds of feet. 


TT


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

I've been riding Revy a lot these few years and as far as lifts go they could use more for sure. There is a gondy that takes you up like 2/3 of the mountain then a lift (Stoke chair) to get you up the rest. There is one other lift (Ripper chair) that services more of a intermediate area at a lower altitude. From the top of the Stoke if you go to far skiiers right or hike the bowls to the right you end up at the Ripper chair and have a pretty long cat track ride back to the Stoke. Then if you hike skiiers left from the Stoke you can eventually get to where they do the heli and cat skiing, but it's easier to drop into the bowl or glades on the way. I find my self pretty much just riding the Stoke chair as it's usually raining on the bottom half and it can be a long grueling run if you have to go all the way down when the snow is heavy and there are a lot of ungroomed runs that are full of moguls and it gets old fast. 
The Ripper chair is more tight glades which is fun when the snow is good but tends to have that heavier snow because of the lower elevation and seems to have lots of sketchy cliffs where you don't really expect them. 
For me Revy is all about a little hike to get some sweet bowl action then glade heaven or sometimes glade hell.
I don't share the same opinion about the weather compared to Kicking Horse, they may look close on a map but the weather systems can be totally different. More times than not one of those hills is getting hit hard while the other might get a dusting. Luckily for me it's usually Revy getting the snow.

Big White is really fun in my opinion. Lots of lifts to access most of the mountain. It is mostly intermediate, but the most of the best terrain is mostly in one area far from the village which keeps the lines smaller the the average talent is generally better so less worry about some family hanging out under a roller or something. Also once you know where to go you will be finding fresh powder for days after the dumps. It can get crazy foggy there but since the mountain is so big you can usually find an area where it's not as bad.

Silver Star just sucks. Sure there is good terrain but it's only good for a few minutes in the morning if you get a huge dump. The vast majority of the best terrain is on the backside where lots of runs get funneled onto one big cat track where you need to take a lift to a t-bar then ride down to another lift that finally takes you back to do another lap, but the time you get back for another run the whole backside is tracked out. You waste most of the hill traversing to hit a run, and the farther you traverse the shorter the run will be. There are other good ares of the hill but I find them just too short for the amount of effort it takes to get at them.


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

If steeps and gnarly are your thing I don't think you'll be disappointed with kicking horse. And I think it has good bang for your buck.

I live in vancouver and my bro lives in edmonton, the last two seasons we've done a bro trip somewhere in the middle and both times we went to kicking horse.

It's a very quiet town, which I like. You could party if you want, however its deff not a party town like whistler or banff. 

We stay at the travelodge in golden. I can't remember the cost however I want to say $100ish/night. The rooms are decent and the free breakfast is good enough where I'd be happy to pay for it. Add in the pool, hot tub and water slide, which were surprisingly clean, well maintained and fun the travelodge is a great value.

You can also get discounted lift tickets from pretty much any Costco in Alberta.

You can't directly fly to KH, so if you aren't driving, there is going to be some added cost of renting a car from Calgary.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Thanks for the info on Revelstoke & Kicking Horse, Freshy & Moto. If I did end up going up there, I would want to find a place that the wife could enjoy too, so super gnarly would not be the goal. She is a blue skier, occasional easy black, but she gets mad at me sometimes for bringing her on those. 

We were in Alberta once in summer (Waterton Lakes NP) and it was awesome. Fernie looks relatively close to there...

At this point, unless $$ improves, it's just wishful thinking, though..


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## Oldman (Mar 7, 2012)

deagol said:


> At this point, unless $$ improves, it's just wishful thinking, though..


Hey Deagol, given you location I can only assume that you are American, living in the good old US of A, earning American Green Backs. Which dollar are you hoping improves?

A Canadian dollar for you right now would cost you about 70 to 75 cents. That is approximately an instant 30% saving for you. INSTANT 30% !!!!!! 

Stop wishful thinking, check out the deals and book a trip my friend.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Oldman said:


> Hey Deagol, given you location I can only assume that you are American, living in the good old US of A, earning American Green Backs. Which dollar are you hoping improves?
> 
> A Canadian dollar for you right now would cost you about 70 to 75 cents. That is approximately an instant 30% saving for you. INSTANT 30% !!!!!!
> 
> Stop wishful thinking, check out the deals and book a trip my friend.


I am American, but not a Yank (Yank, to me, means someone from the New York or New England area)

But by the $$ in my above post, I meant the wife & my financial situation. 
She lost her job in March and we have been surviving on my income alone for all these months and no end in sight to that situation (long story).

If that had not happened, I would totally try to talk her into this.


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## Seppuccu (Dec 4, 2012)

What would you guys say is a reasonable daily budget for, say, Fernie or Big White, including cheap stay, meals, and lift pass, but excluding beers?


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

timmytard said:


> Boooo Boooooo
> haha Cypress should at least be up another slot or 2:embarrased1:
> 
> Haha actually I couldn't tell ya Of that list I've only been to Cypress & whistler.


