Skiing Rag "Best Mtns in No. America"

[dlague]

One thing that surprises me about Lake Louise is that they claim only 140" annual snowfall where as Sunshine claims 360". Does LL under report and SS over report or are these numbers pretty accurate?

Sunshine did seem to have more snow than LL by a long shot. Not sure if SS is situated better but their top elevations are not much different. Sunshine is better protected where snow comes over a ridge (upslope snow - kind of a Jay Cloud effect) compared to snow for LL comes across a valley.

 

[Not Sure]

Sunshine did seem to have more snow than LL by a long shot. Not sure if SS is situated better but their top elevations are not much different. Sunshine is better protected where snow come over a ridge (upslope snow) compared to snow for LL comes across a valley.

When I was there there was a "Chinook " wind . A wind blowing from the West off the pacific. The Chinook Arch as they call it was visible , basically a high lenticular cloud from horizon to horizon "Great Soaring condition" but that's another thread. Banff was in the 20's . Calgary was in the 40's .wind warms as it compress's droping out of the mountains.LL was almost bluebird , SV is back in the Mountains a little more , I thought it was a little higher elevation, we had a few squalls that left 4" each shot . I've never seen snowfall rates like that anywhere . I think SV benefits from the Chinook vs LL .

 

[moresnow]

Love all the talk in this thread about Lake Louise and Sunshine. Never been, but I might drive through that area in early March this winter. Sadly was planning only one day at each on way to next destination (Whistler). I could possibly add one day. Which would you devote the extra day to?

Keep driving and hit Kicking Horse and then Revy. Didnt get to Sunshine when I was out there, but KH and Revy were far more interesting than LL.

 

[dlague]

Keep driving and hit Kicking Horse and then Revy. Didnt get to Sunshine when I was out there, but KH and Revy were far more interesting than LL.

We made it to Kicking Horse while at Banff. The upper bowls are amazing. They blow away SS or LL. Only problem we had was the lower mountain did not have much snow but I did not care since we skied the bowls the whole time. However, staying up top requires that you ski only one bowl of the three. When you get ready to come down you can go off to skiers left. If you choose to lap the Gondola you can ski the bowl to skiers right. It is all good.