Lake Louise and Sunshine info

[Vince]

Going to Banff for the first time next week. I've done my internet homework but a few things I can't find. Very excited as it has been so bad here this year. Just a few quick questions for those that have been. Which is a better bad weather place ie: wind, flat light etc Lake Louise or Sunshine? Also Delirium Dive is now open. I don't have avalanche gear but would like to rent it. Can this be done at Sunshine or do I have to do it in Banff? Also we are planning on taking the bus to Kicking Horse on Saturday March 19. Does this sell out or can we do last minute? Thanks for any helpl

 

[Not Sure]

Going to Banff for the first time next week. I've done my internet homework but a few things I can't find. Very excited as it has been so bad here this year. Just a few quick questions for those that have been. Which is a better bad weather place ie: wind, flat light etc Lake Louise or Sunshine? Also Delirium Dive is now open. I don't have avalanche gear but would like to rent it. Can this be done at Sunshine or do I have to do it in Banff? Also we are planning on taking the bus to Kicking Horse on Saturday March 19. Does this sell out or can we do last minute? Thanks for any helpl

Lake Louise is worth the view with good snow and a Sunny day but back bowls are not fun in flat light . Sunshine is a bit higher and found snow to be better escpecially if Banff has'nt had snow for a while . As far a renting avi gear not sure about that but from a liability point of view would be risky if your the owner . I would imagine a bit of training would be necessary .
Have fun , Great places !

 

[elks]

Snow was consistently better at Sunshine than Banff when we were there in February. I wasn't a big fan of Lake Louise's frontside though the Top of the World Express area has some good runs. We consistently had more fun at Sunshine and it being only 20 minutes from Banff is an added bonus. If you are skiing with younger kids, I certainly feel like Sunshine is a more exciting resort (my boys adored Mt. Standish.) Enjoy!

 

[bdfreetuna]

I'd skip LL and do 2 days at Sunshine. Or however you're working it out do more skiing at Sunshine.

Check out Wild West on Goats Eye. I never skied it since they added it after I went there but it looks awesome. Not sure if you need avvy gear to go in there. Goats Eye is really sweet terrain. Idk about Delerium Dive I didn't ski it. Had zero visibility up there on my trip (plus I'm not sure if I would have skied it at 18 years old anyway).

 

[slatham]

Please do a trip report! I am thinking about LL and Sunshine for next Easter which starts April 7th. I am thinking that far north could still be winter like in a normal season. Enjoy!

 

[Not Sure]

Got this Old Christmas present back from a relative under sad circumstances.

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Sunshine has "Delirium Dive".... So much fun!!!
Crazy steep - unmarked rocks - cliffs...

Just remember transceiver probe and shovel..

 

[steamboat1]

If you have the time I'd recommend driving the Glacier Highway between Banff & Jasper. It's one the most beautiful drives in the world. You could spend a day or two in Jasper & ski Marmot which is a great ski area too.

 

[dlague]

We were at both last year and we found Lake Louise front side to be a lot like Northeastern skiing IMO. Where LL rocks is on the backside there are lots of mixed terrain features and glades that are really fun. Plus if you like bumps there are plenty. We spent most of our time on the back side and off Larch Express.

Our favorite however was Sunshine Village. That being said, Sunshine is vast and wide open, while Mount Standish does have some interesting features, we did not ski it much and it seemed to get boring quick, Lookout was a little better with lots of varying options the area under Tee Pee Town has lots of nice runs but that chair is slow and the runs seem short. Goats Eye is a very fun area with a nice mix of steeps, bumps and glades that lead into more conventional trails. We had varying weather while we were there the first day Goats Eye froze and skiing there was nearly impossible not to mention the winds were really strong with lots of low clouds. So Lookout and Mount Standish were the go to areas - still firm but skiable. The second day, it was sunny and warmer and the bumps softened up nicely in the afternoon. I feel like you can ski the whole ski area and get a feel for every part not every run but the distinct peaks.

Delirium Dive - we inquired about it but it required that you take a class at the start of the day and then you also had to rent the gear which they have there. The more I thought of it the more I talked my self out of it. The second day we were there, a father and two sons were traversing Delirium Dive and a slab broke away causing an avalanche where the father went with the snow and died, while one of the sons tomahawked down and got seriously injured the other son watched. It was eerie to see the rescue helicopter fly over there. Ended up being news of Banff that night. That whole avalanche thing freaks me out!

We also skied Kicking Horse which took a little over two hours to get there from Banff. It was a low snow year for them last year when we went so skiing the lower part was not very interesting. The reason you go to Kicking Horse is for the three primary ridges up top. The Gondola ride from the base seems like a long ride but it is a long run back too if you lap it. However we skied Crystal Bowl, most of the time until it was time to head lower but getting into Crystal bowl ski down CPR Ridge and drop in on the side of Crystal Bowl at the bottom of Crystal bowl there is a chair lift that brings you up to the top of Redemption Ridge. You can ski down that ridge and drop into some nice glades into Crystal Bowl or head right in from the unloading area. When we headed back we dropped in to skiers left (Fuez Bowl) off Redemption Ridge. It was pretty foggy when we were there so visibility was a bit of an issue. I am not much of a hiker so if you are there is a whole lot more to explore. Time went by fast there is seemed.

In all we spent two days at LL, two at SV and 1 at KH. LL has a pretty cool lounge/bar but the beer selection was meh it was actually meh the whole time we were there. SV has a really cool tavern which I recommend.

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Kicking Horse is the sh!t !!!
We were literally riding in the "white room" every time we drops off CPR ridge when I was there...

And Delirum Dive isn't for everyone.. You need to know how to use your avi gear..
We just talked to them and they let us go.. But this was like 8 years ago..
It was closed for a few hours before they let us on..

If I'm not scared on every run out west - I'm wasting my money...

 

[Funky_Catskills]

Fernie is really nice as well..

Interior BC is awesome... So much better than the coast..

 

[jaytrem]

the area under Tee Pee Town has lots of nice runs but that chair is slow and the runs seem short.

Tee Pee Town is now a high speed bubble believe it or not. That is some lift system they have there. Basically everything is now high speed or short enough that it doesn't really matter.

 

[dlague]

Tee Pee Town is now a high speed bubble believe it or not. That is some lift system they have there. Basically everything is now high speed or short enough that it doesn't really matter.

Whoa! That will chew up that area fast I bet. Great lines there though!

 

[jaytrem]

Whoa! That will chew up that area fast I bet. Great lines there though!

Yeah, we were having a great time in that area til my sister tore her ACL clean. Was the first day of a long trip all around AB/BC. She actually decided to stay on the trip and made the best of it. The drive up to Jasper/Marmot is quite nice to say the least. So at least she got to see some nice scenery.