Yeah I really liked Cypress, but it's just that much smaller than the hills above it on my list. The big plus in my books is some really damn fun terrain. Also forgot to put Seymour on that list, it was fun too, I'd rate it similar to Kimberley.



freshy said:


> I don't share the same opinion about the weather compared to Kicking Horse, they may look close on a map but the weather systems can be totally different. More times than not one of those hills is getting hit hard while the other might get a dusting. Luckily for me it's usually Revy getting the snow.


Thanks for the feedback, and I guess this is a good point about any of our "big" AB/BC hills. The weather can be different even from one side of the hill to the other, or bottom to top, etc. Sometimes the way the wind dumps snow on Lake Louise, the front side can have 6" and the steeps can have 3'...



Motogp990 said:


> If steeps and gnarly are your thing I don't think you'll be disappointed with kicking horse. And I think it has good bang for your buck.


Absolutely, the biggest downfall are their lifts. With a little more lift access it'd be right up there with Fernie for me. There are some glades right in the middle of the hill that are like a play park, trees knocked over, little jumps, etc. all in this natural bowl in between a few runs.

The volunteer ski patrollers across Canada meet at Kicking Horse every February for ski improvement week for a reason. Some of these guys are really high level skiers and riders, and they go to KH to improve their skill.



deagol said:


> Thanks for the info on Revelstoke & Kicking Horse, Freshy & Moto. If I did end up going up there, I would want to find a place that the wife could enjoy too, so super gnarly would not be the goal. She is a blue skier, occasional easy black, but she gets mad at me sometimes for bringing her on those.


Fernie is a better intermediate hill that KH, no question. My wife did most of her learning at Fernie. They have several lower beginner/intermediate lifts, and then some of the bowls have really nice easy entrances. Kicking Horse is similar in overall difficulty, but the lack of lifts and steeper entrance to most bowls make it less intermediate friendly in my opinion.

The town of Fernie is also far more wife friendly. :hairy: 



deagol said:


> But by the $$ in my above post, I meant the wife & my financial situation.
> She lost her job in March and we have been surviving on my income alone for all these months and no end in sight to that situation (long story).


If you do want to plan a trip on the cheap this year, PM me, we usually do at least one trip a month within driving distance of Calgary, and we can usually get a 2-br condo for fairly reasonable. Could split accommodation and save some $$$. I also should be able to get cheaper lift tickets to RCR resorts like Fernie and Kicking Horse. At Nakiska I could get free lift tickets but I wouldn't drive all the way from CO to ride at Nakiska.



Anticrobotic said:


> What would you guys say is a reasonable daily budget for, say, Fernie or Big White, including cheap stay, meals, and lift pass, but excluding beers?


I can talk about Fernie here:

Accomodations - $100-150/night per couple. The hostel is nice and a private room is $75 there. Nothing fancy but wife and I have stayed there in a pinch.

Meals - Varies heavily: There are a few good grocery stores in town, and some hotels/motels come with BBQs/kitchens. On hill eating is expensive so you can actually save money by staying on the hill and eating a grocery store lunch instead of in the restaurants. Figure $15 each for breakfast and lunch if you eat out, $25-35 each for dinner at most of the local places.

Lift tickets - $85 + tax usually at the hill, as mentioned AB Costcos have discounted tickets that come out to about $65 each with tax. Most/all the hills have early/late season discounts and special days/weeks like womens/mens week where there are some great discounts. Fernie has an RCR card you can get which works out to about $50/day per lift ticket. I think if you do the math the card is same as buying from the ticket window until you hit that 4th day. RCR Resorts of the Canadian Rockies



WINTER IS COMING ALL!!!!! :hairy:


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Poutanen,

Thanks so much for this offer.. I am gonna think about it. Lots to consider here and I will have to see how things develop with the $$ situation.

If it was just me, I would do this in a hearbeat, but I think the wife would kill me if I mentioned going without her.

Edit: roundtrip flight Denver to Calgary not that bad....


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

Big White would be a great wife friendly choice as there are lots of fun green and blue runs and even the blacks are not that difficult compared to Revy, plus things like skating on a pond and tube town and sleigh rides among other non snowboard activities. Pretty good sized village with all kinds of different restaurants, pubs and a few bars. Oh and it's all ski in ski out so nice to step out your door and strap your board on and go.
You'd have to look at the website for prices but they have deals most of the time. You can also get a deal on passes at Costco.

Sunpeaks in Kamloops is also very similar but they don't get the same amount of snow, something else to consider tho.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

deagol said:


> If it was just me, I would do this in a hearbeat, but I think the wife would kill me if I mentioned going without her.
> 
> Edit: roundtrip flight Denver to Calgary not that bad....


