Here is additional rationale and the rest of my resort ranking's for Canadian resorts since it is inevitable half of these comments will mention how many I missed. I decided to not include resorts I didn't have footage for or haven't yet skied because it would make for a more boring video and title. I've never skied Ontario or the Maritimes, but spent 5 years skiing in Quebec and Vermont. The Eastern mountains although fun can't compete with BC and Alberta because of lack of snowfall. Even the smaller BC and Alberta hills get nuked more than the Eastern ones. But the East will always have a place in my heart. Canadian Resorts I have not skied (but really want to): Shames Hudson Bay Mountain Cain Powder King Mount Washington Marmot Basin The Rankings For Everything Else I've Skied (in Canada) 18. Manning Park 19. Nakiska 20. Cypress Mountain 21. Sasquatch Mountain (formerly hemlock) 22. Grouse Mountain 23. Mount Seymour 24. Sutton 25. Mont-Sainte Anne 26. Tremblant The rest of Quebec in no particular order that I have skied) (Massif, Mont Saint-Sauveur , Mont Ste. Marie, Owl’s Head, Bromont, Mont Blanc, Mt Orford, Stoneham)
That’s crazy you skied st-Anne in Quebec and Le massif and stowe. It’s good that you made this list having skied those ski resorts in the east. I also like that there is no background music in this video.
@@dabflies haha. I found out quickly why Colorado is such a Mecca for skiing. The altitude of the mountains makes a HUGE difference, especially now with odd winters. Skied at Red and Whitewater last year beginning of Feb and the conditions were the worst outwest skiing I have done in 30 years. The terrain looked amazing, especially since I love steep ski runs, but not enough snow and sheets of ice were problematic. The low elevation gave us rain at the end of Jan and beginning of Feb... That is unheard of in the CO, Montana, etc. Flying back to the U.S. I talked to some other people that skied in Colorado and they all said the conditions were good. Don't get me wrong, I will spend more time skiing in Canada, but I will look to go mid winter for at least 7 days in case the conditions are terrible and I can do something else.
I love your glass half full approach. Skiing anytime, anywhere is fun. It doesn’t matter what the steepness of the slope is or amount of fresh Pow, there’s an intrinsic joy in a ski gliding across snow. Anytime, anywhere, and I wish more people could feel that same joy.
@@lakelouiseskier if you carry a wide all mountain ski, like a Cochise, a big fat powder ski and a carving ski you can have a blast anywhere. Former lakelouiser 94 to 2003, Golden since then.
Glad you included Norquay. What's left of our ski group are all in our mid 70's to and including 80. Norquay offers us all we can now handle and being able to ski mid-week (no line ups) as well as a Seniors deal that isn't and can't be beat by any other resort in the area. We ski Tuesdays starting in Nov. and run right through to last open day in Spring. Love it and will continue until I (we) have no more tomorrows.😊
Amazing Stan! So stoked to hear that your group of 70+ are all still getting turns in. Such an inspiration. I hope to still be skiing when I'm that age.
Love it too. I used to be a snow maker there and we took advantage of some midnight runs under a full moon with nobody on the hill. That was back in the 80’s though. 😊
Yeah, on that, being able to get a mid week season pass for $189 when you get 4 people, is just hard not to get value. Then on a powder day you're rewarded on North American chair. Great for my 3 kids under 6 to learn at!
I grew up in Whistler and live near Red and Whitewater now. I still ski whistler occasionally and don’t really enjoy it anymore. I don’t even care too much about the lineups the issue I have is there’s so many people on the mountain that I feel like I am in the city when I’m skiing there.
I lived in Rossland and hit Whitewater for a decade, and although I love them both, I wouldn't trade for Whis (local for 22 years here) now. Ya gotta know the patterns but it's all time when you hit it right.
I grew up in southern Ontario, and like any easterner, my first day skiing in the Rockies was pretty memorable, but for me actually REALLY memorable. I'd always dreamed of skiing out west and for reasons I don't remember it was always Lake Louise that captured my imagination. When I was 18 I participated in a 9 month volunteer program that gives you $1,000 when you finish. So in early April 1982, flush with cash( a grand in 1982, for a kid, was a lot of money), so I set out to hitchhike to Alberta and finally fulfill my dream. I got a motel room in Calgary and in the early morning I started hitching into the mountains. If there was one thing I was just as crazy about, it was following the legendary Crazy Canucks downhill racers. That winter, Steve Podborski, who started out at the same ski area I did in Ontario, had just won the downhill world cup. They were my heroes. The thing is back then, well before the internet, most of their gear was unobtainable for the average person. You couldn't buy FIS race skis, or the bendy poles, or the downhill suits, nothing. It was all incredibly exotic stuff, none of which I'd ever seen in person. After only a couple minutes hitching, a Subaru station wagon stops for me. It was covered in official Canadian Ski Team stickers and graphics, and driving was one of the young up and coming downhillers named Chris Kent. He actually finished fourth in his first WC downhill but had knee injuries, like so many of them, and never quite reached the star level. But I knew who he was. I was...out of my mind with excitement! Understand, I'm already fulfilling a dream, I'm already having the greatest day of my life. I didn't need my first ride into the Rockies to be in a Cdn Ski Team official car driven by a Crazy Canuck, but there I was. So we're driving to Banff and he tells me he's going to Louise as well but needs to stop at his place in Banff to get his equipment. We arrive at a little one room cabin on the edge of a trailer park, and he invites me in. So I go in, having no idea what I'm about to see. He opens the door, I walk in and OH MY F***ING GOD! Like, I just walked into the Crazy Canucks dressing room! That was 42 years ago and I remember it like yesterday. On one wall was about a dozen pairs of 223cm Fisher RC4 race skis with the cutout tips. Over in one corner is a half dozen pairs of bendy downhill poles. Over in an open closet were three of the even then iconic yellow downhill suits. All over the walls were race bibs- Kitzbuhel, Wengen, St Moritz, Val d'Isere etc. It was staggering. And then I went and fulfilled my dream of skiing in the Rockies. At my dream resort, Lake Louise. With a Crazy Canuck. Yeah, that was a good day. Sorry for such a long comment.
Dan dude. What a wonderful story thanks for sharing. Gave me the chills just thinking about how exciting a day like that would have been for 18 year old you. INSANE!
Geez, and I was excited getting Podborski's autograph at an Ontario ski show. ;-p He was with a pretty girl! And had an ear ring! And mentioned "hash"! Aaah, youth. Your tale is fantastic. Thank you for sharing it.
Worked as a coach and instructor at best in the West, two mountains that stand out bang for buck, Red and Whitewater. Endless off-piste opportunities no lift lines, now Red has the Topping Creek chair and Whitewater has the new 4 pack on Silver King!
It’s unbelievable for me, to see Kicking Horse like it is today. We went there on a roadtrip in the early 2000nds, and we found nothing but ONE chair lift, now named Pioneer. We bought a single ride ticket, and with our self-made splitboards we hiked up Rudi’s Bowl and Ozone Peak. A dream! Same with Revelstoke, where we also found one single, rusty chairlift, which was broken! So we skinned up our splitboards and hiked up Mt. Mackenzie. What a day! I still remember it like it was yesterday. My over all favs also were Red Mountain and Nelson/Whitewater. Of course we also visited Whistler/Blackcomb, but I found it too crowded, even then! BTW, greetings from germany!
Hi. I was a ski bum. I lived in Whistler back in the day and skied all of the resorts on your list except Kimberly and Castle. Last year we hit a resort east of Quebec city called Le Massif. Looking at your list I think we think alike so I'd say if you skied Le Massif you would probably award it a spot on your list as high as 10th spot. Le Massif is a real mountain with gobs of snow. The verticle is the highest in eastern north America. But what makes it so special is not just the culture but the View. The whole mountain faces 50 mile wide St laurence river. The base is a rocks throw from the water. While skieng you observe ships navigating the shipping chanel. Baluga whales are observed although I did not see any! A new ski in/ ski out Club Med just opened so see if you can hit it this coming season. Cheers
I've skied Massif as I lived in Quebec for 5 years. It's an awesome resort for sure. I never experienced pow there but google says it gets 645cm a season, that's some real snow for sure. Might be worth another visit if I ever find myself out east again.
Le Massif is about 660m of vertical, on par with Tremblant, MSA and way below Whiteface (over 1km of vert). If you climb on that man made hill (I was told by ski patrol dude they made it so Massif would have enough vertical for potential Winter Olympics in Quebec City) - you can get to 700-710m of vertical.
The BIG problem with Whistler/Blackcomb is the low elevation. Yes, if you're living there and spend the whole season it's going to be epic. But if you're going for a vacation it's truly hit and miss. I lived there for a gap year in university and had the best time. Every vacation there since has been totally "meh" in terms of weather and snow. Sometimes clear, cold and no fresh snow. Sometimes totally fogged in and wet, sometimes totally inverted, sometimes all rain.
I 100% agree. Whistler is the best spot to hunker down, but is super risky for a week long ski trip. Way more consistently fun mountains out there. *and everywhere else is a million times cheaper.
Me who lives in Georgia and has to go to North Carolina resorts: I want to go to ANY of these Canadian resorts! They all look like a massive upgrade over what I am used to
Hi, I've been subscribed for a while now and you honestly have such high quality content and character that I constantly find myself forgetting you don't have hundreds of thousands of subscribers or even millions. You seriously have some of the best ski content on this platform and I just wanted to say keep it up and I know if you do, it will pay off big time!
I really appreciate that and needed some extra motivation today! I put my all into my videos and growth is very slow compared to other channels. I love to entertain and it's all worth it when my skis touch snow. We've got a big winter ahead and I'm excited to see what happens!
I agree with Revy. It was pretty cool but something was missin for me too. Glad to see Kicking Horse get so much deserved love. Almost surprised you didn't have it at #1. Never seen you that stoked in a video as when you rode there.
The town of Golden is also really making a come back, which makes Kickinghorse even better. Golden used to be a dive, but know quite a few people who’ve moved there from Calgary recently. As Canmore and Banff are just inobtainable.
revy is really the only resort that has whistler-like potential it just needs more infrastructure. Add like 5 more lifts... It's in a great mountain range with so many bowls south/montana, and 1700m vert with dry snow. Stick a couple of european apres chalets around the peaks (convert them to multi-day hike mountain refuges in the summer).
Like others commented, I loved the intro attitude, "No bad ski days, just bad attitudes." Admittedly, I have only been to about half the resorts on your list, but it seems about right to me. Some day I will make it to Whistler. Had a trip planned and booked once, but then a pandemic got in the way. I'm a prairie boy, so any "real" skiing is 8 hours away minimum. My buddy and I have been skiing Alberta and BC together for more than 40 years. We love powder, steeps and trees but our real love are the bumps. So I want to give a shoutout to Sunshine and Lake Louise. At Sunshine, the bump run off the summit is so perfect. You can ski volkswagens, small rollers or a groomer side by side. Lake Louise Paradise chair gives the longest, steepest bump run I have ever skied.
Love your list!!! Alberta boy here so sunshine and Louise are my go to’s. LOVE them so so so much. And LOVED Big White! Had 4 days of the best boarding of my life when I was there. We got dumped on each night so woke up to insane insane powder. LOVED the tree runs there.
I love your positive approach to ranking these! Skiing is always a good time no matter what, and it really is the approach you take that helps make the experience. Although I am new to BC and have only skied about 5 or 6 of the resorts on your list, I have to agree that Kicking Horse and Whistler/Blackcomb have got to be the best 2 resorts I have ever skied. I am a diehard for Kicking Horse and can't get enough of it. I know people complain about the hiking sections of the resort, and the fact it only has a signle Gondola, but the terrain is just too much fun to be matched. I ski Whistler a lot more than any other resort just because it's close to me, but I would say Kicking Horse has to be my favourite. It's also the first Western Canadian ski resort I skied at so that also probably has a part to play with just the "wow factor" of skiing in the Rockies for the first time.
I have skied all of these areas (except Kimberly) - and for the most part I agree with your rankings…Top three for me are Red Mountain , Whistler/Backcomb, Kickinghorse - in that order… and then Whitewater… then Fernie. All based on numerous weeks at each and being a powder hound.
That's a pretty fair ranking. I was a bit surprised that you put Baldy on the list but I get it. I found a rental up there for the winter, having never skied it and I loved it so much that I just bought a place and moved there permanently! I do miss a high speed chair every once in a while but I feel like I have the mountain to myself almost every day!
Try Marmot Basin. I love it as it’s usually Edmonton locals, a lot less tourists. But it has some great runs and can have some amazing powder days. A hidden gem in Jasper National Park, which this next season I’m looking forward to showing some love after their epically tragic summer.
@@doughutchinson1736 Last year if you went there was only a couple good powder days. It was a light snow year for Alberta in general. But I’ve never had any issue with their patrol and generally I like their terrain. 🤷♂️
I love Marmot. They have the best family deal too. Since the opening of the new Knob quad it does make marmot an incredible ski hill but its not really a resort.
@@PsychoGTI i was at marmot this christmass. It was unreal. We were only 150 skiers on that day... mybe 190 but for a mountain that big its Marmot Basin i dont believe it.
As someone who currently lives in Fernie (from Ontario originally), I will say a pow day at Fernie is absolutely epic! So much skiable terrain and you will never get bored on this mountain. An average pow day out here is at least 20-30cm and from people I met out here, there has even been 50-60cm pow days in past seasons which is absurd!! The one downside to this mountain is there is not a lot of long, wide open runs compared to Kicking horse, Sunshine, Lake Louise, Nakiska and Whitewater to name a few. Still a great mountain in my opinion though. Out of all the hills I've skied at so far, the one that has impressed me the most is Red Mountain, especially when the snow base is good. Another nugget of a hill that is super underrated in my opinion is Whitefish located just outside of Whitefish, Montana! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the hills you have been to and was interesting to see your rankings
Looking at the terrain from the top of the gondola at Kickinghorse was enough to give my roommate a panic attack. Almost every line starts by falling off a cliff at the top of the world
😂 Kicking Horse looks like it’s mostly intimidating. I looked at a map of it and everything from the top is expert runs. I’ve never skied there, but James and Rob doing Dutchman’s Wallet is a crazy vid!
