Eera
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Finally got to Canada via Fiji and Hawaii (and hooo, that place has increased $-wise since last time I was there, plus with the weak AUD against the USD it made for a very exxy stopover, but I saw a volcano erupt so worth every penny).
Had a great unit facing the Monashee Mountains: a quick 5 minute downhill walk to the village: there's a free shuttlebus service for the way back, conveniently stopped right outside our front door.
And it's steep: far steeper than the equivalent colour runs in Europe or Japan: taking the "bunny run" to the first lift, then going down the green beginner runs at the back of the resort, we were looking at each other going "These are *not* greens! What are the blues and blacks going to be like?" Anyway, eldest son was spending a week doing a park and freestyle course, I had booked in for 5 days of lessons myself and the other half has no sense of danger anyway so we made the best of it and, to be fair, there were massive improvements particularly with me by very virtue to having to do this stuff or waste my pass and ski hire. Helps I had an awesome instructor for the entire 5 days who was very confidence inspiring: ended up doing blues that would be red equivalent in France - for someone who is as conservative as I am with speed to be actively seeking out the steeper stuff speaks heaps about how good he made me feel.
Eldest did his first ever double black: he's typical teenage and spends half the time sulking on his ipad and griping that he doesn't want to be there and why can't he stay at home; and the other half heading out by himself and doing moguls, steeps and tree runs then saying he loves every second of it.
Kids also got introduced to ice hockey at the resort skating rink, plus we spent an evening in the tubing park - and my word do those lifties have a lot of rage to work out
, kids almost got airborne with the spins they were having done. Middle age and tubes do not make for dignity either.
First week or so we had pretty consistent snow if the afternoon, followed by a week of higher temperatures which made the snow sliding off the roofs a bit hazardous. Runs got a bit crusty then, but nothing severely icy: the worst areas were the top lifts where the powder was getting blown off, but if you went down a few metres you'd find the accumulated snow and all good. Towards the end of the trip there was weird weather with the top being sunny but thick cloud and snow happening about halfway down and to the Village level. Didn't really experience the Champagne Powder that goes in all the adverts; but frankly I don't know how to ski it anyway so more than happy with the variety of groomers we had.
The resort is very much set up for families: free carnival and events each night, fireworks on the weekend, lots of things for kids to do. It doesn't have the Après-scene other places might (though Snowshoe Sams gets kind of lively) but that's not really what you go there for.
Overall we had a fantastic time, teenage stroppiness notwithstanding. We found it to be more expensive than France, but cheaper than Japan. I'd love to go back.
Had a great unit facing the Monashee Mountains: a quick 5 minute downhill walk to the village: there's a free shuttlebus service for the way back, conveniently stopped right outside our front door.
And it's steep: far steeper than the equivalent colour runs in Europe or Japan: taking the "bunny run" to the first lift, then going down the green beginner runs at the back of the resort, we were looking at each other going "These are *not* greens! What are the blues and blacks going to be like?" Anyway, eldest son was spending a week doing a park and freestyle course, I had booked in for 5 days of lessons myself and the other half has no sense of danger anyway so we made the best of it and, to be fair, there were massive improvements particularly with me by very virtue to having to do this stuff or waste my pass and ski hire. Helps I had an awesome instructor for the entire 5 days who was very confidence inspiring: ended up doing blues that would be red equivalent in France - for someone who is as conservative as I am with speed to be actively seeking out the steeper stuff speaks heaps about how good he made me feel.
Eldest did his first ever double black: he's typical teenage and spends half the time sulking on his ipad and griping that he doesn't want to be there and why can't he stay at home; and the other half heading out by himself and doing moguls, steeps and tree runs then saying he loves every second of it.
Kids also got introduced to ice hockey at the resort skating rink, plus we spent an evening in the tubing park - and my word do those lifties have a lot of rage to work out
, kids almost got airborne with the spins they were having done. Middle age and tubes do not make for dignity either.First week or so we had pretty consistent snow if the afternoon, followed by a week of higher temperatures which made the snow sliding off the roofs a bit hazardous. Runs got a bit crusty then, but nothing severely icy: the worst areas were the top lifts where the powder was getting blown off, but if you went down a few metres you'd find the accumulated snow and all good. Towards the end of the trip there was weird weather with the top being sunny but thick cloud and snow happening about halfway down and to the Village level. Didn't really experience the Champagne Powder that goes in all the adverts; but frankly I don't know how to ski it anyway so more than happy with the variety of groomers we had.
The resort is very much set up for families: free carnival and events each night, fireworks on the weekend, lots of things for kids to do. It doesn't have the Après-scene other places might (though Snowshoe Sams gets kind of lively) but that's not really what you go there for.
Overall we had a fantastic time, teenage stroppiness notwithstanding. We found it to be more expensive than France, but cheaper than Japan. I'd love to go back.
