Allee Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 The year is wearing on and it's about time to be thinking about what to do for New Years. My friends and I have a couple of options on the table, one being a Downhill Riders tour to Sun Peaks (the cheap option), but the other thing we're considering is New Year's at Big Mountain. I know there's some locals and some people who've been there. Thoughts? Recommendations? Anyone know of cheap package deals? We'd be driving across the border and probably staying in Kalispell as it's half the cost of Whitefish. Also, any advice on the snow? At New Years the snow can be dodgy anywhere, so we'll just have to pray to the snow gods, I guess... Thoughts would be appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 The year is wearing on and it's about time to be thinking about what to do for New Years. My friends and I have a couple of options on the table, one being a Downhill Riders tour to Sun Peaks (the cheap option), but the other thing we're considering is New Year's at Big Mountain.I know there's some locals and some people who've been there. Thoughts? Recommendations? Anyone know of cheap package deals? We'd be driving across the border and probably staying in Kalispell as it's half the cost of Whitefish. Also, any advice on the snow? At New Years the snow can be dodgy anywhere, so we'll just have to pray to the snow gods, I guess... Thoughts would be appreciated! In the Spirit of Horace Greeley -- Go west Young Man-- Whistler that is! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted September 12, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 1) Montana is a way shorter drive. 2) The accommodation's really expensive in Whistler. Kalispell hotels are $70CAD per night for something that will fit four of us, and has an indoor pool and hot tub. 3) Given the state of Whistler at last new year's, you'd better start praying now! Besides, I've been to Whistler over Xmas/New Years. It's fun, but crowded as all hell. We'd like something quieter... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Been a few years since I have been there but that sounds great to me. Never been to Whistler but it sounds like a zoo to me. Sorry to you Whistler fans, but I have a couple of regular clients who have places there and they come here (Sun Valley) during the vacation times 'cause its not so nutso. On Jan 3rd is a full moon as well if you can stay that long.The mountain used to do these "full moon" dinners at the top of the hill every full moon and then you would ski down in the moonlight with a mountain employee in groups of 4-8. The food did not stand out to me, but the trip down the hill at night was awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuban Carving Gooding Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 Im going to Big Mountain January 19-27. Five of us are in for sure but we should have eight total. Seven on hard plates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C5 Golfer Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 1) Montana is a way shorter drive.3) Given the state of Whistler at last new year's, you'd better start praying now! ... Not sure I understand but what should I be praying for? We had a good snow year and I escaped 30+ ride days without an injury, traffic ticket, accident or illness. Wonderful year. Not that I want this to go religeous but if we can have another year like last year in Whistler I'll pray. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 How about something farther off the grid? Powderking? Castle? hike up Fortress and stay in a cave? I can't ride in a crowd... people get hurt or at the very least, look kind of put out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Gendzwill Posted September 14, 2006 Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 How do you handle life in Banff then? People must get put out a lot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted September 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2006 How do you handle life in Banff then? People must get put out a lot... :lol: You learn to pick your spots. What was the term - "meat gates?" Actually, we get around quite a lot. Powderkeg is a little small, but Castle is on the hit list for this season ... we're looking for somewhere where we can spend four days with lots of varied terrain, not too many people, and at least a pub to have dinner and drinks in. That's all. I'm easy pleased! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 PowderKING Allee... KING! North-central BC... The place gets mad snow and is aways from any large urban centre, so it should be empty, even at xmas. Neil G... Yah, let's ride this winter (you too, Allee). I haven't been on plates for quite awhile until last season on a monster of a race board. It was too much for the conditions (tracked out and bumpy) and the number of people (lots). Sort of the reason for my last thread... I need a board that is more like the boards I used to ride... Rossis, F2's and Oxygens, when they were still wide and shorter (around 170-175). