# Whitewater Ski Resort?



## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Lived in Nelson for 2 years and had a pass to Whitewater both years before sadly moving East for work. Never ridden Baker, so I can't tell you how they compare, but I can say Whitewater is:

-All about steep, tree runs with loads of generally light, dry snow. Interior BC has hands down the best snow in the country 
-Very quiet (especially mid-week). Unless its a big powder day or a holiday, you'll never have to wait for a chair (and even on a pow day, longest wait is likely 2 mins)
-Very laid-back, community / family type vibe. Lodge is about as basic as it gets with a cafeteria, pub and rental / retail store - but has amazing food, local beer etc 
-Very back-country friendly, you can buy single ride tickets for the lifts which access some amazing terrain. On the road to the main base area, you'll see people touring / riding all over the place, popping out from the trees, hitchhiking back to the lodge etc 
-Glory Ridge, if you go, you will know
-Amazing views of Ymir Peak and the surrounding Selkirk mountains

The above could be either upsides or downsides depending on your perspective. 

Whitewater is not:
-Big resort with lots of fancy amenities (you'd likely stay in Nelson and drive 15-20 mins to the mountain. Most hotels in Nelson are fairly basic but great)
-Crazy well organized (its basically run by hippies). If you're used to being in somewhat remote places its great, but some people might be put-off by the 'wildness' of the place 
-Have a lot of grooming. There's a couple of runs groomed on Silverking, Summit & Glory but that's it. If by a fluke its a low snow year or a prolonged dry spell, it can get a little boring - but that's also a good time to go touring or drink beers on the patio between groomers
-Traditionally they haven't had much of a park although it has been getting bigger every year
-Super fast / efficient lifts. They only have 2 ancient double chairs and a triple on the backside but it adds to the charm and gives you a chance to enjoy the views

If you're there for a week (especially with a group), you might want to do a bit of a road trip and:
-Check out Red Mountain (roughly an hour from Nelson)
-Road trip to Revelstoke (drive from Nelson is awesome and you take a free ferry across Arrow lake - and well the mountain speaks for itself) 
-Hot Springs, Ainsworth and / or the 'natural' kind

Feel free to post up any specific questions or send me a PM


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Oh ya not looking for a resort, group ranges from 26-33 y/o but we're going for the riding not a "scene" at all, and can sit around playing board games and drinking our own beer during down time. Baker is a bare bones place and it seems they're likely very similar setups with Whitewater perhaps even being more remote. Gonna try and get an extra set of Avy gear or two so if a couple of us want to break off for a bit we can. Our trips are generally wake up get to resort at open, ride until 3 or 4, find a hot tub, then settle down with games and drinks until bed time, rinse and repeat for 5 days.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Sounds like a great option then 

Don't get me wrong, for a small mountain town, Nelson has some great restaurants / pubs / shopping etc and actually gets relatively high quality bands / dj's etc that come through - its just on the other end of the spectrum from say Whister 

I loved living there and having been planning our return since we moved. 

Oh, and you likely already know this, but driving in BC during the winter can get 'interesting' but DriveBC is a good site for checking conditions on some of the mountain passes in advance of heading out

DriveBC


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

kalev said:


> Lived in Nelson for 2 years and had a pass to Whitewater both years before sadly moving East for work. Never ridden Baker, so I can't tell you how they compare, but I can say Whitewater is:
> 
> -All about steep, tree runs with loads of generally light, dry snow. Interior BC has hands down the best snow in the country
> -Very quiet (especially mid-week). Unless its a big powder day or a holiday, you'll never have to wait for a chair (and even on a pow day, longest wait is likely 2 mins)
> ...


Ohhh damn I see your locations says you moved East. My heart weeps.

Im planning 2 interior trips this yr. One to BW with the family and the other more punk one to Revv and Whitewater. Or thereabouts.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

F1EA said:


> Ohhh damn I see your locations says you moved East. My heart weeps.
> 
> Im planning 2 interior trips this yr. One to BW with the family and the other more punk one to Revv and Whitewater. Or thereabouts.


Nice! 

Living in the flat-lands definitely sucks, but we have friends with a condo @ Big White (that's generally empty during the week), so I'm trying to plan about a month there this winter (Jan - Feb) and do the whole work from home thing up there. Planning on hitting Red for Winter Carnival (Jan 26-29), likely a weekend in Nelson / Whitewater and maybe get up to Revy if there's time. 

Hopefully Ullr brings the goods this winter!


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

kalev said:


> Nice!
> 
> Living in the flat-lands definitely sucks, but we have friends with a condo @ Big White (that's generally empty during the week), so I'm trying
> to plan about a month there this winter (Jan - Feb) and do the whole work from home thing up there. Planning on hitting Red for Winter Carnival (Jan 26-29), likely a weekend in Nelson / Whitewater and maybe get up to Revy if there's time.
> ...


Oh if you're there Jan-Feb we can definitely catch up. Definitely going by around mid Feb (and maybe even before if I can sneak out with a buddy who goes often from here).