Stairway to heaven gets a little tense at the top section, too...First time I was like ohhh man, how the eff I'm I getting down from this idiotic chair...LoL
My second time ever (first time in Ontario…. Aka bunny hills out west) took me to the top of kicking horse and said meet you at the bottom and dipped I felt so completely overwhelmed
Nice list! Of those that I have skied: (1) Fernie (2) WB (3) Silverstar (3) Louise (4) Sunshine (5) Norquay Would definitely like to hit KH and Rev, SunPeaks and Red.
Similar places. Been to KH this last winter but to JH many times. Big, steep, challenging terrain. Very little in the way of apres or amenities. Keeps away the jet set and those just showing up to ski a few runs then shop and party. Mostly serious, skilled skiers. Like that vibe a lot. I take the wife to Vail.
@@th3oryO Tough question. I was to JH 4-5 times and to KH once and it was a lousy snow year. I think if you want to ski a lot of really hard terrain and challenge yourself then JH. It's also really easy to get laps with the tram going from the bottom to very top in 12 minutes. KH is much tougher to get around but if you are looking to ski insane chutes and very steep faces, go there. There is very little in the way of entertainment at the base and almost nothing in the town. It is criminally underdeveloped but it's not a place you could ever take the family.
I grew up in Rossland. Live in Calgary season pass holder at sunshine and norquay. Ski all the hills you rank. Sunshine should be around 10 too much side hilling. Rocks on goats eye. Delirium is cool but a tourist run. Kicking horse lift system is effed up. Unless you ski all the way down the mid chair system is a pain. Would rank that around 7. Red is phenomenal. If you can ski Red you can ski anywhere. It deserves a higher ranking. Revelstoke is better than kicking horse and fernie. Fernie is hit and miss on snow. Revelstoke snow dumps are unreal. Big White Out deserves a better rank the snow is good there. Pano is blue run city. Does not get the big snow. Can’t argue that Whistler is massive and have had deep days there. Bang on review on apex. High speed chair and steep runs. Great glades on a pow day. Push the people to Whistler and leave or interior hills quieter.
Castle is my favourite, I’ve never seen consistent steepness like the chutes. On a powder day they are epic, and a few days after a powder day there’s still fresh lines in the far chutes. Those are also just my favourite sort of thing to ski-steep, deep, super long fall line with the occasional cliff to jump-so I’m a bit biased. Agree with your assessment of Revy. I finally got there for the first time last winter and was pretty underwhelmed. There’s some epic stuff you can hike into but the lift setup is clearly optimized for max vertical, not for what best services the hill. Any other resort would have built a road up to the day lodge a third of the way up, but at Revy they built it at the valley bottom so they could brag about vertical in their marketing. Maybe in 20 years when they’ve built out more lift infrastructure I’d go back (assuming we actually still get snow then). Still never made it to Whistler and Red, they’re on the bucket list for sure (well, Whistler will be if I ever start making a livable wage).
So jealous you've had a full on Castle pow day! I think you would especially love Red. Whistler is super busy so you might feel overwhelmed if you're used to the chill vibes at Castle. I really want to try Marmot!
@@riseandalpine My guy, this winter we have unrestricted lift at Castle. We plan on making the trek to Red at the top of list. Hopefully get at least a day at Golden. We did roll through Rossland a few years ago while we were in Nelson, but didn't end up clicking in. After your reviews, Red moved to the top. Whistler still is a hard sale for me, because I'm spoiled with no crowds, although Fernie does get busy on weekends, and pow days. It's day 2 & 3 out from a pow day at Fernie where you get the goodies. Castle you get the goodies, as soon as it snows, and you're still skiing untracked pockets 4 & 5 days on...
Great list! I agree with pretty much all of your pics. Some I have not been to - like Kicking Horse or Norquay. But totally agree with Red in the top 5. So understated and virtually unlimited glade skiing. It felt like every inch of the place was skiable. As long as they have decent snow it is wonderful. Also appreciate your choice of Whitewater. Was only there once years ago (part of a trip to Red) and was knee deep in powder. Also agree with Whistler/Blackcomb. The lines on weekends can be nuts (bit better on black or double black - less traffic). The challenge is weather and varying snow conditions. This year started ok and now we are in limbo. Nice work!
I ski and snowboard, and I've been lucky enough to get to a few places in my life. I'll try to play along. Worth noting that I'm often with folks that aren't necessarily looking to push themselves too far, so it's nice if a mountain has some intermediate variety for them. For Canada, I only have experience at the following mountains, and I'd put them in this order: 1. Whistler 2. Fernie (great snow, great terrain, limited intermediate options, limited vert) 3. Kicking (terrain is absurd, but make sure you're with people that want to go hard. Intermediate terrain is very limited) 4. Lake (great place, but also the coldest place on earth) 5. Kimberley (purely intermediate hill, but really fun for that) 6. Nakiska (to be fair it was a low snow day) 7. Pass Powderkeg (tiny and not much snow, but honestly I had tons of fun) US is gonna be hard and controversial, but I'll do what I can 1. Alta It's ski only which is a bit of a bummer but makes sense when you realize how much time you'll spend traversing. Still, the snow is unmatched. 2. Winter Park This won't be a popular choice, but I think it's one of the best possible places with a group of mixed levels, it's the best bumps in the biz, it's only busy on Saturday, and the Vasque Ridge zone added some needed terrain. Good flow for the most part. 3. Palisades Tahoe Closest to Kicking Horse I've seen in the states for bonkers terrain. Snow can be iffy, and I don't love the flow of the mountain, but the terrain is just wacko. 4. Mt. Batchelor Another controversial pick here, but when the full 360 is on the backside is one of the most unique places you can possibly ski. True advanced terrain is definitely missing, and the flow can fall apart, but I love the backside so much. Unfortunately it's not open all that much. 5. Jackson Hole Cons: Pain to get to, expensive as hell, crowds. Pros: You already know. 6. Snowbird Same snow as Alta, allows snowboarding, but again I don't love the flow. 7. Park City Don't like the vibe, and it doesn't have the snow of the other Utah resorts, but it's gotta a ton of possible lines. 8. Crested Butte Great for advanced, limited for intermediates, hard to get to, medium snow 9. Breckenridge Town is great, mountain is pretty solid, crowds are brutal, but the worst thing is that I've never skied or boarder anywhere with less safety conscious people on the slopes. Head on a swivel 24/7/365. Famous places I haven't been: Aspen, Vail, Mammoth Place I loved but only been in the spring with limited terrain: A-Basin Place I've been but so long ago I don't feel comfortable rating: Big Sky, Grand Targhee, Keystone, Baker, Crystal, Copper Bonus Round, other continents 1. 3 Vallées Probably the best place I've ever been. Completely insane scale, tons of terrain. Even some trees, which is rare over there, but nothing like Canada or the US in that regard. The size, views, and vibe are unmatched though. 2. Sella Ronda in Italy Not really a single resort, but what an incredible experience 3. Niseko Great snow, extremely Australian, lots of lift closures. Place I've been but so long ago I don't feel comfortable rating: Val-d'Isère, Les Diablerets, Chamonix, Grandvalira All time top 5: 1. 3 Vallées 2. Whistler 3. Alta 4. Fernie 5. Winter Park Whew.
Dude. Thank you for writing this out, It's actually super helpful for my trip planning! Unbelievable that you have been able to explore so many of the top resorts in the world! You've got me stoked to get out there and explore this winter. Any ideas on strategies on how to make the US trips more affordable?
@@riseandalpine Happy if it can be of any help! The downside of growing up far from a ski mountain is pretty obvious, but the upside is the you can kinda go wherever you want. Luckily my parents were total ski hounds even though we lived in a place without snow, and they travelled a bunch for work so I got to hit up a ton of rad mountains. Mom is a French history prof, which explains the Euro places. I did a ski/snowboard instructor course at Fernie, so I got to know that place pretty well. Was actually planning to move to the mountains and teach, but covid killed that plan. Maybe in the future... Anyway, as for doing it on a budget, what we did growing up was just stay about an hour away from the hill and eat the milage. Of course, I'm old so gas was cheaper, parking was cheaper, so on and so forth. Still, with a bunch of these places it's feasible to commute from a bigger town. All the main Utah options are a fairly short drive from Salt Lake, particularly if you can do it on a weekday with low traffic. Colorado resorts are more of a haul, but you can definitely round trip from Denver if you do it during the week. Weekends will be hell on the roads in both places. Pow days will also get crazy. Still, most of these drives will be shorter or similar to what you do from Van to Whistler. If you're flying in to Denver and not driving, which might save you some cash, the Summit County resorts (Keystone, Breck, A-Basin, Copper (which I forgot to list but didn't love)) are all on a free shuttle if you are staying in the area. Could get a shuttle from the airport and then take the bus to all the different places, although it's not exactly light speed. Unfortunately they aren't all on the same ski pass, so you'd need Epic and Alterra to hit them all. summitcountyco.gov/services/transit_summit_stage/bus_schedule/winter_bus_schedule.php The UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY SKI BUS might be helpful too, but I confess I've never used it. www.rideuta.com/News/2023/11/Ski-Bus-2023-2024 As for tickets, it's basically a case of picking your pass. With Whistler being on Epic that means you could target Breck, Keystone, Crested, and Park City. Crested is pretty far from anywhere, but you can make all the others cheaper with driving/buses. I'm not up to date on the hostel situations in those places, but I've had luck with that before. Same for camping I'm afraid. I'm usually with family that doesn't wanna get to rustic! 3 Vallées is actually really cheap to ski compared to NA if you can work out the transport. Epic gets you 7 days, there's a bazillion options for lodging, and food is WAY cheaper. I'd kill to see you do a video from there. haha. FWIW at your level of skiing I'd focus on Alta/Snowbird (they are connected), Jackson, A-Basin, Crested Butte, and Palisades in the US. I think they'd be closer to what you enjoy skiing than something like Winter Park. Although with trees... haha. Many options out there. Telluride has a bunch of crazy hike-to terrain, but I can't speak to it personally. Silverton would be right up your alley I suspect with your back/slack country experience as well. Hope any of that helps! And I appreciate the videos my guy. I find most ski vloggers out there kinda weird...sometimes I'm not sure they love skiing. Never a question with you!
I grew up skiing on big white and I hold it very close to my heart, however I’ve maybe seen 10 days of bluebird skies out of the maybe 100 plus days I’ve been their. Amazing snow and community though, miss it.
I grew up riding sunshine. Lots of people rank it very low because its "flat" and that can be true for the main runs, but the slackcountry is where it really shows itself. Plus it gets absolute dumps at least 2-3x per year. If you ever get the chance to, go hit up Marmot Basin. Its a really cool resort and the lines are usually chill. Plus the locals there are top notch. Jasper is a serious ski town, unlike Banff or Whistler which focuses more on shops and fine dining. Hopefully Jasper can open this year or next for tourism again.
@@riseandalpine pretty sure you mentioned most of it in the vid haha. Delirium Dive and Wild West are the two main slack country runs. I guess the shoulder counts too but it might be in bounds now.
I’ve been everywhere Here’s My Top 10: 1) Whistler 2) Kickinghorse (Golden is also getting to be much nicer of late, it use to be a dump of a town it’s not anymore, might be number one soon, plus no beginners around) 3) Sunshine (can’t beat The Dive and Wildwest, also best Chair Selection in World. Heated Quads instead of going to clubhouse, yes please. Banff apes Ski please, but staying on the mountain is also incredible) 4) Fernie (Mountain has always been the same, but the towns exploded last decade as funky as Nelson now) 5) Revelstoke (when it dumps it’s the best resort in Canada, like everyone in Calgary books a week off and leaves when snows a coming at Revy and puts up with a 24 Hour drive back home with closed off highways, it’s so good) 6) Red Mountain (great town around it surprised more don’t make the trek, super advanced as well so no noobs) 7) Whitewater (it’s catching Red Mountain for me with the new chairs it might have, plus Nelson is the best Ski Town in Canada by far) 8) Louise (I’ve been there on plenty of dump days and it might have best run in Canada at top of the rarely opened peak tow with the greatest view in maybe the world. Plus locals know all the Hidden Spots like “Rock Garden” a boulder pillow rock run that you can just lap all day, but most don’t find it. 9) Panorama (hiking the Goldie Plateau and Tayton Bowl right of the top chair are just a blast, apparently they’re also expanding in a few years and let’s face it getting drunk with everyone in the communal hot tubs is just as fun. Plus go to Kickinghorse for a day when you’re there like a 1.5 Drive) 10) Big White (being so close to Kelowna makes up for a lot, best Snow Bunnies anywhere outside of Europe) HM: Castle Mountain (love the chutes and such a laid back feel. Makes me miss Fortress Mountain) Top. 10 USA 1. Park City/Deer Valley 2. Snowbird/Alta 3. Jackson’s Hole 4. Aspen 5. Telluride 6. Sun Valley 7. Breckenridge 8. Mount Hood 9. Tahoe 10. Whitefish HM: A-Basin HM2: Brighton Go to Utah in normal season if you’re doing a full winter and then go to Colorado later year the altitude keeps the snow longer, but Utah gets sooooooooo much better snow and is way more fun. Park City is the best Ski Town in North America. Think like a laid back Whistler where the rich haven’t totally invaded.
You're pretty much bang on dude. Found me one of those snow bunnies in Kelowna. ha ha. (mmm couch cuddling). Agreed, Nelson and Park City the best ski towns. Telluride used to also be good. Never have I seen bluer skies than at Sun Valley. Jackson Hole goes to the top of my list. The Hobacks on a good day - helicopter skiing without the helicopter. 'No' to Vail?
@@user-iw5mp5th6d Everybody's ranks are different which is great or everyone would want to go to a few of the "best resorts". Heavenly while beautiful and was a cool resort (desert and lake views) had irritating flat spots and the snow wasnt great so I wouldnt ski it again -- Killebrew Canyon was great, but hard to lap. Steamboat is nice, but the double blacks are hard to lap and they are really short. Really want to hit up Kirkwood... What are your top 10?
Loved this video. Iv only ever been to sun peaks and big white so loved seeing where they stack up to other places near by. Apex, whistler, and revelstoke are on my list to try for mountains near by
I’ve done seasons at Sunshine and Whistler. As much as you want to hate on them for being so famous and you want that contrarian hipster pick, they are awesome! They are famous for a reason.
My top 3 would be: 1. Revelstoke (lots of snow and steep terrain) 2. Sunshine (some of the best snow in Canada rockies snow is different than BC snow it's fluffier, Marmot is also awesome with tres and the cirque. 3. Whistler (massive but kind of expensive and a bit of a let down. I'm sure with a good dump of powder it would be better).