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olivier Posted September 15, 2006 Report Share Posted September 15, 2006 I went to Big Mountain 5 years ago in February and had very good time. I was not yet a snowboarder at this time, I used to ski. It was snowing almost every day, so I spent most of the time in the forest for better visibility. The runs were not groomed (or not groomed as I am used), so if the conditions were perfect for freeride, I am not sure for hard boots. Very few people on the runs and at the lines, so a lot of skiing. You can stay in Kalispell, it's not far from White Fish (15mn) but there is no particular interest. Most of the night life is in White Fish which is more a leisure village, Kalispell being a small city (with couple of goods bars anyway!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west carven Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 big mountian is going on with some big renovations. last winter grooming was poor due to cost cutting for expansions. it going to get worse as this is just the start of years of work. maybe try big white just north of idaho in bc. have not been there myself, but looks carver friendly. check their site http://www.bigwhite.com/ whitefish has lost its charm years ago. the devolpment is out of control. its getting too crowded. most of the time its too foggy. sorry for the downlow but thats where it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-Sub Posted September 16, 2006 Report Share Posted September 16, 2006 :lol: You learn to pick your spots. What was the term - "meat gates?" Actually, we get around quite a lot. Powderkeg is a little small, but Castle is on the hit list for this season ... we're looking for somewhere where we can spend four days with lots of varied terrain, not too many people, and at least a pub to have dinner and drinks in. That's all. I'm easy pleased! Hey Allee...not a huge mountain necessarily but supposed to be quite fun: http://www.schweitzer.com/ no idea aboot the night life though. What about Red Mountain? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 Unless someone else can verify this I gotta call bs. on the bad grooming report from big Mtn. "Poor" grooming can be caused by loads of snow that make it difficult to double roll areas that sometimes get it or need it because of the extra inches. Such a problem. Bad grooming reports get around quick. And I have heard none. The last time I was there Big Mtn had great grooming with state of the art equipment. Besides the average wage in Montana is something like $9 an hour. If you think that a company is going to spend millions on grooming machines (they run around $150K to $250K depending on how equipped, to try to save a couple hundred bucks a day in labor and fuel costs is just plain fuzzy thinking. Anyone care to comment on the state of grooming in MT. DrD?? Shred? big mountian is going on with some big renovations.last winter grooming was poor due to cost cutting for expansions. it going to get worse as this is just the start of years of work. maybe try big white just north of idaho in bc. have not been there myself, but looks carver friendly. check their site http://www.bigwhite.com/ whitefish has lost its charm years ago. the devolpment is out of control. its getting too crowded. most of the time its too foggy. sorry for the downlow but thats where it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellow Yellow Posted September 17, 2006 Report Share Posted September 17, 2006 bad grooming at Big Mtn...... yes it is terrible grooming.... you should all stay far away from that place.... stay away I say! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
west carven Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 hey carvedog, i was there all season. sit down ubu! come and be disappointed. hope big mtn gets the message and do a better job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy D Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Interesting. When I was at Big, they did a fantastic job grooming. Now, it may not be up to Stratton standards, but it was way above the grooming at Panorama. Oh, it didn't snow most of the week I was there, so that may be why the grooming was so good. ;) However, times change, and maybe they have some inexperienced snow-cat pilots now? But Ed's run after a couple passes by the cat .... mmmmm... Yummy. Stay far away from Big Mountain ... Gosh, I really need to go back there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shred Gruumer Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 Grooming is so bad I had to ride all my carving boards. They runs are too wide and are just like carpet which stinks plus they were not enough people... I had to wait to see anyone on the back runs.. way to much waiting to see someone. Too Friedly lift operators didn't help things out either. Oh and way not enough tourist to make it happening.. Just to down to home feel. there is some truth to the expansions and condo developements... but still it is a the top of the list of bieng least crowded STilll! Why..not the easiest place to get to.. especially if your traveling from the East.. For me,,,I call it home....it just has that feel..and if you spend time here you will see the same lifties and workers year after year...theres probabley a good reason why they stay? Fog can be a problem at times..but now they sell a low lift ticket so on those days you can pay for just riding the lower lifts... But it keeps the people away... Id go! Wait I am..Jan 19th to Jan 27 Seven hardbooters! Come one come all! Right Said Shred Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted September 25, 2006 Report Share Posted September 25, 2006 hey carvedog,i was there all season. sit down ubu! come and be disappointed. hope big mtn gets the message and do a better