Then yeah depending on Ullr's disposition another trip ~March


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

Ya I'm basically trying to make sure if we ride strictly resort it will be worth it. We could always still go back to Baker or they get free days at Stevens as well. I just don't want to get there and and be staring at the ropes going man if only we could ride over there and get stuck lapping the same run over and over for a week. Hoping it's as good as it looks, just hard to tell if the photos videos and all that are resort or out of bounds.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

lab49232 said:


> Ya I'm basically trying to make sure if we ride strictly resort it will be worth it. We could always still go back to Baker or they get free days at Stevens as well. I just don't want to get there and and be staring at the ropes going man if only we could ride over there and get stuck lapping the same run over and over for a week. Hoping it's as good as it looks, just hard to tell if the photos videos and all that are resort or out of bounds.


Hahaha that NEVER happens to me.
That looking at the other side of the fence thing, thinking, I wish I could ride over there. Lol

Some of the best days I've ever had , came on those days.

Those ropes, to me, are made to do jumps over.
That sign, just ensures a nice fluffy landing.
If there's a way out at the bottom, I'm going down it.

The one time I second guessed it.
I paid for it.

The absolute best day I've ever had, in my whole life.
2 years ago @ whistler, I end up at the top of symphony bowl, I was THE first guy there that morning.

For as far as you could see in either direction, untouched powder, without a single track in the WHOLE bowl, not 1 track.
I stood there contemplating the risks.

The only one I could see, the lift wasn't running at the bottom.

It was bluebird, dead calm wind, I knew they would be opening it, but when?
That was the question.
Hiking up out of a 3 foot deep fresh bowl, fuck, hahaha would be an absolute killer, especially on this day.

I must have stood there for 20 minutes.
Chose to hike back up & go down the already open bowl with barely any tracks.

To this day, it still haunts me.
Next lift up, I could see people slaying it, with the power of Gods.

By the time I got back there, it was chewed to shit.

Never again will I second guess myself in that situation. Hahaha

Go with my gut, shoulda gone with my gut.
Stupid little regard voice in my head clouded my judgment.

Here's one of those days.
This was a Sunday.
The face had been closed for 2 days.
Both days being sunny & super packed.
On the first lift ride up that morning, I couldn't believe it.

Not a single person had gone down it.
Tens of thousands of people chose NOT to go down there.

I was blown away.

That first run was mind blowing.
It was right underneath the chairlift, so I was back at the bottom within minutes, & back on the chairlift to do another.
I think I got 4 or 5 runs in before anyone else had a chance to touch it.

Then, haha the flood gates opened.
Everyone & their dog went down it.

Those first 4 or 5 runs were SO good.
I felt obligated to thank the thousands & thousands of people that chose to leave it untouched.
So that I could be the first to slaying, with my mighty sword.
Oh did I slay that beast, fast & hard, precision slashing, deep slashes, that beast was done.

Fucking awesome it twas.

[ame]https://vimeo.com/115609895[/ame]


TT


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## lab49232 (Sep 13, 2011)

timmytard said:


> Hahaha that NEVER happens to me.
> That looking at the other side of the fence thing, thinking, I wish I could ride over there. Lol
> 
> Some of the best days I've ever had , came on those days.
> ...


Ha I'm more worried about resort boundary ropes and avy danger. I love a fresh pow line as much or more than the next guy but I'm not stupid enough to hike in the backcountry alone or take people with me who don't have rescue gear.


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## timmytard (Mar 19, 2009)

kalev said:


> Lived in Nelson for 2 years and had a pass to Whitewater both years before sadly moving East for work. Never ridden Baker, so I can't tell you how they compare, but I can say Whitewater is:
> 
> -All about steep, tree runs with loads of generally light, dry snow. Interior BC has hands down the best snow in the country
> -Very quiet (especially mid-week). Unless its a big powder day or a holiday, you'll never have to wait for a chair (and even on a pow day, longest wait is likely 2 mins)
> ...


I was only in Nelson a couple days.

This is what I remember.

There's no McDonald's, that's odd.

And.....

Hahaha there were NO fat women.
None, never saw a single fat girl anywhere.

They don't exist in Nelson
Even the old girls, they still rocking sweet little athletic body's.

Cougar central that place is.

There's also a lot of, what most people would call weirdos haha.
Holes in their faces, green & blue hair.
Beaver bumpers, lots of those too lol.

Everyone is real nice though, even the weirdos.



TT


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## freshy (Nov 18, 2009)

White Water is definitely one of those hills that rewards hikers. Not the biggest hill in the area but I suppose it's more about the quality.

Nelson is such an awesome town. All the stuff said about the food and music is true, all top notch. Ate at some place called Yellow House (I think...Yellow something) it was too organic for my taste with the home made yogurt and such. Later found out it's all owned and operated by people from a commune who are part of a religious cult. So yeah no shortage of freaks and cookie cutter hippie hipsters living along side ******* logger types.

True there is no McDicks but every small town in BC has an A&W, but why the hell would you eat there?

Everyone who visits Nelson should get out to Ainsworth hot springs. There is a huge cave you can walk through where the springs actually feeds the pools. Definitely one of my favorites.

As for ducking ropes; at a place like Big White the rope is basically there to keep the tourists out. Don't have to think twice about those ones. I almost ducked a rope at Baker but at the last minute thought I'd better not, once I got to the lift I noticed if I did duck that rope I would have been on the top or bottom of a 300 ft cliff and ice death drop.


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