Fernie is Melting - Alternatives for Last Week in March?

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It looks like the lower half of Fernie will be long melted before the Manitoba Public Schools Spring Break arrives (March 28-April 1). This puts my families annual pilgrimage to Fernie in question.

We always choose Fernie because:
1) It is one of the closest resorts to drive to from our home in Brandon (2 hours west of Winnipeg) and;
2)It has ski-in/ski-out condo accomodations that fit my large family perfectly.

What I need is a hill with ski-in/ski-out codos for rent, high encough to still have decent snow in late March, within driving distance. To me it looks like my best bet is to find a hotel in Banff and pick either Sunshine or Lake Louise for day trips as neither of these areas have on-hill condos. Does anyone know Alberta/BC well enough to suggest anywhere.

Pray for snow.
 
You are right about the melting snow. BC's had it rough this winter and out here on the coast it feels like early May. I know Fernie's had a pretty tough season too.
I would think you might be better off looking at the ski opportunities south of the border. I've heard that Utah is in pretty good shape. It couldn't be much further to head south rather than west. And the other bonus is the $US is pretty low right now.
Sorry I can't be of any help with specifics though.
 
You ought to check out Big White. We stayed there last year in a nice house on the slopes. 4 adults and 5 kids in ski-in/ski-out accomodations, including an outdoor hot tub over-looking the slopes. Almost all of BW's lodging is slopeside with hot tub, etc. and the skiing is varied with something for everyone (trees, bowls, groomers, natural half-pipes in the woods, decent terrain park, etc.). They are having an ok snow year and I don't think it's much farther than Fernie from Brandon. If you decide to go this route, you should check out some of the accomodations provided by local real estate companies and owners. Don't limit yourself to the lodging offered by the resort. We're definitely going to return to BW. The kids really want to go back. Here's one of the links:
http://www.rentchalets.com
 
If you stay within Canada Big White is definitely where you should go, even though it will be a longer drive, about 7 hours past Calgary. All of JC's comments about family orientation are correct, and it is definitely in the best shape snow-wise in western Canada this year. I may divert half of my Whistler trip (the week before yours) there myself.

And yes you should seriously consider Utah. Do not be tempted to shorten the distance by going to someplace like Jackson or Big Sky. They do not do well in late season, especially with below average snow. Colorado will be good too, though more expensive than Utah.

I would also follow Craig Morris's Fernie reports http://far.redtree.com/cgmrep.html closely. The lower mountain base is thin, and the dirt and rocks come out within a week when there is no new snow. But the upper mountain base is adequate and Fernie had very good skiing for several days after each of 3 February storms.
 
Thanks for the thoughts guys. I appreciate the benifit of your experience. Big White seems to be a common suggestion.

Does anybody have any hsitory with Sun Peaks in Kamloops or Siver Star in Vernon? Keep in mind this is not an outing with my pals but a couple of families - that means a wide range of ski abilities. I also find that ski-in/ski-out condos are the nly way to go when dealing with little kids and fair weather skiers.
 
have you considered the east coast of the US. Maybe Stowe, Jay Peak, Smugglers Notch. Weve been getting dumped on the past two months and the trend looks to continue over the next two weeks. have fun wherever you go
 
Big White has the best reputation for families though both Silver Star and Sun Peaks have on-mountain lodging too.

These places have had no new snow for nearly 3 weeks, though their bases are adequate. Expect spring conditions with the predominant sunny exposures.
 
Looks like I may be skiing in Fernie after all....it seems that cancellation insurance is only usefull if you die (or try to) or get hit by a bus, or a plane falls on you. Trying to get out of condo reservations just because the conditions are poor is not a situation covered in the policy. Damn, it looks like it pays to read all that fine print. :cry:

I'll just sit tight, fret, and hope for big dumps, which are still very possible at this time of year.

Maybe I'll try sacrificing an old pair of skis to Griz....it's been tried before :?

You think he'd accept an offering of K2 810Comps?
 
Sunshine is in fine shape (see my post regarding last Sunday). Make sure you check the latest on Fernie at far.redtree.com. Conditions down low seem spotty but higher up sound good from the daily reports I've seen recently.

Big White is +8 as I post this, and has lost 20+ cm of base in the last few days, with Gem closed and rain expected Friday.
 
I see by the weather reports that some snow is falling/expected for this week @ Fernie. Does anyone know if this is going to amount to anything or is the Griz just teasing. I want to see some multi-foot dumps pass through there before I arrive on the 28th.

Of course I also "want" a hot car in the driveway, a big bag of money and to be 20 years younger :) But hey, I 'm willing to settle for the big hill-saving snow...first things first.
 
Roemer is calling for up to 2 feet at Fernie over the next week.

The weather forecasts are becoming more consistent in predicting that the drought-stricken areas of the Northern Rockies and western Canada are in for a decent storm over the next several days.

If so, Fernie rates to do well as it is a high snowfall microclimate and will get more than most areas in the region. And it's supposed to be cold this time so it shouldn't rain.

The downside of Fernie is that there is no base on the lower mountain, and it will go back to the rocks quickly with just a few sunny days after the storm. Upper mountain skiing is likely to be quite good, as in Craig Morris' reports from February.
 
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