Red Mountain Trip - 3/3/15 to 3/10/15

[VTKilarney]

You wanted to publicize your trip on an internet forum and now you are upset that discussion has ensued?

And besides, it's summer. We all know how well things go here in the summer. ;-)

 

[MadMadWorld]

Easy killer no one is hijacking your thread. Just offering my thoughts.

 

[snoseek]

Weaker and fading then initially thought according to JB, but definitely something to be aware of.

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

I read that too....God I wish I had a crystal ball, I need to be set up somewhere that at least has an average winter. Got twelve weeks to make the call. I know it's gotta happen in Sierra sooner of later but am weary to invest another winter there, I need some good luck

 

[steamboat1]

I didn't start this thread to argue about where you think is better. Everyone has their opinion. I chose Red because its something different and while they don't always get the crazy dumps other places get, they are know to get consistent refreshes almost nightly. That makes it a little easier to guarantee decent conditions which you really can't do at other places. I posted to extend an invitation to the people on this forum. If you don't think its a good deal or would rather go somewhere else you are more than welcome to organize your own trip.

I think it's a great idea for a trip & thanks for extenting the offer.

 

[jimk]

Havent been to red, but went to whitewater, which is nearby, this past season. Great skiing. if you're looking for resorty, non skiing stuff, this probably isnt for you. Highly recommend the cat skiing also. We did Wildhorse out of Ymir but heard that Big red cats is similar.
flying in to spokane, the drive up to BC is easy. was able to book flights last year in october for 400 rt.

Howie or CREX, Dumb question from someone who lives far from the Canadian border: when driving car or bus across from Spokane do you have to have a passport?

 

[steamboat1]

Howie or CREX, Dumb question from someone who lives far from the Canadian border: when driving car or bus across from Spokane do you have to have a passport?

You need a passport to enter Canada. Either that or an enhanced drivers license that works the same as a passport. Here in NY enhanced drivers licenses are available. I don't know if they are in your area.

 

[C-Rex]

Update, I will also have flights out of LaGuardia, which will be cheaper by around $100.

I'm hoping to get this all nailed down in the next week so I can start signing people up. Stay tuned.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Update, I will also have flights out of LaGuardia, which will be cheaper by around $100.

I'm hoping to get this all nailed down in the next week so I can start signing people up. Stay tuned.

Forget the $100. If you can do JFK or EWR for the same price instead of LGA, do so. I wouldn't risk flying out of LaGuardia in the winter. You get so much as a snowflake, icy rain, wintery mix, cold drizzle, or light breeze and the entire place shuts down. Often. That's what happens when you build your runways out in the water. They dont risk slippery landings because there aint' nowhere to go.

 

[C-Rex]

Not my call to go out of LaGuardia. I'm teaming up with another club from down near NYC and they chose to fly from there. My group is flying from Bradley.

 

[skiNEwhere]

I have never skied Canada. I would be interested, but the longest ski trip I've ever been on was 5 days (Stowe) and I do remember starting to get bored at the end, it was raining profusely as well though so that may have factored in.

4,200 acres is a lot, 1000 more than Winter Park and 1000 less than Vail, but I may be comparing apples and oranges here since relatively speaking Vail is flat and from what I hear RM has decent terrain. That would be my main concern though, especially if it was a poor snow year and not all of their trails were open.

I priced it out at $900 on my own, that's factoring in the significantly less distance that is required to fly from Denver to Spokane, and staying at a cheap motel since I don't really care about the lodging. If I drove I'd only spend about $120-150 extra in gas. All stuff to consider.

Would like to know, what made you determine the trip length?

 

[HowieT2]

Howie or CREX, Dumb question from someone who lives far from the Canadian border: when driving car or bus across from Spokane do you have to have a passport?

most definitely.

 

[dlague]

Starting to see many trips for sale

here is what Boston Ski and Sports Club is offering something similar for comparison

Ski-Red-Mountain-and-Whitewater-Resorts-in-BC

I plan on going to Banff with RSNE for slightly less (about $1500).

 

[C-Rex]

I have never skied Canada. I would be interested, but the longest ski trip I've ever been on was 5 days (Stowe) and I do remember starting to get bored at the end, it was raining profusely as well though so that may have factored in.

4,200 acres is a lot, 1000 more than Winter Park and 1000 less than Vail, but I may be comparing apples and oranges here since relatively speaking Vail is flat and from what I hear RM has decent terrain. That would be my main concern though, especially if it was a poor snow year and not all of their trails were open.

I priced it out at $900 on my own, that's factoring in the significantly less distance that is required to fly from Denver to Spokane, and staying at a cheap motel since I don't really care about the lodging. If I drove I'd only spend about $120-150 extra in gas. All stuff to consider.

Would like to know, what made you determine the trip length?

A lot of the people I've spoken to say that if they are going to spend a day traveling, they'd like to stay a week. Plus, it's cheaper to fly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. I think this place will have plenty of terrain to keep you entertained. And if the resort isn't enough, take a day and go cat skiing. I'm pretty sure you won't get bored with 19,000 acres. Even if you didn't want to spend the money for the cat, you could spend a day hiking lines in the side country, and I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed. I might do that anyway if the snow in bounds isn't thrilling me.