@riseandalpine Thanks, I enjoy watching your content! Hoping to get out to kicking horse for my first time this year maybe that gets added to the top three!
Just getting back into skiing after moving back to BC from Manitoba. Really appreciate your overview of the mountains in the Province. Not so much craving the steep and crazy like you at this point but great to know whats out there.
Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park is fantastic. Gets an extremely long season (November to late May typically). Stays cold and the snow stays consistent. Lots of steep and great glades, awesome chairlift architecture. It's just far from everything.
It will be interesting to see where you slot in Marmot Basin once you get there. It's the true sleeper mountain in the Rockies. Of course there might be some hills in Quebec that you would like more than places like Kimberly. And don't forget the northern BC areas.
Lot's of spots I still am yet to ski. I've skied almost every resort in Quebec when I lived there and didn't like anything better than any spot I've been in BC!
I'm spending the season at Kicking Horse this year so this video has got me feeling pretty smug about my decision 😏 (Thanks so much for all your other great vids on Kicking Horse too, I'm so hyped to go explore it!)
Whistler on a Snow day (40 or more cm) is EPIC. If you can ski double diamonds it’s like Science Fiction. Glades and Couloir galore. My family usually just alternates between Whistler and Blackcomb each time we go. Both mountains are da bomb. Last winter the snow came later in the season. But there was that week when it snowed over 100cm. You don’t forget those days…
Agree! If you live there then totally, but if you travel for it and hit a pow day with the lineups, it’s absolutely brutal. I’m surprised at sunshine tbh, the snow is so insanely inconsistent and bad last couple of years
Beaver Valley is a great example of getting the most out of small vertical. Glade skiing, one of the steepest runs in eastern Canada, cruisers etc. It's about as good as it gets in Ontario. I've heard that Searchmont, near Sault Ste Marie is pretty decent with, for Ontario, a lot of snow.
Norquay: agree but I’d add that it absolutely has the best views of Banff when you go up “the big chair”. Great for the tourists visiting Banff, and families to go to the tubing area. Revelstoke: I would have agreed with you until I went with locals. It’s a mountain you really need to learn how to ski, and it’s not obvious. It does require hiking and traversing, but it’s well worth it. Sunshine: I’ve had some of my best days here, but surprised you put it this high. I feel like this is a mountain that helps to have local knowledge. If delirium and Wild West are closed it’s a meh mountain. But there’s a lot of sneaky parts to the mountain
Totally fair. I've ripped Revy with locals. The slack and tricky stuff is sick but the resort as a whole leaves something to be desired. Agree about SSV, without the Dive and WW it is ranked lower for me too. Norquay views are nuts!!!
Lived in Sunshine for a week, powder every day to wake up to with freshies, it was sick. Louise was my hill, from the rock gardens to the trees, back side and the ERs. Powder pilling up on our laps a few times. Too few lives to catch in all. Marmot had lots. Fortress was small, with tree and gullies runs, (the "Air Force" trained there) I had a floor for 10 bucks a night. We could have had 50 people in there. too bad it closed. Panorama was a little commercial, Kimberley was nice. Fernie was raining cats and dogs, couldn't see the top. I guess above the clouds was fine, but we were soaked before we got lift tickets so no...
@@riseandalpineI ski’d them both during the March break last year. There was decent snow at both hills. Sunshine really only has one area for intense skiing- Goats Eye mountain. The rest of the resort is pretty flat. But skiing right into the glades once you come out of the couloir on Goats Eye was cool. Obviously I need to ski both more but I think Louise was better for advanced/ experts.
@@2204JCMGoat's Eye is the best lift but there are pockets of great terrain all over the mountain. There's a reason Virgin Chutes is the recommended test before you try the Dive!
I think your rankings are pretty spot on for anyone that goes beyond groomed runs. A few comments I'd add... 😅 Panorama, bang on. Amazing quieter family destination too. My wife likes cruising the groomed blue's and I'd take the steeps from the top to meet her and then I'd ski the glades off the side as she cruised. Worked great. I'd be sacked, she was relaxing. Lol. Agree on the Star over Big White. I lived just off the Putnam side of tbe Star growing up. We would night ski there on full moon powder days and wreck half the top of the front side under the full moon. Epic. Lots of great hidden runs there too, or lines in between those back ◇◇ you talked about. Agree on Sunshine over Louise too. Unless you get a good powder day at Louise on a weekday. (I was self employed in Calgary.) Then maybe Louise has the edge still. Been going to Kicking Horse since it opened. I truly dont know how some of those runs are legally allowed! Lol. Ass kickers. Still some above my pay grade for sure. 😅 But a great hill. I'm glad you included Castle too. We would sometimes hit it from Calgary on those precious weekday powder days. Ski straight onto the lift, you'd get more powder than heliskiing! No stop, basically unmarked all day sometimes. Who cares about the slow lifts when your ass is so kicked by 3pm youre basically done anyhow! Just my 2 cents anyhow.
It needs to be redone. Why? Because how good a mountain is depends on factors such as your finances, level of skill, the importance of the village, etc. For example Sun peaks rates low for Expert skiing but rates high for Family Skiing due to factors such as price, the number of beginner and intermediate runs, and short lift lines.
I like your strategy of putting Whistler as #1. Keep all of the tourists out there and all of the best mountains for us! I ride Sunshine maybe too much. It's great on a pow day, but wind blown throughout most of the season. I wouldn't rank it as high. I just wish some of the other hills were closer to Calgary.
Great list! Although I think Whistler is the best mountain on earth, the crowds make it unbearable. Also, I personally think Revie should be higher, but can absolutely see where you are coming from. Lastly, happy to see that none of the East Coast mountains made the list. Any time I see those mountains on any list, I immediately discredit it. Hard to compare big mountains with big snow, to tiny hills with tons of ice.
Whistler can be totally unbearable.... When you hit those weekdays with sleeper pow, blue sky's and no people. It is heaven. Webcam's make it harder these days. But the terrain and snowfall is hard to beat. Laughing my ass off at your east coast comment. I totally agree. When you see a list with Tremblant as #5 in Canada you always have to wonder who payed who in the marketing department.
@@KZ-yu4jz I've had a couple good days there. Lots of vert for an east coast hill, plus great views. It's also a bluff hill so parking is at the top. Cold. Bring your heavy layers. I could see it being awesome on a pow day.
Hey big fan of your channel me and the wife choose a different resort to buy season passes we are very excited to be on Lake Louise this season for our 20 days i think you missed a hidden gem in marmot basin we found it a very family friendly resort and did our last ski season there could you do a review on marmot? That would be sick we look forward to your new videos for the coming season keep living the dream brother
agree mostly with this list..always love sunshine as home resort..love fernie and kicking horse...whistler is great but the minus point for us is just the long line and crowds
It's cool you feel the same about some of these resorts! It's honestly hard to actually recommend Whistler as a vacation destination spot due to the horrible lines
@@riseandalpine Give your legs another 25 years and see how high you rate a westcoast mountain. The weight of the snow in Whistler vs. any of the interior mountains is signficant once you add a few years to your knees. Red Mountain has some chutes and trees (out of bounds) that are hard find anywhere else. The steeps and the powder depth make you feel like you're flying - weightless carving in chest-high pow. I've never been able to match that feeling at Whistler.
Great vid, agree with the rankings for the most part. Castle I just love, what a hidden gem. Fernie terrain is so diverse and sick. Hard to beat a pow day at Fernie. Kicking is so gd steep inbounds and when it has powder it's pure thrills. Sunshine I'm not a fan of, always had medicre experiences there growing up. So much ice. Lake Louise is just special. Needs snow to even consider going. Those star wars trees are trippy as hell. W/B I'll only go on pow weekdays and a pow weekday at Whistler..oh man. So much fun and a two hour drive from the city. The boss understands pow days.
So the first time I skied Louise (Ontario skier here) was about 30 years ago and the week I skied there they had a puke of champagne pow to the tune of well over a meter in a few days. Never seen snow flakes that were 5cm across. It was crazy snow all week long with limited visibility and it was f'n COLD. Warmest day was -19. Last day there was a thermal inversion and they finally opened the poma to the top. Epic power but even better, my buddy and I made the first tracks of the season in the back bowls including a 10' cornice drop into chest deep pow. Best day ever!
Speaking of rank, my wife, who was in competitive GS , once soiled herself on the chairlift and it pushed through her Lycra ski suit and onto the snow below. By the time we skied down you could see the huge amount of people who skied through it.
I went to red in December a few years ago and it sucked! Over half was closed and there was no snow anywhere! I definitely saw the potential I just didn’t get to ski it. On another note, not too far from BC is crystal mountain in Washington, and that is such a fun resort! It’s huge too, you really need 3 full days of skiing to experience it because it’s 7 or 8 mountains with so much backcountry and off piste skiing and the on piste skiing is so much fun too. Please check it out if you get the chance. The other resorts in the area are fun too but that’s the best one. Mt. Baker gets a ton of snow so I would recommend that too although they are all fun. Besides those, I have been to whistler, big white, silverstar, snowbird, Alta, and solitude. Of course Utah is great I had a blast getting first chair on a pow day into honeycomb canyon and some other runs at solidtude, and another rope drop at Alta. When I was younger I hated whistler because I wasn’t good enough to ski high up and it rained a lot on the lower mountain but now I love it. Big white is also one of my favorites but I can confirm the visibility sucks. I also go to silverstar for a week every year around Christmas and freaking love it! This last year the backside was mostly closed but we had one 11 cm day and that was great. I have had some huge days there in the past and the village is also so great too. You gotta love silverstar. I completely agree with this list and I am super exited for some American resorts and also for this ski season! Sadly I moved for school to New York but I will be trying out mont tremblanc and some others and I am trying to go back to Seattle area after a semester or go to Utah and try and get some good snow I can feel this year to be a good one! Great vid hope you have some pow days!
I moved away for school too! But, great thing, you'll always come back to somewhere with good mountains when you settle down and get that job. Noted on Crystal! Really eager to try that place.
@deweydogstudios1568 Crystal is my home mountain and Red is where I visit every year. Last year the whole PNW season sucked though. Feb was a washout with rainstorms. By March, Crystal was unskiable on any day (even a Wednesday) if there was fresh snow, just massive overwhelming crowds desperate to use their ski pass before year ran out. Snow season wasn't any better at Red, but the total lack of lift-lines and crowds made all the difference.
Reds snow has sucked for the past few years. I had a pass there for nearly 6 years and after 2022 I never bothered to get another because whenever I got up to the mountain there was very little snow and it was packed. Unfortunatly red is no longer a local secret
Nice list man! You know I'm bias like you for whis but honestly everywhere else you go you're like "this place is sick!!! If only it had [insert something] it'd be as good as whistler! I agree on revvie. Didn't grab me or my friends either. My BC list in order is 6. Sun peaks 5. Revvie, 4. Whitewater 3. Red mountain 2. Kicking horse (so so good) and 1. Whistler. Keep up the good work legend. Looking forward to yelling at you off a chair sometime soon.
You know how I think. Every resort is the 'best ever' just love the sport so damn much. Your list is super fair. Nice to see Sun Peaks so high, it's truly one of the best all rounders. Looking forward to your yell from the chair.
Nice list, giving me the chill for the upcoming season!! Hard to argue with Whistler/Blackcomb up near the top. I worked there many many years ago for a couple of seasons and absolutely loved it. It was definitely less busy than it is now, and I knew the mountain well so avoided a lot of the b/s. The lines and just sheer busyness is just too much for me these day. My top three faves that I have actually skied are probably rank 1)Whitewater 2)Whistler Blackcomb 3)Red Mountain . 1) Whitewater - The snow is just top notch most of the time here, there is no cell reception, which I love. There is also only the basic resort items you need, no massive condos and all the capitalistic crap. Just pure snow and your buddies. The slack country here is also absolutely fantastic (safety third of course). Their avalanche forecasting is top-notch and these guys are on it daily, they are also not like many resorts and support and work with the backcountry community. Not to mention staying in Nelson itself it pretty great. Small town, with a ton of food options, on the water and lots of entertainment for the size. 2) Whistler Blackcomb - Sheer size, skiable acres, and awesome alpine skiing with a variety of terrain. If you're after somewhere with all the terrain, massive night life or a sweet cabin to rent with a group, get it. Nowadays far too busy for me though. 3) Red - I love the terrain here as well. Lifts are definitely a bit of a hinderance in terms of accessing things more quickly, but I like that they've spread things out and it never feels busy. Very small town feel with all of the chill. Great little bars, pubs and often live music for a small town. It does have some great hidden spots and some excellent backcountry/slack access as well. It is hit or miss for snow, so you've got to try and catch the good part of the season. I absolutely love this little town. The people rock! 4) Apex mention - current home mountain, and I love this place. Most down to earth community, definitely can crush out a lot of vert is short period of time and there are never lines. If you know where to go, the slackcountry is also great. Minimal restaurants, bars, etc. But the ones that exist are top notch and a riot. The people make this place. Love the review. Happy shredding all.
Love your top picks. The Slack at WH20 is sick and I'd love to run a full season there. Red rocks and I'm stoked you wound up at Apex. I had such a good time skiing with the locals there, great people and really good skiing. I'm sure the deep days at Apex really rock.
I really enjoyed your list and I’ve ridden at most of these resorts at least a few times myself. I’d personally move panorama higher even though they lack snow due to the amazing variety of terrain (Tayton Bowl!!) and the complete lack of crowds. Fresh powder easily lasts a week here vs 2-3 days in Whistler
You are so right about Big White haha, my home resort and i love the place, ticks all the boxes, but you dont see the f***in sun!! place is Beautiful when you ge the chance to ski is on a bluebird day and go up to alpine.
It's not called "Big White-out" for nothing! I lived/skied there for most of the season in 1981. I never saw the whole place for the first couple of weeks.....lol.
I am Canadian, but grew up skiing and snowboarding at Mount Baker in Washington State. In '98 or '99 Baker had the world record for snowpack at a ski resort. They had to dig out the chairlifts in certain places because the lifts couldn't run due to snow drifts or snowfall being in the way. I have had way more incredible powder days at Baker than Whistler (though my Baker days far outweigh Whistler days to be fair). Now we live in the Okanagan and have Silverstar season's passes, so we can't wait to get to know this underrated mountain that happens to be the 3rd biggest ski resort in BC in terms of skiable acres! We work remotely and live 35-40 mins from the Silverstar parking lot, so weekday powder laps will be a thing!
