Sunday, January 6, 2013

Alpine Resort Review


I have decided to focus on some Alpine and Nordic skiing.  First  of all, I'm not that good at it but I want to get better.  I have recently completed a little road trip through a handful of BC ski resorts and wanted to get a total sensory experience of a resort. I have ranked my exposure to each resort and nearby town.
This ranking is completely my point of view; I will review the overall ability of a ski resort to cater to my every need. I have judged these resorts on an unbiased very selfish and biased scale as I'm a self described powder hound/glades hungry typical skier. I don't want to see crowded out groomed ski runs or scraped dry mogul fields; I want steep and deep powder glades hidden from the masses of tourists (which is hypocritical because I'm in essence a tourist!).  My preference is that I want an easy-going pub and lounge area on the day lodge instead of a 5-star dressed up restaurant. I want to be able to get to the nearby town within a few minutes not an hour+ drive. Here are my outlines of grading based on a ten point scale;
Terrain: A zero is flat with no ability to ride through trees, a 10 is steep and gladed out trees with not too many tuck-outs or traverses.
Snow Pack: Checking the overall base and mid-mountain snow, but overall quality of snow, wet vs. dry.
Snow management: Is every run groomed, is or are there some open rough open country.
Lift Access: fixed-gear low speed old chairs or high-speed/gondola new engineering marvels.
Day Lodge & Amenities: Mid mountain lodges easy access, base of hill pubs with relaxed atmosphere.
Cross Country Trails: First, do they have some, are they groomed, quality of trails.
Price of ticket: lower price is better. This is comparing day pass vs. seasonpass in alpine and nordic.

Distance to Town: What is the drive to the nearest town. I don't want to be needing to drive a few hours to home or hotel.

Quality of town:  What is the town's vibe and feel.  Pubs, restaurants, cool coffee shops...

Accomodation: Are there places to stay or rent in the area.


Please see following Mountain Resorts Review:

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Silver Star Resort
Sun Peaks Resort
Fernie Alpine Resort
Mount Washington Alpine Resort


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