No worries I know all about life getting in the way! Banff really is beautiful in the winter, lots to see, very wife friendly! Wife and I are heading there monday for a dip in the hot spring and massages, mostly covered by benefits which helps! :jumping1:

FWIW, it looks like mid-winter Westjet offers flights for about $275 USD return. They're partnered with Delta so delta probably offers the same/similar rates.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Wow such awesome info. Thanks guys!

I also have a "Resort Guide" from last yr or so, and it gives a bunch of details about each area......


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## Listheeb21 (Jan 20, 2011)

The current exchange rate is why I'm heading north this year. Couple resort days at Revy, one cat and one heli day, then a few days in Nelson/Rossland. 

Can't believe how inexpensive it is these days. Now I just have to find a bank that will give me a good rate on currency conversion, so I can swap some cash.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

poutanen said:


> No worries I know all about life getting in the way! Banff really is beautiful in the winter, lots to see, very wife friendly! Wife and I are heading there monday for a dip in the hot spring and massages, mostly covered by benefits which helps! :jumping1:
> 
> FWIW, it looks like mid-winter Westjet offers flights for about $275 USD return. They're partnered with Delta so delta probably offers the same/similar rates.


This is awesome. I have always wanted to see Banff. Talked to the wife and she thought I was crazy...
(she would love to go, but thinks it would be financially irresponsible)



Listheeb21 said:


> The current exchange rate is why I'm heading north this year. Couple resort days at Revy, one cat and *one heli day*, then a few days in Nelson/Rossland.
> 
> Can't believe how inexpensive it is these days. .....


how much for a heli day ????


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## Listheeb21 (Jan 20, 2011)

About $925


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Listheeb21 said:


> About $925


US or Canadian dollars ??
I have heard that they limit you to a certain amount of runs, 5 or 6 ??? regardless. 

sorry for all the questions.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

deagol said:


> This is awesome. I have always wanted to see Banff. Talked to the wife and she thought I was crazy...
> (she would love to go, but thinks it would be financially irresponsible)
> 
> 
> ...


Just do it. Can't pinch pennies your whole life.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

If you have the $$ and / or the skills

Backcountry Huts in the Interior Mountains

Welcome to Retallack ~ Mountain Biking and Ski Vacations

Baldface | 32,000 Acres of Backcountry Cat Boarding & Skiing

Or if the snow is good @ Red, you can get $10 (CDN) single cat rides

RED Mountain Resort - Mt Kirkup Cat Skiing


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## Listheeb21 (Jan 20, 2011)

That's $US, for the 5 run package with Selkirk-Tangiers. Actually, Eagle Pass Heli has a 6-8 run package for $938. Hmmm...May have to change my reservation!


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Listheeb21 said:


> That's $US, for the 5 run package with Selkirk-Tangiers. Actually, Eagle Pass Heli has a 6-8 run package for $938. Hmmm...May have to change my reservation!


I have a (sort of) friend who has done Selkirk Tangiers before and said it was the best day of his skiing life (yes, he is a skier). 

Damn, sounds tempting.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

kalev said:


> Or if the snow is good @ Red, you can get $10 (CDN) single cat rides
> 
> RED Mountain Resort - Mt Kirkup Cat Skiing


That's like .50c wings night.
:hairy:


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

Heard Canada is going to take in 10,000 refugees. How do you guys feel aboot that?


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## Motogp990 (Mar 10, 2013)

Mystery2many said:


> Heard Canada is going to take in 10,000 refugees. How do you guys feel aboot that?



At least we're not taking in 10,001 and refugees 


But in reality, I'm pretty ignorant in the field of politics or refugees and their impact on the country (positive or negative), so I don't have any real feeling toward it.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Mystery2many said:


> Heard Canada is going to take in 10,000 refugees. How do you guys feel aboot that?


I think we should close the borders and make them stay in the US


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

Donutz said:


> I think we should close the borders and make them stay in the US


You should build a wall! :hairy:


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

Mystery2many said:


> Heard Canada is going to take in 10,000 refugees. How do you guys feel aboot that?


We are all immigrants or children of immigrants. Maybe we're a younger country, maybe we have retained our connections to the "old world" better, but immigrant/refugee status is only a generation or two away for a lot of us. If I spout some anti-immigration nonsense, my mother and my grandmother would go up one side of me and down the other, driving home the message that they were the ones in that situation at one point in time.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

wow, this went off-topic fast..


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## Mystery2many (Aug 14, 2013)

Bones said:


> We are all immigrants or children of immigrants. Maybe we're a younger country, maybe we have retained our connections to the "old world" better, but immigrant/refugee status is only a generation or two away for a lot of us. If I spout some anti-immigration nonsense, my mother and my grandmother would go up one side of me and down the other, driving home the message that they were the ones in that situation at one point in time.


Its a humanitarian issue and the entire world should chip in to help, but I think we should help them fix their country so they don't have to escape it rather than help destroy it. 



deagol said:


> wow, this went off-topic fast..


It's relative to the economy which is relative to their dollar.


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