Baker is the best mountain ever and I've been to almost all the ones he reviewed. Silverstar unfortunately blows. Terrible layout. not enough snow, all moguls or groomers. Virtually no rock or cliffs and super long groomers taking you back to the chairs kind of like Whistler mtn. Big White out is way better if you can get a day it's not socked in.
Baker is one of a kind for sure! Can't say I agree with Sean. I think you've wound up in an awesome spot. I've got a friend who lives on the hill up to the resort as well and absolutely loves it. Everyone's preferences are different and honestly I like long groomers and bumps. To be honest, long term, I don't see myself jumping off cliffs and rocks when I'm older hahaha. Just stoked to be turning and skiing a place that isn't too busy.
Yeah, the one time I tried for Baker, that was my experience. The lifts were all snowed in. I'd love to get there though. In lieu of skiing, I was introduced to some of the best pan fries ever at a little eatery down the road!
Tough to rank these resorts, good on you for travelling to all of them, thats a feat on its own.. I've skied many of them and the points you make are valid. Schrobers Dream at Panorama is by far my favourite fall line run. Whistler is like the Kardashians, famous for being famous, thats about it, bring money. First tracks, if they still do that is fun. Lake Louise is consistently in the top 5 most beautiful ski mountain in the world, stunningly beautiful. Fernie on a heavy snow day is scary shit, bottomless powder. Sunshine, varies on any given day, easy to get lost when a snow squall rolls in. Norquay, very steep. Snow ghosts at Big White are cool. Thanks for posting.
Road tripped these in 2023, ranking them: 1. Fernie - it has everything. Town is vibes! 2. RED - also has everything, but is a bit smaller, and slower chairs. 3. Revelstoke - unreal skiing, but the layout is strange. 4. Whistler Blackcomb - epic, but the lines suck. I get why it's your #1 if you're local. 5. Sunshine - other than Delerium and Goat's Eye it's so flat. 6. Lake Louise - 80 cm base in the middle of Feb. Need I say more?
Super fair ratings! I do agree with Sunshine being flat. If you remove the Dive, Wild West and Goat's Eye, it would definetly be number 7 or so for me.
Pretty decent and accurate ranking, but as an Ontario resident I do have few cents to add ;-). 1.Whister - it is fantastic when the weather is good, however when you are booking trip 4-6 months in advance - it's pure lottery on what you gonna get when you are skiing there. Sometimes conditions are crap (coastal mountains, not Alps) and nothing you can do about it. And when you hit the crowds - meeh, it feels like 'Screw you guys, I'm going home' (c) Cartman 2. Sunshine - been there 4 times, all of these both Dive and West were closed. When they are closed - the only real fun to be had is at the Goat's Eye Mountain and even with hikes - there is not much. The rest is pretty mellow. Apart from that - hell ya, keep it coming bro.
Totally fair Nik! I couldn't agree more. Booking 1 week in Whistler is a pure lottery and could either be the best week of your ski life, or the worst. Way more consistent resorts out there. Whistler is best for locals, or people able to do an extended 4-6 week trip so they can hedge against weather! I must have gotten lucky with the freeride terrain at SSV - would have a different outlook on it without those zones being open
@@riseandalpine I grew up in Edmonton (now in Vancouver) so Louise/Sunshine/Marmot were my go-tos. I will be shocked if you don't put Marmot above both Sunshine/Louise when you ski it. Also not for nothing, but Jasper (pre wildfire, who knows now) was a much more fun town to hang out in than Banff
I'm curious what you like so much about Marmot... I grew up in Edmonton, and we would almost always go to the Banff resorts, primarily Sunshine. I love any day I can be out skiing, but going to Marmot for me has always felt a bit frustrating that everything funnels down into same spot at the bottom. There are a couple of chairs you can stay on at the top if you want, but if you do a long run, there are very few options that don't end up funnelled into the greens with seemingly every beginner on the mountain. I would like to hear what you enjoy about it, and maybe the next time I go there I can focus on the good and forget my frustrations! 😃
Only when it has snow. It's pretty miserable if it hasn't snowed in 3 weeks and it's -20 or worse... But yes, the terrain is amazing, the snow can be amazing (or non-existent) and there's lots of cool snow stashes.
@@getrightoutoftown everything off Knob chair is great. Eagle East is great. Caribou Knoll has snow stashes when no where else does. Cornice, Peak Run and now Mamot Basin Cirque are all epic if you're willing to hike a bit. Oh, and Edmontonians aren't great skiers so all the great zones are usually untouched. You can find pow stashes a week after a snowfall...
Love the Silver Star love. I skied there a few years back and loved it. I was still a bit of a beginner at the time but I'm dying to go back and try some of the more advanced stuff now that it's been a couple years. Also love the small town and how you truly feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, not to mention small lift lines. Overall great vibes and super underrated.
Great list and very fair. I've never been to whistler but I'm also not a huge fan of crowds. Only one I would put lower is louise, every single time I have gone there 90% of the runs are basically skating rinks. 0 snow all ice. Love Sunshine though. So much variety.
Glad you thought it was fair! Whistler is amazing, but if you hate crowds, 100% never visit, you will hate Whistler. Unless you sneak up in mid-April for some sleeper days when everyone in the city has switched to biking.
I noticed that Chicopee in Kitchener Ontario was accidentally left off your list. Highest vertical drop in Canada with thr fluffiest powded in North America.
My brother was an instructor there in the early 80s under school director Schwirtlick. He was going to Wilfrid Laurier University at the time and spoke highly of the little mountain in the city! I grew up at a hill smaller than Chicopee. LOL LOL
Glad Kicking Horse made your second pick, I lived in Golden for a couple years and by far some of the best shredding I’ve ever experienced. The locals are awesome but everyone likes to keep it a secret lol and after living there I can see why.
Such a sick hill! It's impossible to gate keep anyways these days when it comes to resorts. KHMR has a huge barrier to entry when it comes to skill level to enjoyment. Unless there is a major infrastructure expansion, the beginner riders won't ever pay too much attention and flood it.
@@riseandalpine totally man I think just waiting an hour in line on a pow day is what really upsets locals, it can be a pain only getting 3 full laps in as your entire day but that’s why I stick to the slack country or go for some hikes haha. Maybe someday they’ll expand again and we can get another lift to the top or even mid mountain to disperse the crowds.
Between the crowds, high moisture content snow, and terrible on-mountain food... hard to recommend Whistler nowadays. I got stuck in the Creekside parkade for 2.5 hours once. I didn't even know that was possible until Whistler showed me a whole new universe of lineups.
Whistler lineups are miserable. It serves locals much better than tourists. Would never really recommend a Whistler vacation to a serious skier, much better places
James rockin’ some Def Lev “Funked Up, Cranked Up”… perfectly describes how the Rise & Alpine ski experience was last year! AMAZING MOMENTS WITH SURPRISING DISCOVERIES!!!
Totally agree! Revelstoke sucks, don’t come! Next time your out find a local, there’s amazing slack but you really need to know where you’re going!! Then if we could get in at more like #10 next year that would be great! Cheers
I agree. The slack is great. Resort for the average everyday non backcountry skier leaves something to be desired. At least for me :). I'll lower the ranking for ya next year to keep things quiet!
Very well done video. I have skied most of these resorts, my list would be similar. Here is some changes that I would have on my list and why: -Castle would be one or 2 places higher. I hate even mentioning this. It is such a hidden gem. When its good (and its good a lot), its amazing. Terrain is so good and it has an old school vibe, one of the more affordable places to ski too. -Kicking Horse would'nt be as high. I've never had a good day there (condition wise, lacks snow). Should have built the hill on the other side of the mountain. -I agree with Revelstoke. Although I've almost always had a pow day there, it is over hyped. The "most vertical" in North America is BS cause the bottom of the hill is basically un ski able or a cat track". -I'm hoping to get my boy skiing this year, he turns 3 soon. I havent skied in a few years but was an avid skier before, got into sled-skiing and then the fun of sledding (epic pow day everyday took over). -I've skied in California quite a bit, do yourself a favour and ski Mammoth. The best days on skis I've had are at Mammoth. Epic snow and terrain. (7ft in 2 days 😂). Pow days in May. Americans don't seem to ski the trees like us Canadians so the trees in California have pow for days.
Interesting that Americans don't like trees, I'd have a hell of a lot of fun out there then! Such a classic transition from skiing to sledding... Bottomless pow all the time is irresistible eh. Good luck teaching your boy to ski, that's such a legendary life milestone.
Here is additional rationale and the rest of my resort ranking's for Canadian resorts since it is inevitable half of these comments will mention how many I missed. I decided to not include resorts I didn't have footage for or haven't yet skied because it would make for a more boring video and title.
I've never skied Ontario or the Maritimes, but spent 5 years skiing in Quebec and Vermont. The Eastern mountains although fun can't compete with BC and Alberta because of lack of snowfall. Even the smaller BC and Alberta hills get nuked more than the Eastern ones. But the East will always have a place in my heart.
Canadian Resorts I have not skied (but really want to):
Shames
Hudson Bay Mountain
Cain
Powder King
Mount Washington
Marmot Basin
The Rankings For Everything Else I've Skied (in Canada)
18. Manning Park
19. Nakiska
20. Cypress Mountain
21. Sasquatch Mountain (formerly hemlock)
22. Grouse Mountain
23. Mount Seymour
24. Sutton
25. Mont-Sainte Anne
26. Tremblant
The rest of Quebec in no particular order that I have skied)
(Massif, Mont Saint-Sauveur ,
Mont Ste. Marie,
Owl’s Head, Bromont,
Mont Blanc,
Mt Orford,
Stoneham)
@@riseandalpine thanks man!!!
That’s crazy you skied st-Anne in Quebec and Le massif and stowe. It’s good that you made this list having skied those ski resorts in the east. I also like that there is no background music in this video.
Marmot basin is also on my list
If you ever go to mount Washington you need to line up cold snowy days because it rains a lot there in the winter
@@riseandalpine Someday you'll ski the wonders of Manitoba and know what it means to be at the top of a chairlift looking out at a farmer's field.
This shows how amazing Canadian skiing is. So much discussion goes into Utah vs Colorado, meanwhile Canada has so many amazing underrated mountains
Don't tell the Americans
@@dabflies haha. I found out quickly why Colorado is such a Mecca for skiing. The altitude of the mountains makes a HUGE difference, especially now with odd winters. Skied at Red and Whitewater last year beginning of Feb and the conditions were the worst outwest skiing I have done in 30 years. The terrain looked amazing, especially since I love steep ski runs, but not enough snow and sheets of ice were problematic. The low elevation gave us rain at the end of Jan and beginning of Feb... That is unheard of in the CO, Montana, etc. Flying back to the U.S. I talked to some other people that skied in Colorado and they all said the conditions were good. Don't get me wrong, I will spend more time skiing in Canada, but I will look to go mid winter for at least 7 days in case the conditions are terrible and I can do something else.
@@KZ-yu4jz we had an exceptionally poor winter last year until about mid March... Blame El Nino
@@KZ-yu4jz The only problem is the $400 lift ticket and the absolute impossible housing. Sadly, the nature is also just for rich in this world.
Utah faaaarrrr superior to Colorado for me, but don’t sleep on A-Basin if you’re in Colorado. Fuck Vail
I love your glass half full approach. Skiing anytime, anywhere is fun. It doesn’t matter what the steepness of the slope is or amount of fresh Pow, there’s an intrinsic joy in a ski gliding across snow. Anytime, anywhere, and I wish more people could feel that same joy.
Right on brother! Glad to hear you relish in the joy of it all as well.
@@lakelouiseskier if you carry a wide all mountain ski, like a Cochise, a big fat powder ski and a carving ski you can have a blast anywhere. Former lakelouiser 94 to 2003, Golden since then.
This is the right answer.
Glad you included Norquay. What's left of our ski group are all in our mid 70's to and including 80. Norquay offers us all we can now handle and being able to ski mid-week (no line ups) as well as a Seniors deal that isn't and can't be beat by any other resort in the area. We ski Tuesdays starting in Nov. and run right through to last open day in Spring. Love it and will continue until I (we) have no more tomorrows.😊
Amazing Stan! So stoked to hear that your group of 70+ are all still getting turns in. Such an inspiration. I hope to still be skiing when I'm that age.
Love it too. I used to be a snow maker there and we took advantage of some midnight runs under a full moon with nobody on the hill. That was back in the 80’s though. 😊
Yeah, on that, being able to get a mid week season pass for $189 when you get 4 people, is just hard not to get value. Then on a powder day you're rewarded on North American chair.
Great for my 3 kids under 6 to learn at!
Your comments really inspires me! Wish you safe riding and enjoy every moment of your day!
I grew up in Whistler and live near Red and Whitewater now. I still ski whistler occasionally and don’t really enjoy it anymore. I don’t even care too much about the lineups the issue I have is there’s so many people on the mountain that I feel like I am in the city when I’m skiing there.
Makes sense! Going from the chillest mountains in Canada with unreal terrain to the final boss gongshow that is whistler hahaa
I lived in Rossland and hit Whitewater for a decade, and although I love them both, I wouldn't trade for Whis (local for 22 years here) now. Ya gotta know the patterns but it's all time when you hit it right.
Great preface, No bad days, Only bad attitudes.
100%
So excited for the new season your the most entertaining ski TH-camr on the internet
Agreed, his energy comes through the screen and is more effective than Red Bull!
You're making me blush hahah
I grew up in southern Ontario, and like any easterner, my first day skiing in the Rockies was pretty memorable, but for me actually REALLY memorable.
I'd always dreamed of skiing out west and for reasons I don't remember it was always Lake Louise that captured my imagination. When I was 18 I participated in a 9 month volunteer program that gives you $1,000 when you finish. So in early April 1982, flush with cash( a grand in 1982, for a kid, was a lot of money), so I set out to hitchhike to Alberta and finally fulfill my dream. I got a motel room in Calgary and in the early morning I started hitching into the mountains.
If there was one thing I was just as crazy about, it was following the legendary Crazy Canucks downhill racers. That winter, Steve Podborski, who started out at the same ski area I did in Ontario, had just won the downhill world cup. They were my heroes. The thing is back then, well before the internet, most of their gear was unobtainable for the average person. You couldn't buy FIS race skis, or the bendy poles, or the downhill suits, nothing. It was all incredibly exotic stuff, none of which I'd ever seen in person.