Side note, I hear what some of you are saying about Revelstoke and other areas. They are all on my short list. I chose Red this year because a friend (the guy who runs trips for the other club going with us) has had Red on his radar for a while and wanted to check it off. I'm a big fan of good terrain and non-existant crowds so I said why not. I understand that Red doesn't get the snow totals that some other places get, but I don't think you should be put off by that. No one knows when and where it's going to snow this far out. But I feel that BC in March is a pretty good place to be. To date, I've done a bunch of trips. One thing I've learned is that if you try to plan the ULTIMATE TRIP and expect BEST OF ALL TIME conditions then you will probably be disappointed. Those kinds of days can't be planned. They just happen. No matter where or when you go, chances are pretty good that it's better somewhere else. My point is the chances are pretty good that conditions will be great in BC in March. That's all we know. It's better to focus on what you can control. I like Red because it's known to have a small mountain vibe and for being a skier's mountain. I also love having the slopes to myself so the low skier numbers sounds great. In the end, I had a choice between some big name resorts, but I chose the road less traveled. I find it's usually much more interesting, and the more I read about Red the more excited I get.

I do hope some of you join us. I'd love to get more people involved with the trips I'm organizing so I can increase our collective buying power. My end goal is to get a core group of hardcore skiers and riders and rent a lodge at a heli resort. It's my ultimate bucket list item. In the mean time I'm going to try to see as many places as I can.

 

[C-Rex]

Starting to see many trips for sale

here is what Boston Ski and Sports Club is offering something similar for comparison

Ski-Red-Mountain-and-Whitewater-Resorts-in-BC

I plan on going to Banff with RSNE for slightly less (about $1500).

Nice to see the comparison. I'm looking into a shuttle to Whitewater for a day or two. It would be a good option to mix it up for those who don't want to try cat skiing.

 

[MadMadWorld]

Starting to see many trips for sale

here is what Boston Ski and Sports Club is offering something similar for comparison

Ski-Red-Mountain-and-Whitewater-Resorts-in-BC

I plan on going to Banff with RSNE for slightly less (about $1500).

Banff is beautiful but everything is pricey there!

 

[dlague]

Banff is beautiful but everything is pricey there!

Good to know - guess I will eat apps for the week! And hit up a tax and duty free liquor store!


.......

 

[jaytrem]

Good to know - guess I will eat apps for the week! And hit up a tax and duty free liquor store!


.......

At Banff I stayed outside the park at a condo in Canmore (actually outside of Canmore), here...

http://www.copperstoneresorthotel.com/

I didn't checked the prices now, but it was was dirt cheap about 4-5 years ago. Was very nice and seemed new. Only catch is there's nothing else right around there. Ate dinner in Canmore, I don't recall the prices being high.

 

[MadMadWorld]

At Banff I stayed outside the park at a condo in Canmore (actually outside of Canmore), here...

http://www.copperstoneresorthotel.com/

I didn't checked the prices now, but it was was dirt cheap about 4-5 years ago. Was very nice and seemed new. Only catch is there's nothing else right around there. Ate dinner in Canmore, I don't recall the prices being high.

Canmore is dirt cheap but you have to pay every time you go in and out of the park each day. I think it's 30 or so a day or a 150 for the season. If you are going with a carload of people it's not a bad option otherwise I don't know if it really saves you that much in the end.

 

[jaytrem]

Canmore is dirt cheap but you have to pay every time you go in and out of the park each day. I think it's 30 or so a day or a 150 for the season. If you are going with a carload of people it's not a bad option otherwise I don't know if it really saves you that much in the end.

You have to (aka supposed to) pay the same park fee even if you're staying in Banff. It's $9.80 per person or $19.60 for a family/group per day (max 7) and they're good until 4PM the next day, so basically you get 2 days for the price of one if you arrive in the morning. $136.40 is the annual pass price that includes the rest of the National Parks. We split the $19.60 (or whatever the price was in 2010) 5 ways for 2 days, then 1 additional day later in the trip, so it was like adding $3 per lift ticket. You'd actually pay more if you're staying in Banff since you'd be arriving a day earlier, it would have cost us about $60 rather than about $40.

For Feb 5-6, 2010 (Fri/Sat night) a 2 Bedroom was $136 per night including taxes. Not sure if the place is more popular now, but at the time that was quite a deal.

 

[MadMadWorld]

You have to (aka supposed to) pay the same park fee even if you're staying in Banff. It's $9.80 per person or $19.60 for a family/group per day (max 7) and they're good until 4PM the next day, so basically you get 2 days for the price of one if you arrive in the morning. $136.40 is the annual pass price that includes the rest of the National Parks. We split the $19.60 (or whatever the price was in 2010) 5 ways for 2 days, then 1 additional day later in the trip, so it was like adding $3 per lift ticket. You'd actually pay more if you're staying in Banff since you'd be arriving a day earlier, it would have cost us about $60 rather than about $40.

For Feb 5-6, 2010 (Fri/Sat night) a 2 Bedroom was $136 per night including taxes. Not sure if the place is more popular now, but at the time that was quite a deal.

Lol obviously I don't remember the details very well. Good info!