# Trip to Canada next April.Help!



## Gworks (Aug 17, 2014)

Hey Guys,

Just wondering if you could please help me organise my first trip to Canada in April next year! 
April was the only time I could come out unfortunately so I'm hunting some late season snow before our season back here in New Zealand! Me and a mate are arriving into Vancouver on the 8th of April and are renting a truck for two and a half weeks leaving April 24th..
So if you could please steer me in the right direction of what fields are best late season and hold their snow the best.. We're keen to check out a couple of different mountains and do a bit of driving about the country.
At the moment I'm thinking a few days in Whistler and a week in Banff from just what I'm reading about on the Internet..whistler more so for the nightlife!

Any suggestions would be great! 
Cheers,
George


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

Whistler for partying is definitely a good option. 

As for Banff really depends on your skill level. Sunshine Village is good, but for it to be great you need to know it well (the good stuff is hidden).

Fernie can be great, but around that time you risk rain. That combined with it being farther away from some good locations makes it a possible no go.

Lake Louise is a tough one. It has great terrain but it just doesn't get the annual snowfall. This last year was a bit extreme, but coverage was terrible till March. But it was decent late season.

Kicking Horse. If it has the snow, I just love it. Depending on your skill level though, you may not be able to enjoy all that it offers. Steeps, chutes, cliff drops, trees, Gondola assisted backcountry.

Revelstoke, yes. Only risk is there can be a lot of avy work going on and the main road gets closed for half a day.


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## seriouscat (Jan 23, 2012)

Your best bet is whistler and banff (sunshine and LL. Most bc mountains (revy/fernie/whitewater etc) have their last day on the first or second weekend of April.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Really depends on the weather, but Big White still had lots of good snow at that time last year. The base sits at aprox 1500-1600 m whereas places like Revy are much lower (base at aprox 500 m so the bottom half of the mountain is pretty trashed by that time of year)


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## oldmate (Oct 24, 2011)

Gworks said:


> Hey Guys,
> 
> Just wondering if you could please help me organise my first trip to Canada in April next year!
> April was the only time I could come out unfortunately so I'm hunting some late season snow before our season back here in New Zealand! Me and a mate are arriving into Vancouver on the 8th of April and are renting a truck for two and a half weeks leaving April 24th..
> ...



Your itinerary is on the money imho. Start at whistler then head inland as quickly as possible. You'll find the snow gets better the further in you head. If I were you i'd plan on basing myself in Banff for most of the trip (stick to sunshine if you want good quality snow) and only head out again if its snowing elsewhere.

I've done your trip in reverse before. Hired a car and drove from Calgary to Vancouver. We didnt organize a hire car in advance, just tried our luck at the airport in calgary when we arrived. All of the hire car companies wanted to charge us between $500 - $1,000 for only taking the car one way to vancouver. They told us that so many people do that trip and they have to pay to have the cars trucked back. They told us if were were going the other way, Vancouver to Calgary, they wouldn't have charged any extra.


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## Gworks (Aug 17, 2014)

awesome thanks for the replies guys. Looks like we'll hit whistler as soon as possible for a few days and do some park riding there and then move inland and on to Banff and check out what mountains are holding snow the best. 
Any good reccomendations on where to stay in Banff? We're looking for middle of the line comfortable accommodation, not backpacking but not wanting to spend $200 a night either! Will there be discounts on Lift passes at that time of the year? Cheers guys!


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## oldmate (Oct 24, 2011)

The Mount Royal is the pick. From memory its around $80 per night for a room with two double beds. Its right in the middle of town and is isn't too bad. The restaurant downstairs does the best ribs i've ever had.


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

Gworks said:


> awesome thanks for the replies guys. Looks like we'll hit whistler as soon as possible for a few days and do some park riding there and then move inland and on to Banff and check out what mountains are holding snow the best.
> Any good reccomendations on where to stay in Banff? We're looking for middle of the line comfortable accommodation, not backpacking but not wanting to spend $200 a night either! Will there be discounts on Lift passes at that time of the year? Cheers guys!


Decent, but not great would be Banff International, The fox hotel and suites, Mount Royal, Banff Caribou Lodge. Brewsters Mountain lodge can be good if you get the right room. Last time I was there I made them upgrade my room because the bed was from 1970. Shouldn't be too hard to find something under $200 a night with two queens.

Lift passes will be full price. Sunshine closes late May, so April will still be good conditions. It could stay open into June, but people just stop going.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

We had a couple feet of fresh powder on closing weekend at Nakiska, may 3rd and 4th... Was sad to leave the place with all that fresh powder! 

Mid April the only things still open are the Banff area resorts...


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## Gworks (Aug 17, 2014)

Awesome, Thanks guy.Looks like well still have plenty of options at that time of the year still Hopefully the snow keeps coming late into the season. 
Does anyone have any experience with Revelstoke Mountain? What time does it stay open till usually? Looks like it has alot of snowfall due to it being so high up! Cheers


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## cerebroside (Nov 6, 2012)

Gworks said:


> Awesome, Thanks guy.Looks like well still have plenty of options at that time of the year still Hopefully the snow keeps coming late into the season.
> Does anyone have any experience with Revelstoke Mountain? What time does it stay open till usually? Looks like it has alot of snowfall due to it being so high up! Cheers


This site says Revy closes early April.

As a NZer living in BC, I'm going to be the one voice of dissent and suggest you wait until you can come over earlier in the season. I mean if you're OK with dropping $1500+ per person on flights alone for late season snow then great, but personally that's a lot of money. If I was paying that much I would want to get the full experience.
That said, I've never been to Banff etc. so maybe they have a great late season. :dunno:


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

cerebroside said:


> This site says Revy closes early April.
> 
> As a NZer living in BC, I'm going to be the one voice of dissent and suggest you wait until you can come over earlier in the season. I mean if you're OK with dropping $1500+ per person on flights alone for late season snow then great, but personally that's a lot of money. If I was paying that much I would want to get the full experience.
> That said, I've never been to Banff etc. so maybe they have a great late season. :dunno:


Our season tends be quite a bit longer. We don't get the rain till a month or more than parts of BC. Even Kicking Horse and Revy have tons of snow at that time of the year, but at the base it starts getting wet.


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## Peyto (Mar 21, 2012)

No question you should be basing yourself out of Banff that late in the season.

The timing isn't ideal but there have been some real good days in April in that area - although the snow will be wetter, not that light fluffy stuff it would be in March...


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## seriouscat (Jan 23, 2012)

Revy is always first weekend of April. All rcr bc resorts are second week of April at latest for closing. You are not going to be able ride those mountains unless u get there early, regardless of conditions


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

seriouscat said:


> Revy is always first weekend of April. All rcr bc resorts are second week of April at latest for closing. You are not going to be able ride those mountains unless u get there early, regardless of conditions


I agree, your best bet imo, would be just to stay in whistler.
With that big of a window, I'm almost positive you'll get @ least a handful of days that will blow your mind & make your whole trip.

Whistler is fuckin' huge, unless you've been there, you have no idea.

There are a few mtns right in Vancouver.
While they may not be the biggest or have the best snow?

Cypress has gnarly terrain in places, on par with anywhere else.
They don't like people going' in there, for obvious reasons.

I personally love it out there.
If you want real hardcore riding?

Come with me.


TT


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