After only a couple minutes hitching, a Subaru station wagon stops for me. It was covered in official Canadian Ski Team stickers and graphics, and driving was one of the young up and coming downhillers named Chris Kent. He actually finished fourth in his first WC downhill but had knee injuries, like so many of them, and never quite reached the star level. But I knew who he was. I was...out of my mind with excitement! Understand, I'm already fulfilling a dream, I'm already having the greatest day of my life. I didn't need my first ride into the Rockies to be in a Cdn Ski Team official car driven by a Crazy Canuck, but there I was. So we're driving to Banff and he tells me he's going to Louise as well but needs to stop at his place in Banff to get his equipment. We arrive at a little one room cabin on the edge of a trailer park, and he invites me in. So I go in, having no idea what I'm about to see. He opens the door, I walk in and OH MY F***ING GOD! Like, I just walked into the Crazy Canucks dressing room! That was 42 years ago and I remember it like yesterday. On one wall was about a dozen pairs of 223cm Fisher RC4 race skis with the cutout tips. Over in one corner is a half dozen pairs of bendy downhill poles. Over in an open closet were three of the even then iconic yellow downhill suits. All over the walls were race bibs- Kitzbuhel, Wengen, St Moritz, Val d'Isere etc. It was staggering.
And then I went and fulfilled my dream of skiing in the Rockies. At my dream resort, Lake Louise. With a Crazy Canuck.
Yeah, that was a good day. Sorry for such a long comment.
Dan dude. What a wonderful story thanks for sharing. Gave me the chills just thinking about how exciting a day like that would have been for 18 year old you. INSANE!
What an amazing experience! I love stories like this!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Geez, and I was excited getting Podborski's autograph at an Ontario ski show. ;-p He was with a pretty girl! And had an ear ring! And mentioned "hash"! Aaah, youth. Your tale is fantastic. Thank you for sharing it.
Thanks!
Holy Hot Sauce! So kind of you. Thank you so much :)
Worked as a coach and instructor at best in the West, two mountains that stand out bang for buck, Red and Whitewater. Endless off-piste opportunities no lift lines, now Red has the Topping Creek chair and Whitewater has the new 4 pack on Silver King!
Red and WH20 are absolutely sick! So amazing that you had the chance to instruct and coach at both. True ski hills!
It’s unbelievable for me, to see Kicking Horse like it is today. We went there on a roadtrip in the early 2000nds, and we found nothing but ONE chair lift, now named Pioneer. We bought a single ride ticket, and with our self-made splitboards we hiked up Rudi’s Bowl and Ozone Peak. A dream! Same with Revelstoke, where we also found one single, rusty chairlift, which was broken! So we skinned up our splitboards and hiked up Mt. Mackenzie. What a day! I still remember it like it was yesterday.
My over all favs also were Red Mountain and Nelson/Whitewater. Of course we also visited Whistler/Blackcomb, but I found it too crowded, even then! BTW, greetings from germany!
Such surreal experiences! Couldn't imagine how cool those zones were before all the lifts!
I really agree with this list with the exception that it details top line skiing. We still need the Sun Peaks for the families
Sun Peaks is the #1 family resort for sure. I always have a blast there.
Hi. I was a ski bum. I lived in Whistler back in the day and skied all of the resorts on your list except Kimberly and Castle. Last year we hit a resort east of Quebec city called Le Massif. Looking at your list I think we think alike so I'd say if you skied Le Massif you would probably award it a spot on your list as high as 10th spot.
Le Massif is a real mountain with gobs of snow. The verticle is the highest in eastern north America. But what makes it so special is not just the culture but the View. The whole mountain faces 50 mile wide St laurence river. The base is a rocks throw from the water. While skieng you observe ships navigating the shipping chanel. Baluga whales are observed although I did not see any!
A new ski in/ ski out Club Med just opened so see if you can hit it this coming season.
Cheers
I've skied Massif as I lived in Quebec for 5 years. It's an awesome resort for sure. I never experienced pow there but google says it gets 645cm a season, that's some real snow for sure. Might be worth another visit if I ever find myself out east again.
@@riseandalpine I think it would make for an interesting episode for your channel. Very different visuals.....sea food etc..
Try Castle. But don't bring your friends.
@@th3oryObring your friends, but make sure to tell everyone else how bad it is
Le Massif is about 660m of vertical, on par with Tremblant, MSA and way below Whiteface (over 1km of vert). If you climb on that man made hill (I was told by ski patrol dude they made it so Massif would have enough vertical for potential Winter Olympics in Quebec City) - you can get to 700-710m of vertical.
The BIG problem with Whistler/Blackcomb is the low elevation. Yes, if you're living there and spend the whole season it's going to be epic. But if you're going for a vacation it's truly hit and miss. I lived there for a gap year in university and had the best time. Every vacation there since has been totally "meh" in terms of weather and snow. Sometimes clear, cold and no fresh snow. Sometimes totally fogged in and wet, sometimes totally inverted, sometimes all rain.
I 100% agree. Whistler is the best spot to hunker down, but is super risky for a week long ski trip. Way more consistently fun mountains out there. *and everywhere else is a million times cheaper.
Me who lives in Georgia and has to go to North Carolina resorts: I want to go to ANY of these Canadian resorts! They all look like a massive upgrade over what I am used to
Sick to hear you're skiing where ya can. No doubt all these Canadian hills would blow your mind!
Hi, I've been subscribed for a while now and you honestly have such high quality content and character that I constantly find myself forgetting you don't have hundreds of thousands of subscribers or even millions. You seriously have some of the best ski content on this platform and I just wanted to say keep it up and I know if you do, it will pay off big time!
I really appreciate that and needed some extra motivation today! I put my all into my videos and growth is very slow compared to other channels. I love to entertain and it's all worth it when my skis touch snow. We've got a big winter ahead and I'm excited to see what happens!
Impressed you have Silverstar that high! I totally agree and have had some amazing times there. On a pow day it feels like a playground
You can't go wrong with anything on this list, but I just really had a good time at SilverStar. Real fun spot.
I agree with Revy. It was pretty cool but something was missin for me too. Glad to see Kicking Horse get so much deserved love. Almost surprised you didn't have it at #1. Never seen you that stoked in a video as when you rode there.
Kicking Horse is pretty much my #1 hahaha. Love that place.
The town of Golden is also really making a come back, which makes Kickinghorse even better. Golden used to be a dive, but know quite a few people who’ve moved there from Calgary recently. As Canmore and Banff are just inobtainable.
revy is really the only resort that has whistler-like potential it just needs more infrastructure. Add like 5 more lifts... It's in a great mountain range with so many bowls south/montana, and 1700m vert with dry snow. Stick a couple of european apres chalets around the peaks (convert them to multi-day hike mountain refuges in the summer).
Like others commented, I loved the intro attitude, "No bad ski days, just bad attitudes." Admittedly, I have only been to about half the resorts on your list, but it seems about right to me. Some day I will make it to Whistler. Had a trip planned and booked once, but then a pandemic got in the way.
I'm a prairie boy, so any "real" skiing is 8 hours away minimum. My buddy and I have been skiing Alberta and BC together for more than 40 years. We love powder, steeps and trees but our real love are the bumps. So I want to give a shoutout to Sunshine and Lake Louise. At Sunshine, the bump run off the summit is so perfect. You can ski volkswagens, small rollers or a groomer side by side. Lake Louise Paradise chair gives the longest, steepest bump run I have ever skied.
Stoked you're a fan of bumps. Not many bump lovers left these days. That Paradise bump run is sick! And the views when you look up too. WOW
Solid list. I might adjust a few up or down but think you nailed it.
Glad you have a similar feel!
Love your list!!! Alberta boy here so sunshine and Louise are my go to’s. LOVE them so so so much.
And LOVED Big White! Had 4 days of the best boarding of my life when I was there. We got dumped on each night so woke up to insane insane powder. LOVED the tree runs there.
Big White;s trees are insane eh! Alberta is a wicked place to be a skier :)
Your endless enthusiasm inspired me to get a pass for the coming season. How do your guts handle all the hot sauce though?!
The fact that you are getting obsessed with skiing gets me stoked! That's the reason I do it right there. Not sure how my internal organs look hahaha
I love your positive approach to ranking these! Skiing is always a good time no matter what, and it really is the approach you take that helps make the experience. Although I am new to BC and have only skied about 5 or 6 of the resorts on your list, I have to agree that Kicking Horse and Whistler/Blackcomb have got to be the best 2 resorts I have ever skied. I am a diehard for Kicking Horse and can't get enough of it. I know people complain about the hiking sections of the resort, and the fact it only has a signle Gondola, but the terrain is just too much fun to be matched. I ski Whistler a lot more than any other resort just because it's close to me, but I would say Kicking Horse has to be my favourite. It's also the first Western Canadian ski resort I skied at so that also probably has a part to play with just the "wow factor" of skiing in the Rockies for the first time.
Kickinghorse is nuts. I can't get enough of it either.
Apex on a powder day is absolutely AMAZING. Makes the experience 3 times as fun, especially on the wildside
Wildside on a powder day would be so sick!
I have skied all of these areas (except Kimberly) - and for the most part I agree with your rankings…Top three for me are Red Mountain , Whistler/Backcomb, Kickinghorse - in that order… and then Whitewater… then Fernie. All based on numerous weeks at each and being a powder hound.
Unreal! The top 10 are pretty damn interchangeable. So lucky to live where we do eh.
That's a pretty fair ranking.
I was a bit surprised that you put Baldy on the list but I get it.
I found a rental up there for the winter, having never skied it and I loved it so much that I just bought a place and moved there permanently!
I do miss a high speed chair every once in a while but I feel like I have the mountain to myself almost every day!
You moved to Baldy! That's such a sick spot to call home!
@@riseandalpine so stoked. I live closer to the lift than the morning line up at a lot of big resorts!
Lucky you. My one time at Baldy was very pleasant - super chill.
Agree about silverstar being underrated, especially the backside. Also a big plus about the interior BC resorts is the lack of -30C days
Yup! So many positives.
Try Marmot Basin. I love it as it’s usually Edmonton locals, a lot less tourists. But it has some great runs and can have some amazing powder days. A hidden gem in Jasper National Park, which this next season I’m looking forward to showing some love after their epically tragic summer.
Such a tragic summer for Jasper. One of my favourite all time spots in the summer. Marmot is 100% on my bucketlist.
I found Marmot boring, thin snow pack, and the patrollers were Nazis
@@doughutchinson1736 Last year if you went there was only a couple good powder days. It was a light snow year for Alberta in general. But I’ve never had any issue with their patrol and generally I like their terrain. 🤷♂️
I love Marmot. They have the best family deal too. Since the opening of the new Knob quad it does make marmot an incredible ski hill but its not really a resort.
@@PsychoGTI i was at marmot this christmass. It was unreal. We were only 150 skiers on that day... mybe 190 but for a mountain that big its Marmot Basin i dont believe it.
After 10+ years of riding Kicking Horse, everything else is basically cross country. LOL Great list :) Love the vibes
So true hahahha. KHMR is in a league of it's own.
As someone who currently lives in Fernie (from Ontario originally), I will say a pow day at Fernie is absolutely epic! So much skiable terrain and you will never get bored on this mountain. An average pow day out here is at least 20-30cm and from people I met out here, there has even been 50-60cm pow days in past seasons which is absurd!! The one downside to this mountain is there is not a lot of long, wide open runs compared to Kicking horse, Sunshine, Lake Louise, Nakiska and Whitewater to name a few. Still a great mountain in my opinion though.
Out of all the hills I've skied at so far, the one that has impressed me the most is Red Mountain, especially when the snow base is good.
Another nugget of a hill that is super underrated in my opinion is Whitefish located just outside of Whitefish, Montana!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the hills you have been to and was interesting to see your rankings
Red rocks eh! Will have to check out Whitefish. Lot's of commenters saying good things about it.
I remember getting a great workout on Red. And, yeah, Whitefish is a def hit.
Sunshine is top 3 for me, since the late 80’s. we used to go with our school ski trip.
Sick!
Looking at the terrain from the top of the gondola at Kickinghorse was enough to give my roommate a panic attack. Almost every line starts by falling off a cliff at the top of the world
😂 Kicking Horse looks like it’s mostly intimidating. I looked at a map of it and everything from the top is expert runs. I’ve never skied there, but James and Rob doing Dutchman’s Wallet is a crazy vid!
Is your roommate still your roommate after that?
I was there last February and the view from the top of many runs is no less scary.
Stairway to heaven gets a little tense at the top section, too...First time I was like ohhh man, how the eff I'm I getting down from this idiotic chair...LoL
My second time ever (first time in Ontario…. Aka bunny hills out west) took me to the top of kicking horse and said meet you at the bottom and dipped I felt so completely overwhelmed
Nice list!
Of those that I have skied:
(1) Fernie
(2) WB
(3) Silverstar
(3) Louise
(4) Sunshine
(5) Norquay
Would definitely like to hit KH and Rev, SunPeaks and Red.
Unreal! Pretty similar tastes to mine.
Loved kicking horse in the cdn west, Jackson hole in the US for gnarly steeps. Enjoying your vid’s keep ‘‘em coming
I want to try Jackson so bad!
Similar places. Been to KH this last winter but to JH many times. Big, steep, challenging terrain. Very little in the way of apres or amenities. Keeps away the jet set and those just showing up to ski a few runs then shop and party. Mostly serious, skilled skiers. Like that vibe a lot. I take the wife to Vail.
@@cvn6555 which did you prefer between KH and JH?
@@th3oryO Tough question. I was to JH 4-5 times and to KH once and it was a lousy snow year. I think if you want to ski a lot of really hard terrain and challenge yourself then JH. It's also really easy to get laps with the tram going from the bottom to very top in 12 minutes. KH is much tougher to get around but if you are looking to ski insane chutes and very steep faces, go there. There is very little in the way of entertainment at the base and almost nothing in the town. It is criminally underdeveloped but it's not a place you could ever take the family.
honest rating by far! 1- blackcomb whistler 2- kicking horse 3- banff sunshine
Glad you feel similar about some of the best hills!
I grew up in Rossland. Live in Calgary season pass holder at sunshine and norquay. Ski all the hills you rank.