job. Hey carven - not disappointed yet. Some people make lemonade when they get lemons. ;) Sorry but I am hearing more wine than lemons. Besides if it is too smooth then the carvers just get lazy and do something silly like fall asleep while carving. This has only happened to me once. The only time I have been disappointed on the mountain was once at Baldy when they groomed spring slush and then it froze hard. That was a one run day. Besides all the awesome carve days I had at the Big, there was one day when a bunch of use underemployed ski and snowboard instructors put on the garbage bags, rillered our bases and went out in the rain and had a blast riding the bumps. Everyone else complained bitterly about the conditions and we dripped in with giggles like someone had spiked our punch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 There is always one drippy whiner out there. the only time the grooming sucks is when its snowing so much they can't keep up. Kinda hard to groom 4 times a day with people on the mountain!?! The mountain is still a best kept secret with the exception of a few canadian holidays. mid week riding is a solitary experience not to be missed. For the true corduroy junkie there is a secret stash at blacktail mtn down on the lake. Blacktail is a good option if the fog is bad or if the snow is to thick on top. It is much lower in elevation and is immpecably groomed and only 20 miles away so its a good failsafe for trip planning. its also cheap!!! ITs nothing great for skiing but it has loads of blue runs perfectly groomed until late in the afternoon. Mostly locals. As for accomodations kalispell or Bigfork is the way to go. Whitefish is a tourist trap. The nitelife is better up there but ifyou are here for snow on the cheap you can find it in kalispell. Bigfork is down on the big lake and is a summer resort community so rooms are cheap in the winter. Condos available very reasonable. Check out marina cay for condos and check out the local small hotels. Since you are driving you have options that most don't. For those flying in you can stay off the mtn in whitefish and take the free bus up the mtn and save paying mtn rates on rooms. the train (amtrak) stops at the bottom of the mtn as well for those of you between seattle and chicago. Bottom line I don't care if you come or not It just leaves more for me!! If you do come let me know and I will hit the hill with you on a thursday or a saturday. I will pencil you in shred:cool: Big ravine awaits. can't wait to try out the 203 shred special!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted September 26, 2006 Report Share Posted September 26, 2006 I think on further review that this west carven fella is probably shred in disguise trying to thin the competition a little:lol: All of the expansion projects are land developments outside of the actual property. Bigmtn itself is doing little in the way of expansion right now. The biggest bitch I have is the parking lot shuffle. It changes regularly depending on contractor needs etc on the new condo projects. We do have a new world class half pipe and terrain park that was completed at the end of last season. Not my thing but for you pipe junkies its got 12 or 15 foot side walls and is olympic quality. the terrain park is undescribable and both are located on the old bunny hill on the far left of the mtn. we have it all most days its hard to decide which discipline to gear up for. Deep and steep into hell roaring canyon world class downhill groomers free riding in the glades back country powder stashes on the splitboard OR terrorizing canadian tourist on the decapitator SHRED style down big ravines glaze Bring your helmet and tree gear for the mid winter fog. Schweitzer is also the bomb but I have been fogged on there too! fact - high mtn valleys get inversionlayers in the dead of winter. Most of the time we ride above the fog in the sunshine:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allee Posted October 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 I think we'll start planning this. It sounds pretty good. Weird fact ... we looked at flying. It takes 6 hours to fly because all the flights go through Denver. It takes 6 hous to drive from Calgary. Go figure. Thanks team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy D Posted October 2, 2006 Report Share Posted October 2, 2006 Allee, you'll love it! Take lots of pictures! Given the option: 6 hours of flight vs 6 hours of driving, I'll drive! One of these days ... I'll be back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellow Yellow Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 too bad for all of you silly people going to BIG..... last time I was there it was terrible... especially the lifty thrown BBQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulk Posted October 3, 2006 Report Share Posted October 3, 2006 Hey Allee, The last two years at Big Mtn. I flew into the Glacier airport, and when it was time to leave, the flights were both cancelled(weather) or delayed at least a day(One plane actually took off with a flat tire...Fun:) anyways, I'm going back this year, and if I could drive there I would... I hear Mellow knows a few local celebs... And I know of this great Italian place in town...Good times! Have fun and don't forget to look for Shred's picture in the Hellroaring saloon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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