Sunshine should be around 10 too much side hilling. Rocks on goats eye. Delirium is cool but a tourist run. Kicking horse lift system is effed up. Unless you ski all the way down the mid chair system is a pain. Would rank that around 7. Red is phenomenal. If you can ski Red you can ski anywhere. It deserves a higher ranking. Revelstoke is better than kicking horse and fernie. Fernie is hit and miss on snow. Revelstoke snow dumps are unreal. Big White Out deserves a better rank the snow is good there. Pano is blue run city. Does not get the big snow. Can’t argue that Whistler is massive and have had deep days there. Bang on review on apex. High speed chair and steep runs. Great glades on a pow day.
Push the people to Whistler and leave or interior hills quieter.
Castle is my favourite, I’ve never seen consistent steepness like the chutes. On a powder day they are epic, and a few days after a powder day there’s still fresh lines in the far chutes. Those are also just my favourite sort of thing to ski-steep, deep, super long fall line with the occasional cliff to jump-so I’m a bit biased.
Agree with your assessment of Revy. I finally got there for the first time last winter and was pretty underwhelmed. There’s some epic stuff you can hike into but the lift setup is clearly optimized for max vertical, not for what best services the hill. Any other resort would have built a road up to the day lodge a third of the way up, but at Revy they built it at the valley bottom so they could brag about vertical in their marketing. Maybe in 20 years when they’ve built out more lift infrastructure I’d go back (assuming we actually still get snow then).
Still never made it to Whistler and Red, they’re on the bucket list for sure (well, Whistler will be if I ever start making a livable wage).
Also had a fun time at Marmot one year when nowhere at lower elevation had any snow in February
So jealous you've had a full on Castle pow day! I think you would especially love Red. Whistler is super busy so you might feel overwhelmed if you're used to the chill vibes at Castle. I really want to try Marmot!
@@riseandalpine My guy, this winter we have unrestricted lift at Castle. We plan on making the trek to Red at the top of list. Hopefully get at least a day at Golden. We did roll through Rossland a few years ago while we were in Nelson, but didn't end up clicking in. After your reviews, Red moved to the top. Whistler still is a hard sale for me, because I'm spoiled with no crowds, although Fernie does get busy on weekends, and pow days. It's day 2 & 3 out from a pow day at Fernie where you get the goodies. Castle you get the goodies, as soon as it snows, and you're still skiing untracked pockets 4 & 5 days on...
@@Jobama Yeah, Marmot didn't suck.
Red sucks, go to Revy!
Great list! I agree with pretty much all of your pics. Some I have not been to - like Kicking Horse or Norquay. But totally agree with Red in the top 5. So understated and virtually unlimited glade skiing. It felt like every inch of the place was skiable. As long as they have decent snow it is wonderful. Also appreciate your choice of Whitewater. Was only there once years ago (part of a trip to Red) and was knee deep in powder. Also agree with Whistler/Blackcomb. The lines on weekends can be nuts (bit better on black or double black - less traffic). The challenge is weather and varying snow conditions. This year started ok and now we are in limbo. Nice work!
Whitewater is such a gem eh!
I ski and snowboard, and I've been lucky enough to get to a few places in my life. I'll try to play along. Worth noting that I'm often with folks that aren't necessarily looking to push themselves too far, so it's nice if a mountain has some intermediate variety for them.
For Canada, I only have experience at the following mountains, and I'd put them in this order:
1. Whistler
2. Fernie (great snow, great terrain, limited intermediate options, limited vert)
3. Kicking (terrain is absurd, but make sure you're with people that want to go hard. Intermediate terrain is very limited)
4. Lake (great place, but also the coldest place on earth)
5. Kimberley (purely intermediate hill, but really fun for that)
6. Nakiska (to be fair it was a low snow day)
7. Pass Powderkeg (tiny and not much snow, but honestly I had tons of fun)
US is gonna be hard and controversial, but I'll do what I can
1. Alta
It's ski only which is a bit of a bummer but makes sense when you realize how much time you'll spend traversing. Still, the snow is unmatched.
2. Winter Park
This won't be a popular choice, but I think it's one of the best possible places with a group of mixed levels, it's the best bumps in the biz, it's only busy on Saturday, and the Vasque Ridge zone added some needed terrain. Good flow for the most part.
3. Palisades Tahoe
Closest to Kicking Horse I've seen in the states for bonkers terrain. Snow can be iffy, and I don't love the flow of the mountain, but the terrain is just wacko.
4. Mt. Batchelor
Another controversial pick here, but when the full 360 is on the backside is one of the most unique places you can possibly ski. True advanced terrain is definitely missing, and the flow can fall apart, but I love the backside so much. Unfortunately it's not open all that much.
5. Jackson Hole
Cons: Pain to get to, expensive as hell, crowds. Pros: You already know.
6. Snowbird
Same snow as Alta, allows snowboarding, but again I don't love the flow.
7. Park City
Don't like the vibe, and it doesn't have the snow of the other Utah resorts, but it's gotta a ton of possible lines.
8. Crested Butte
Great for advanced, limited for intermediates, hard to get to, medium snow
9. Breckenridge
Town is great, mountain is pretty solid, crowds are brutal, but the worst thing is that I've never skied or boarder anywhere with less safety conscious people on the slopes. Head on a swivel 24/7/365.
Famous places I haven't been: Aspen, Vail, Mammoth
Place I loved but only been in the spring with limited terrain: A-Basin
Place I've been but so long ago I don't feel comfortable rating: Big Sky, Grand Targhee, Keystone, Baker, Crystal, Copper
Bonus Round, other continents
1. 3 Vallées
Probably the best place I've ever been. Completely insane scale, tons of terrain. Even some trees, which is rare over there, but nothing like Canada or the US in that regard. The size, views, and vibe are unmatched though.
2. Sella Ronda in Italy
Not really a single resort, but what an incredible experience
3. Niseko
Great snow, extremely Australian, lots of lift closures.
Place I've been but so long ago I don't feel comfortable rating: Val-d'Isère, Les Diablerets, Chamonix, Grandvalira
All time top 5:
1. 3 Vallées
2. Whistler
3. Alta
4. Fernie
5. Winter Park
Whew.
Dude. Thank you for writing this out, It's actually super helpful for my trip planning! Unbelievable that you have been able to explore so many of the top resorts in the world! You've got me stoked to get out there and explore this winter. Any ideas on strategies on how to make the US trips more affordable?
@@riseandalpine Happy if it can be of any help!
The downside of growing up far from a ski mountain is pretty obvious, but the upside is the you can kinda go wherever you want. Luckily my parents were total ski hounds even though we lived in a place without snow, and they travelled a bunch for work so I got to hit up a ton of rad mountains. Mom is a French history prof, which explains the Euro places. I did a ski/snowboard instructor course at Fernie, so I got to know that place pretty well. Was actually planning to move to the mountains and teach, but covid killed that plan. Maybe in the future...
Anyway, as for doing it on a budget, what we did growing up was just stay about an hour away from the hill and eat the milage. Of course, I'm old so gas was cheaper, parking was cheaper, so on and so forth. Still, with a bunch of these places it's feasible to commute from a bigger town. All the main Utah options are a fairly short drive from Salt Lake, particularly if you can do it on a weekday with low traffic. Colorado resorts are more of a haul, but you can definitely round trip from Denver if you do it during the week. Weekends will be hell on the roads in both places. Pow days will also get crazy. Still, most of these drives will be shorter or similar to what you do from Van to Whistler.
If you're flying in to Denver and not driving, which might save you some cash, the Summit County resorts (Keystone, Breck, A-Basin, Copper (which I forgot to list but didn't love)) are all on a free shuttle if you are staying in the area. Could get a shuttle from the airport and then take the bus to all the different places, although it's not exactly light speed. Unfortunately they aren't all on the same ski pass, so you'd need Epic and Alterra to hit them all. summitcountyco.gov/services/transit_summit_stage/bus_schedule/winter_bus_schedule.php
The UTAH TRANSIT AUTHORITY SKI BUS might be helpful too, but I confess I've never used it. www.rideuta.com/News/2023/11/Ski-Bus-2023-2024
As for tickets, it's basically a case of picking your pass. With Whistler being on Epic that means you could target Breck, Keystone, Crested, and Park City. Crested is pretty far from anywhere, but you can make all the others cheaper with driving/buses. I'm not up to date on the hostel situations in those places, but I've had luck with that before. Same for camping I'm afraid. I'm usually with family that doesn't wanna get to rustic!
3 Vallées is actually really cheap to ski compared to NA if you can work out the transport. Epic gets you 7 days, there's a bazillion options for lodging, and food is WAY cheaper. I'd kill to see you do a video from there. haha.
FWIW at your level of skiing I'd focus on Alta/Snowbird (they are connected), Jackson, A-Basin, Crested Butte, and Palisades in the US. I think they'd be closer to what you enjoy skiing than something like Winter Park. Although with trees... haha. Many options out there. Telluride has a bunch of crazy hike-to terrain, but I can't speak to it personally. Silverton would be right up your alley I suspect with your back/slack country experience as well.
Hope any of that helps!
And I appreciate the videos my guy. I find most ski vloggers out there kinda weird...sometimes I'm not sure they love skiing. Never a question with you!
I grew up skiing on big white and I hold it very close to my heart, however I’ve maybe seen 10 days of bluebird skies out of the maybe 100 plus days I’ve been their. Amazing snow and community though, miss it.
Such an amazing hill. I can't wait to go back.
Of the 4 Interior Mountains Sun Peaks is the best all arounder, Big White trying to hard to become Whistler like Kelowna trying to be Vancouver 😂
Man Crusty lives the dream! Well played mate 👏👏👏👏
"Crusty Ranks Canada"
I grew up riding sunshine. Lots of people rank it very low because its "flat" and that can be true for the main runs, but the slackcountry is where it really shows itself. Plus it gets absolute dumps at least 2-3x per year.
If you ever get the chance to, go hit up Marmot Basin. Its a really cool resort and the lines are usually chill. Plus the locals there are top notch. Jasper is a serious ski town, unlike Banff or Whistler which focuses more on shops and fine dining. Hopefully Jasper can open this year or next for tourism again.
I can only imagine how fun the Sunshine slack is! Even the lift access stuff is pretty damn awesome. Marmot is absolutely on my radar!
@@riseandalpine pretty sure you mentioned most of it in the vid haha. Delirium Dive and Wild West are the two main slack country runs. I guess the shoulder counts too but it might be in bounds now.
I’ve been everywhere Here’s My Top 10:
1) Whistler
2) Kickinghorse (Golden is also getting to be much nicer of late, it use to be a dump of a town it’s not anymore, might be number one soon, plus no beginners around)
3) Sunshine (can’t beat The Dive and Wildwest, also best Chair Selection in World. Heated Quads instead of going to clubhouse, yes please. Banff apes Ski please, but staying on the mountain is also incredible)
4) Fernie (Mountain has always been the same, but the towns exploded last decade as funky as Nelson now)
5) Revelstoke (when it dumps it’s the best resort in Canada, like everyone in Calgary books a week off and leaves when snows a coming at Revy and puts up with a 24 Hour drive back home with closed off highways, it’s so good)
6) Red Mountain (great town around it surprised more don’t make the trek, super advanced as well so no noobs)
7) Whitewater (it’s catching Red Mountain for me with the new chairs it might have, plus Nelson is the best Ski Town in Canada by far)
8) Louise (I’ve been there on plenty of dump days and it might have best run in Canada at top of the rarely opened peak tow with the greatest view in maybe the world. Plus locals know all the Hidden Spots like “Rock Garden” a boulder pillow rock run that you can just lap all day, but most don’t find it.
9) Panorama (hiking the Goldie Plateau and Tayton Bowl right of the top chair are just a blast, apparently they’re also expanding in a few years and let’s face it getting drunk with everyone in the communal hot tubs is just as fun. Plus go to Kickinghorse for a day when you’re there like a 1.5 Drive)
10) Big White (being so close to Kelowna makes up for a lot, best Snow Bunnies anywhere outside of Europe)
HM: Castle Mountain (love the chutes and such a laid back feel. Makes me miss Fortress Mountain)
Top. 10 USA
1. Park City/Deer Valley
2. Snowbird/Alta
3. Jackson’s Hole
4. Aspen
5. Telluride
6. Sun Valley
7. Breckenridge
8. Mount Hood
9. Tahoe
10. Whitefish
HM: A-Basin
HM2: Brighton
Go to Utah in normal season if you’re doing a full winter and then go to Colorado later year the altitude keeps the snow longer, but Utah gets sooooooooo much better snow and is way more fun. Park City is the best Ski Town in North America. Think like a laid back Whistler where the rich haven’t totally invaded.
You really have skied it all. Seems like we have a somewhat similar list. Stoked to see if my rankings of the US mountains is similar.
You're pretty much bang on dude. Found me one of those snow bunnies in Kelowna. ha ha. (mmm couch cuddling). Agreed, Nelson and Park City the best ski towns. Telluride used to also be good. Never have I seen bluer skies than at Sun Valley. Jackson Hole goes to the top of my list. The Hobacks on a good day - helicopter skiing without the helicopter. 'No' to Vail?
Great list, time to cross the pond and ski the Alps. Drastically different, but a lot of fun too.
Best Snow Bunnies... hha someone must have had a good time there last ;)
@@user-iw5mp5th6d Everybody's ranks are different which is great or everyone would want to go to a few of the "best resorts". Heavenly while beautiful and was a cool resort (desert and lake views) had irritating flat spots and the snow wasnt great so I wouldnt ski it again -- Killebrew Canyon was great, but hard to lap. Steamboat is nice, but the double blacks are hard to lap and they are really short. Really want to hit up Kirkwood... What are your top 10?
Loved this video. Iv only ever been to sun peaks and big white so loved seeing where they stack up to other places near by. Apex, whistler, and revelstoke are on my list to try for mountains near by
All such fun places
Yay Silver Star in the top 10! 🤫 Secrets out. It's only downside is the flat section for boarders. So happy to be 30 min away😁
Sick spot for your home resort!
I’ve done seasons at Sunshine and Whistler. As much as you want to hate on them for being so famous and you want that contrarian hipster pick, they are awesome! They are famous for a reason.
100%
My top 3 would be:
1. Revelstoke (lots of snow and steep terrain)
2. Sunshine (some of the best snow in Canada rockies snow is different than BC snow it's fluffier, Marmot is also awesome with tres and the cirque.
3. Whistler (massive but kind of expensive and a bit of a let down. I'm sure with a good dump of powder it would be better).
Solid 3 for sure!
@riseandalpine Thanks, I enjoy watching your content! Hoping to get out to kicking horse for my first time this year maybe that gets added to the top three!
You do know the Canadian Rockies are in B.C. too, right?
Just getting back into skiing after moving back to BC from Manitoba. Really appreciate your overview of the mountains in the Province. Not so much craving the steep and crazy like you at this point but great to know whats out there.
So glad you enjoy the videos Ed and so stoked you're getting back into the sport!
Last time I was this early, it hadn't snowed in Banff yet
Love it!
Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park is fantastic. Gets an extremely long season (November to late May typically). Stays cold and the snow stays consistent. Lots of steep and great glades, awesome chairlift architecture. It's just far from everything.
Really want to try Marmot this year!
It will be interesting to see where you slot in Marmot Basin once you get there. It's the true sleeper mountain in the Rockies. Of course there might be some hills in Quebec that you would like more than places like Kimberly. And don't forget the northern BC areas.
Lot's of spots I still am yet to ski. I've skied almost every resort in Quebec when I lived there and didn't like anything better than any spot I've been in BC!
@@riseandalpine What was your favorite in Quebec and did you hit any of the Vermont and New York areas?
I'm spending the season at Kicking Horse this year so this video has got me feeling pretty smug about my decision 😏
(Thanks so much for all your other great vids on Kicking Horse too, I'm so hyped to go explore it!)
You are most definetly going to leave a way better skier than when you arrived. You'll have no choice hahaha
@@riseandalpine I'm beginning to sense that the first few weeks are going to be a humbling experience for me 😆
kicking horse hits hard, was there once when it snowed 2 meters in a day. Probably the best day skiing i have ever had.
2 meters in a day???? Holy balls
@@riseandalpine yes they were very holy that day
I don’t get why everyone I know in Calgary drives further to go to Revy, I just go to Kickinghorse (Or Fernie, Redwater) every time.
Kicking Horse has never in its history had 2m in a day
@@riseandalpinenever happened
Whistler on a Snow day (40 or more cm) is EPIC. If you can ski double diamonds it’s like Science Fiction. Glades and Couloir galore. My family usually just alternates between Whistler and Blackcomb each time we go. Both mountains are da bomb. Last winter the snow came later in the season. But there was that week when it snowed over 100cm. You don’t forget those days…
100% I still dream about the big days from last season. Unforgettable!
I find Whistler Blackcomb a great big beautiful resort. The lineups and traffic just take so much away from the experience. Thanks for the review!
I totally agree! It's funny how Whistler is the best but also the absolute worst at the same time.
Agree! If you live there then totally, but if you travel for it and hit a pow day with the lineups, it’s absolutely brutal. I’m surprised at sunshine tbh, the snow is so insanely inconsistent and bad last couple of years
I agree with your rankings and YES WB is the heavyweight for terrain and vibe.
KH, Red , Revi, WW, SS, and Castle are some of my Top Faves too! 🎿⛷️⭐️
100%
Season drawing too a close in the next month here in NZ, cant wait to see the content u put out this season!
Thanks dude! Hope you've been having a great one out there. Hopefully one day I can get this channel big enough so I can come for a summer ski in NZ
@@riseandalpine 100%, if ur ever down south there will be loads of locals happy to show u the best chutes and couloirs NZ has to offfer!
Great list. Whistler #1 is a very valid opinion.
It just can't be beat!
OMG you mentioned Beaver Valley in Ontario in the intro, it almost makes me feel like a real skier. 😜😂🤣
If you ski , you're a skier! Even more so if you ski the Beav!
I was stunned when he said beaver valley 😅😅 I lived 20 minutes from there growing up
Beaver Valley is a great example of getting the most out of small vertical. Glade skiing, one of the steepest runs in eastern Canada, cruisers etc. It's about as good as it gets in Ontario. I've heard that Searchmont, near Sault Ste Marie is pretty decent with, for Ontario, a lot of snow.
Norquay: agree but I’d add that it absolutely has the best views of Banff when you go up “the big chair”. Great for the tourists visiting Banff, and families to go to the tubing area.
Revelstoke: I would have agreed with you until I went with locals. It’s a mountain you really need to learn how to ski, and it’s not obvious. It does require hiking and traversing, but it’s well worth it.
Sunshine: I’ve had some of my best days here, but surprised you put it this high. I feel like this is a mountain that helps to have local knowledge. If delirium and Wild West are closed it’s a meh mountain. But there’s a lot of sneaky parts to the mountain
Totally fair. I've ripped Revy with locals. The slack and tricky stuff is sick but the resort as a whole leaves something to be desired. Agree about SSV, without the Dive and WW it is ranked lower for me too. Norquay views are nuts!!!
Lived in Sunshine for a week, powder every day to wake up to with freshies, it was sick. Louise was my hill, from the rock gardens to the trees, back side and the ERs. Powder pilling up on our laps a few times. Too few lives to catch in all. Marmot had lots. Fortress was small, with tree and gullies runs, (the "Air Force" trained there) I had a floor for 10 bucks a night. We could have had 50 people in there. too bad it closed. Panorama was a little commercial, Kimberley was nice. Fernie was raining cats and dogs, couldn't see the top. I guess above the clouds was fine, but we were soaked before we got lift tickets so no...
Whistler is my number 1 because I met you there last season and it was one of the highlights of my life as a skier.
Ayyyee - great lap down chainsaw!
Sunshine! I knew you'd answer my question whether Sunshine was better than Louise. I knew it!!!!!!! Thanks for clearing that up! lol
Just a personal preference, but I think many locals would disagree with me. Will be interesting to hear from them in the comments.
😂😂
Great list! But as a banff local I think lake is better, sunshine definitely gets better snowfall but lakes terrain and layout is better IMO
@@riseandalpineI ski’d them both during the March break last year. There was decent snow at both hills. Sunshine really only has one area for intense skiing- Goats Eye mountain. The rest of the resort is pretty flat. But skiing right into the glades once you come out of the couloir on Goats Eye was cool. Obviously I need to ski both more but I think Louise was better for advanced/ experts.
@@2204JCMGoat's Eye is the best lift but there are pockets of great terrain all over the mountain. There's a reason Virgin Chutes is the recommended test before you try the Dive!
I think your rankings are pretty spot on for anyone that goes beyond groomed runs. A few comments I'd add... 😅
Panorama, bang on. Amazing quieter family destination too. My wife likes cruising the groomed blue's and I'd take the steeps from the top to meet her and then I'd ski the glades off the side as she cruised. Worked great. I'd be sacked, she was relaxing. Lol.
Agree on the Star over Big White. I lived just off the Putnam side of tbe Star growing up. We would night ski there on full moon powder days and wreck half the top of the front side under the full moon. Epic. Lots of great hidden runs there too, or lines in between those back ◇◇ you talked about.
Agree on Sunshine over Louise too. Unless you get a good powder day at Louise on a weekday. (I was self employed in Calgary.) Then maybe Louise has the edge still.
Been going to Kicking Horse since it opened. I truly dont know how some of those runs are legally allowed! Lol. Ass kickers. Still some above my pay grade for sure. 😅 But a great hill.
I'm glad you included Castle too. We would sometimes hit it from Calgary on those precious weekday powder days. Ski straight onto the lift, you'd get more powder than heliskiing! No stop, basically unmarked all day sometimes. Who cares about the slow lifts when your ass is so kicked by 3pm youre basically done anyhow!
Just my 2 cents anyhow.
Love the insights!
Delighted you caved and made the list!
Finally eh!
It needs to be redone. Why? Because how good a mountain is depends on factors such as your finances, level of skill, the importance of the village, etc. For example Sun peaks rates low for Expert skiing but rates high for Family Skiing due to factors such as price, the number of beginner and intermediate runs, and short lift lines.
I like your strategy of putting Whistler as #1. Keep all of the tourists out there and all of the best mountains for us!
I ride Sunshine maybe too much. It's great on a pow day, but wind blown throughout most of the season. I wouldn't rank it as high. I just wish some of the other hills were closer to Calgary.
All part of the master plan ;)
Great list! Although I think Whistler is the best mountain on earth, the crowds make it unbearable. Also, I personally think Revie should be higher, but can absolutely see where you are coming from.
Lastly, happy to see that none of the East Coast mountains made the list. Any time I see those mountains on any list, I immediately discredit it. Hard to compare big mountains with big snow, to tiny hills with tons of ice.
Whistler can be totally unbearable.... When you hit those weekdays with sleeper pow, blue sky's and no people. It is heaven. Webcam's make it harder these days. But the terrain and snowfall is hard to beat. Laughing my ass off at your east coast comment. I totally agree. When you see a list with Tremblant as #5 in Canada you always have to wonder who payed who in the marketing department.
What about Le Massif? Hitting that up this year, hoping it will be alright
@@KZ-yu4jzI’ve been. If you’ve grown up out east I guess it’s fine but if you’re from the west it’s garbage.
@@KZ-yu4jz I've had a couple good days there. Lots of vert for an east coast hill, plus great views. It's also a bluff hill so parking is at the top. Cold. Bring your heavy layers. I could see it being awesome on a pow day.
Hey big fan of your channel me and the wife choose a different resort to buy season passes we are very excited to be on Lake Louise this season for our 20 days i think you missed a hidden gem in marmot basin we found it a very family friendly resort and did our last ski season there could you do a review on marmot? That would be sick we look forward to your new videos for the coming season keep living the dream brother
Thanks!! Lake Louise will be a total blast. Marmot is still on my hit list. I'm sure I'll love it when I finally have the chance to give it a whirl.
Great to see some love for KHMR! I almost wondered if you were about to put it above WB.
I might have too If I visit a couple more times!
Def above Whistler and No.1 for gnarliest resort ever
Great to see my hometown mountain shout outs, Baldy and Apex!
Great hills to call home and bounce between.
agree mostly with this list..always love sunshine as home resort..love fernie and kicking horse...whistler is great but the minus point for us is just the long line and crowds
It's cool you feel the same about some of these resorts! It's honestly hard to actually recommend Whistler as a vacation destination spot due to the horrible lines
@@riseandalpine Give your legs another 25 years and see how high you rate a westcoast mountain. The weight of the snow in Whistler vs. any of the interior mountains is signficant once you add a few years to your knees. Red Mountain has some chutes and trees (out of bounds) that are hard find anywhere else. The steeps and the powder depth make you feel like you're flying - weightless carving in chest-high pow. I've never been able to match that feeling at Whistler.
Great vid, agree with the rankings for the most part.
Castle I just love, what a hidden gem.
Fernie terrain is so diverse and sick. Hard to beat a pow day at Fernie.
Kicking is so gd steep inbounds and when it has powder it's pure thrills.
Sunshine I'm not a fan of, always had medicre experiences there growing up. So much ice.
Lake Louise is just special. Needs snow to even consider going. Those star wars trees are trippy as hell.
W/B I'll only go on pow weekdays and a pow weekday at Whistler..oh man. So much fun and a two hour drive from the city. The boss understands pow days.
Gotta find a boss that understands pow days! The key to a long and healthy career.
Great video!! My top 5 in BC / AB:
1. Revy
2. Red Mtn
3. Whistler / Blackcomb
4. Louise
5. KH
Red & Revy a deadly BC combo for sure!
So the first time I skied Louise (Ontario skier here) was about 30 years ago and the week I skied there they had a puke of champagne pow to the tune of well over a meter in a few days. Never seen snow flakes that were 5cm across. It was crazy snow all week long with limited visibility and it was f'n COLD. Warmest day was -19. Last day there was a thermal inversion and they finally opened the poma to the top. Epic power but even better, my buddy and I made the first tracks of the season in the back bowls including a 10' cornice drop into chest deep pow. Best day ever!
What a memory! Putting first tracks of the year into the back bowl would be absolutely mental. Hard to beat a day like that eh
really enjoyed this video, never skied in canada but whistler or the big 3 are bucketlist for sure
Both are worthy of a trip! Big 3 is more affordable and pretty damn cool. You can also link Kicking Horse in a day trip too with a rental car
@@riseandalpine honestly the chances of me making it to canada anytime soon our low 🤣 someday i will get there, some day
Speaking of rank, my wife, who was in competitive GS , once soiled herself on the chairlift and it pushed through her Lycra ski suit and onto the snow below. By the time we skied down you could see the huge amount of people who skied through it.
That is absolutely insane hahhaha. One of the craziest ski stories ever.
I'm surprised she's not ex-wife after you so enthusiastically shared this story 😂
1-whitewater 2-red 3-revy 4-fernie 5-kicking horse. I'm all about the slack country, pillow lines and pure true old school ski resorts.
You gotta ski Castle if you're down with the old school, my dude...It's a sleeper.
That checks out! Whitewater's slack is dope for sure. How was the flow with the new chair this season??
shhhh. lol
Whitewater sucks man , you don't want to go there .
stfu bro don;t tell everyone :P
Had the pleasure of spending a few seasons at Fernie and at Red Mountain. Greatest times of my life!!
Two wicked spots. Glad to hear you were able to hunker down there for a little bit
I went to red in December a few years ago and it sucked! Over half was closed and there was no snow anywhere! I definitely saw the potential I just didn’t get to ski it.
On another note, not too far from BC is crystal mountain in Washington, and that is such a fun resort! It’s huge too, you really need 3 full days of skiing to experience it because it’s 7 or 8 mountains with so much backcountry and off piste skiing and the on piste skiing is so much fun too. Please check it out if you get the chance. The other resorts in the area are fun too but that’s the best one. Mt. Baker gets a ton of snow so I would recommend that too although they are all fun.
Besides those, I have been to whistler, big white, silverstar, snowbird, Alta, and solitude. Of course Utah is great I had a blast getting first chair on a pow day into honeycomb canyon and some other runs at solidtude, and another rope drop at Alta. When I was younger I hated whistler because I wasn’t good enough to ski high up and it rained a lot on the lower mountain but now I love it. Big white is also one of my favorites but I can confirm the visibility sucks. I also go to silverstar for a week every year around Christmas and freaking love it! This last year the backside was mostly closed but we had one 11 cm day and that was great. I have had some huge days there in the past and the village is also so great too. You gotta love silverstar. I completely agree with this list and I am super exited for some American resorts and also for this ski season! Sadly I moved for school to New York but I will be trying out mont tremblanc and some others and I am trying to go back to Seattle area after a semester or go to Utah and try and get some good snow I can feel this year to be a good one! Great vid hope you have some pow days!
I moved away for school too! But, great thing, you'll always come back to somewhere with good mountains when you settle down and get that job. Noted on Crystal! Really eager to try that place.
@deweydogstudios1568 Crystal is my home mountain and Red is where I visit every year. Last year the whole PNW season sucked though. Feb was a washout with rainstorms. By March, Crystal was unskiable on any day (even a Wednesday) if there was fresh snow, just massive overwhelming crowds desperate to use their ski pass before year ran out. Snow season wasn't any better at Red, but the total lack of lift-lines and crowds made all the difference.
Reds snow has sucked for the past few years. I had a pass there for nearly 6 years and after 2022 I never bothered to get another because whenever I got up to the mountain there was very little snow and it was packed. Unfortunatly red is no longer a local secret
Left some northern talents off this list..shames, hudson bay and even the isle ghost Mt.Cain. Good on ya for giving apex credit. Hidden gem. Cool list
Thanks for watching! Anything I left off is just because I haven't skied there. Everything you mentioned are places I want to hit.
Nice list man! You know I'm bias like you for whis but honestly everywhere else you go you're like "this place is sick!!! If only it had [insert something] it'd be as good as whistler!
I agree on revvie. Didn't grab me or my friends either. My BC list in order is 6. Sun peaks 5. Revvie, 4. Whitewater 3. Red mountain 2. Kicking horse (so so good) and 1. Whistler.
Keep up the good work legend. Looking forward to yelling at you off a chair sometime soon.
You know how I think. Every resort is the 'best ever' just love the sport so damn much. Your list is super fair. Nice to see Sun Peaks so high, it's truly one of the best all rounders.
Looking forward to your yell from the chair.
Nice list, giving me the chill for the upcoming season!! Hard to argue with Whistler/Blackcomb up near the top. I worked there many many years ago for a couple of seasons and absolutely loved it. It was definitely less busy than it is now, and I knew the mountain well so avoided a lot of the b/s. The lines and just sheer busyness is just too much for me these day.
My top three faves that I have actually skied are probably rank 1)Whitewater 2)Whistler Blackcomb 3)Red Mountain .
1) Whitewater - The snow is just top notch most of the time here, there is no cell reception, which I love. There is also only the basic resort items you need, no massive condos and all the capitalistic crap. Just pure snow and your buddies. The slack country here is also absolutely fantastic (safety third of course). Their avalanche forecasting is top-notch and these guys are on it daily, they are also not like many resorts and support and work with the backcountry community. Not to mention staying in Nelson itself it pretty great. Small town, with a ton of food options, on the water and lots of entertainment for the size.
2) Whistler Blackcomb - Sheer size, skiable acres, and awesome alpine skiing with a variety of terrain. If you're after somewhere with all the terrain, massive night life or a sweet cabin to rent with a group, get it. Nowadays far too busy for me though.
3) Red - I love the terrain here as well. Lifts are definitely a bit of a hinderance in terms of accessing things more quickly, but I like that they've spread things out and it never feels busy. Very small town feel with all of the chill. Great little bars, pubs and often live music for a small town. It does have some great hidden spots and some excellent backcountry/slack access as well. It is hit or miss for snow, so you've got to try and catch the good part of the season. I absolutely love this little town. The people rock!
4) Apex mention - current home mountain, and I love this place. Most down to earth community, definitely can crush out a lot of vert is short period of time and there are never lines. If you know where to go, the slackcountry is also great. Minimal restaurants, bars, etc. But the ones that exist are top notch and a riot. The people make this place.
Love the review. Happy shredding all.
Love your top picks. The Slack at WH20 is sick and I'd love to run a full season there. Red rocks and I'm stoked you wound up at Apex. I had such a good time skiing with the locals there, great people and really good skiing. I'm sure the deep days at Apex really rock.
I really enjoyed your list and I’ve ridden at most of these resorts at least a few times myself. I’d personally move panorama higher even though they lack snow due to the amazing variety of terrain (Tayton Bowl!!) and the complete lack of crowds. Fresh powder easily lasts a week here vs 2-3 days in Whistler
definitely give biggie another try on a clearish day!
Of course I will! Big White is legend.
Big Whiteout from Nov to mid Feb. Everything is great after that.
Please go to Mt. Washington, that would be so funny to watch, especially since I'm a local!
I'm super keen to give it a ski!
Revelstoke just gets so much snow compared to other resorts in the area also they had some of the best groomers I've ever seen
Totally! Their groomers are pretty damn nuts. Some of the longest ever. TBH my top 7 on this list are pretty darn interchangeable.
You are so right about Big White haha, my home resort and i love the place, ticks all the boxes, but you dont see the f***in sun!! place is Beautiful when you ge the chance to ski is on a bluebird day and go up to alpine.
Always dreaming of a bluebird day up there!
It's not called "Big White-out" for nothing! I lived/skied there for most of the season in 1981. I never saw the whole place for the first couple of weeks.....lol.
I am Canadian, but grew up skiing and snowboarding at Mount Baker in Washington State. In '98 or '99 Baker had the world record for snowpack at a ski resort. They had to dig out the chairlifts in certain places because the lifts couldn't run due to snow drifts or snowfall being in the way. I have had way more incredible powder days at Baker than Whistler (though my Baker days far outweigh Whistler days to be fair). Now we live in the Okanagan and have Silverstar season's passes, so we can't wait to get to know this underrated mountain that happens to be the 3rd biggest ski resort in BC in terms of skiable acres! We work remotely and live 35-40 mins from the Silverstar parking lot, so weekday powder laps will be a thing!
Baker is the best mountain ever and I've been to almost all the ones he reviewed. Silverstar unfortunately blows. Terrible layout. not enough snow, all moguls or groomers. Virtually no rock or cliffs and super long groomers taking you back to the chairs kind of like Whistler mtn. Big White out is way better if you can get a day it's not socked in.
Baker is one of a kind for sure! Can't say I agree with Sean. I think you've wound up in an awesome spot. I've got a friend who lives on the hill up to the resort as well and absolutely loves it. Everyone's preferences are different and honestly I like long groomers and bumps. To be honest, long term, I don't see myself jumping off cliffs and rocks when I'm older hahaha. Just stoked to be turning and skiing a place that isn't too busy.
Yeah, the one time I tried for Baker, that was my experience. The lifts were all snowed in. I'd love to get there though. In lieu of skiing, I was introduced to some of the best pan fries ever at a little eatery down the road!
Tough to rank these resorts, good on you for travelling to all of them, thats a feat on its own..
I've skied many of them and the points you make are valid.
Schrobers Dream at Panorama is by far my favourite fall line run.
Whistler is like the Kardashians, famous for being famous, thats about it, bring money. First tracks, if they still do that is fun.
Lake Louise is consistently in the top 5 most beautiful ski mountain in the world, stunningly beautiful.
Fernie on a heavy snow day is scary shit, bottomless powder.
Sunshine, varies on any given day, easy to get lost when a snow squall rolls in.
Norquay, very steep.
Snow ghosts at Big White are cool.
Thanks for posting.
Schrobers is an absolute ripper at Pano, loved it too!
Road tripped these in 2023, ranking them:
1. Fernie - it has everything. Town is vibes!
2. RED - also has everything, but is a bit smaller, and slower chairs.
3. Revelstoke - unreal skiing, but the layout is strange.
4. Whistler Blackcomb - epic, but the lines suck. I get why it's your #1 if you're local.
5. Sunshine - other than Delerium and Goat's Eye it's so flat.
6. Lake Louise - 80 cm base in the middle of Feb. Need I say more?
Super fair ratings! I do agree with Sunshine being flat. If you remove the Dive, Wild West and Goat's Eye, it would definetly be number 7 or so for me.
Pretty decent and accurate ranking, but as an Ontario resident I do have few cents to add ;-).
1.Whister - it is fantastic when the weather is good, however when you are booking trip 4-6 months in advance - it's pure lottery on what you gonna get when you are skiing there. Sometimes conditions are crap (coastal mountains, not Alps) and nothing you can do about it. And when you hit the crowds - meeh, it feels like 'Screw you guys, I'm going home' (c) Cartman
2. Sunshine - been there 4 times, all of these both Dive and West were closed. When they are closed - the only real fun to be had is at the Goat's Eye Mountain and even with hikes - there is not much. The rest is pretty mellow.
Apart from that - hell ya, keep it coming bro.
Totally fair Nik! I couldn't agree more. Booking 1 week in Whistler is a pure lottery and could either be the best week of your ski life, or the worst. Way more consistent resorts out there. Whistler is best for locals, or people able to do an extended 4-6 week trip so they can hedge against weather!
I must have gotten lucky with the freeride terrain at SSV - would have a different outlook on it without those zones being open
Marmot is awesome and will crack the top 10 on your list, maybe even the top 5.
Can't wait to try it!
@@riseandalpine I grew up in Edmonton (now in Vancouver) so Louise/Sunshine/Marmot were my go-tos. I will be shocked if you don't put Marmot above both Sunshine/Louise when you ski it. Also not for nothing, but Jasper (pre wildfire, who knows now) was a much more fun town to hang out in than Banff
I'm curious what you like so much about Marmot... I grew up in Edmonton, and we would almost always go to the Banff resorts, primarily Sunshine. I love any day I can be out skiing, but going to Marmot for me has always felt a bit frustrating that everything funnels down into same spot at the bottom. There are a couple of chairs you can stay on at the top if you want, but if you do a long run, there are very few options that don't end up funnelled into the greens with seemingly every beginner on the mountain. I would like to hear what you enjoy about it, and maybe the next time I go there I can focus on the good and forget my frustrations! 😃
Only when it has snow. It's pretty miserable if it hasn't snowed in 3 weeks and it's -20 or worse... But yes, the terrain is amazing, the snow can be amazing (or non-existent) and there's lots of cool snow stashes.
@@getrightoutoftown everything off Knob chair is great. Eagle East is great. Caribou Knoll has snow stashes when no where else does. Cornice, Peak Run and now Mamot Basin Cirque are all epic if you're willing to hike a bit. Oh, and Edmontonians aren't great skiers so all the great zones are usually untouched. You can find pow stashes a week after a snowfall...
Such a sick video ❤
Thanks Bruce!
Love the Silver Star love. I skied there a few years back and loved it. I was still a bit of a beginner at the time but I'm dying to go back and try some of the more advanced stuff now that it's been a couple years. Also love the small town and how you truly feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, not to mention small lift lines. Overall great vibes and super underrated.
100% SilverStar's experience overall is amazing.
Great list and very fair. I've never been to whistler but I'm also not a huge fan of crowds. Only one I would put lower is louise, every single time I have gone there 90% of the runs are basically skating rinks. 0 snow all ice. Love Sunshine though. So much variety.
Glad you thought it was fair! Whistler is amazing, but if you hate crowds, 100% never visit, you will hate Whistler. Unless you sneak up in mid-April for some sleeper days when everyone in the city has switched to biking.
I noticed that Chicopee in Kitchener Ontario was accidentally left off your list. Highest vertical drop in Canada with thr fluffiest powded in North America.
😂😂😂
My brother was an instructor there in the early 80s under school director Schwirtlick. He was going to Wilfrid Laurier University at the time and spoke highly of the little mountain in the city! I grew up at a hill smaller than Chicopee. LOL LOL
Funny stuff!!!
Glad Kicking Horse made your second pick, I lived in Golden for a couple years and by far some of the best shredding I’ve ever experienced. The locals are awesome but everyone likes to keep it a secret lol and after living there I can see why.
Such a sick hill! It's impossible to gate keep anyways these days when it comes to resorts. KHMR has a huge barrier to entry when it comes to skill level to enjoyment. Unless there is a major infrastructure expansion, the beginner riders won't ever pay too much attention and flood it.
@@riseandalpine totally man I think just waiting an hour in line on a pow day is what really upsets locals, it can be a pain only getting 3 full laps in as your entire day but that’s why I stick to the slack country or go for some hikes haha. Maybe someday they’ll expand again and we can get another lift to the top or even mid mountain to disperse the crowds.
Between the crowds, high moisture content snow, and terrible on-mountain food... hard to recommend Whistler nowadays.
I got stuck in the Creekside parkade for 2.5 hours once. I didn't even know that was possible until Whistler showed me a whole new universe of lineups.
Whistler lineups are miserable. It serves locals much better than tourists. Would never really recommend a Whistler vacation to a serious skier, much better places
I remember that day, went to Dusty's for dinner instead
James rockin’ some Def Lev “Funked Up, Cranked Up”… perfectly describes how the Rise & Alpine ski experience was last year! AMAZING MOMENTS WITH SURPRISING DISCOVERIES!!!
Glad you thought the tune matched up to the video
Totally agree! Revelstoke sucks, don’t come!
Next time your out find a local, there’s amazing slack but you really need to know where you’re going!! Then if we could get in at more like #10 next year that would be great! Cheers
I agree. The slack is great. Resort for the average everyday non backcountry skier leaves something to be desired. At least for me :). I'll lower the ranking for ya next year to keep things quiet!
Very well done video. I have skied most of these resorts, my list would be similar. Here is some changes that I would have on my list and why:
-Castle would be one or 2 places higher. I hate even mentioning this. It is such a hidden gem. When its good (and its good a lot), its amazing. Terrain is so good and it has an old school vibe, one of the more affordable places to ski too.
-Kicking Horse would'nt be as high. I've never had a good day there (condition wise, lacks snow). Should have built the hill on the other side of the mountain.
-I agree with Revelstoke. Although I've almost always had a pow day there, it is over hyped. The "most vertical" in North America is BS cause the bottom of the hill is basically un ski able or a cat track".
-I'm hoping to get my boy skiing this year, he turns 3 soon. I havent skied in a few years but was an avid skier before, got into sled-skiing and then the fun of sledding (epic pow day everyday took over).
-I've skied in California quite a bit, do yourself a favour and ski Mammoth. The best days on skis I've had are at Mammoth. Epic snow and terrain. (7ft in 2 days 😂). Pow days in May. Americans don't seem to ski the trees like us Canadians so the trees in California have pow for days.
Interesting that Americans don't like trees, I'd have a hell of a lot of fun out there then!
Such a classic transition from skiing to sledding... Bottomless pow all the time is irresistible eh. Good luck teaching your boy to ski, that's such a legendary life milestone.
Mt baker was always a favorite of mine
Baker is the GOAT