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October, 2024

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Pacific Northwest/British Columbia Trip

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KyleTShreddin
Posts: 60 - Karma: 15
Hey NS,

I'm heading out to seattle this february to look at the University of Washington... We're going for 9 days (Thursday-Saturday) and we'll probably only spend the first friday and saturday looking at the school and checking out seattle. Anyways, so that leaves my dad and I six days to ski... The choices seem to be to head south and ski Hood Meadows, Bachelor, etc... Stick around Western Washington ski Baker, Crystal, Stevens, etc. or head north and ski whistler or interior BC. My dad and I aren't the type to like to ski one place for six or seven days straight, but at the same time don't want to be driving 3 hrs every night. Preferably, we'd ski like 2 days at 3 different places or something... Anyways, give me some advice! +K to anyone who helps out! I'm not only looking for advice on the skiing, but also travel logistics, lodging, etc...
Oct 17 2012 4:25PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Whistler for all six days if possible. The mountain(s) are huge. You won't be bored of them after six solid days of skiing and you're more likely to hit a pow day if you just stay in one place.
Oct 17 2012 4:30PM
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Bread_Fish
Posts: 760 - Karma: 71
What year are you in. I am a sophmore in HS and am also thinking about going to university of washington. I took a trip out there a few years ago. we went to crystal and it was on a pow day too. If you want parks i would to to timberline it is not that far only 1.5 hours to portland.
Oct 17 2012 4:57PM
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GANDALF
Posts: 6302 - Karma: 6,567
Click for larger image
Oct 17 2012 5:04PM
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KyleTShreddin
Posts: 60 - Karma: 15
I'm a junior
Oct 17 2012 5:53PM
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p-fo
Posts: 9372 - Karma: 6,155
LOL WSTCC

And the guy above me who said it's only 1.5hrs to Portland is wrong. It's 3 plus another hour to Hood.
Let me break it down here:
-Stevens: 1.5+
-Crystal: 2+
-Baker: 3+ (I may be wrong here; could be longer)
-Hood: 4+
-Bachelor: 6-7
-Whistler: 6.5
-Interior BC: 7-12 probably
Hood is about the only one that isn't super dependent on road conditions, as most of the drive is made near sea level and almost never sees snow. All the rest have significant mountain driving. I'd pick a locale and stick with it: BC, OR, or WA. I'd go to interior BC, personally, and hit up Revelstoke and all the other ill pow spots. But then again that's just because I already live in WA.
You should get decent snow in February no matter where you go, although Bachelor and Whistler weather does some crazy shit, like rain and be windy as shit randomly.
Oct 17 2012 5:53PM
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EmperorKuzco
Posts: 6660 - Karma: 254
Hey Kyle sucks you're a junior
Oct 17 2012 6:32PM
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skisalot111
Posts: 723 - Karma: 158
i would suggest hitting up some of the interior mountains in bc, you can go mountain hopping from biggie to silverstar to sun peaks even revvy
Oct 17 2012 8:42PM
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powderdrunkie
Posts: 2034 - Karma: 976
hit up alpental. it's closer than stevens from seattle and if you hate it just go to stevens the next day.
Oct 17 2012 9:26PM
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Drew_ski.
Posts: 1310 - Karma: 1,858
My suggestion is stay in seattle after you finish looking at uw. The next two days ski crystal and stevens next head to bellingham and ski baker for a day then go up to whistler for 3 days. You'll want the extra day in whistler.
Oct 17 2012 11:50PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
guys, lets get real.. the interior to bc is where this boy should be skiing. Whistler is a zoo unless you know where to go and baker is cement
Oct 18 2012 12:01AM
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p-fo
Posts: 9372 - Karma: 6,155
I kinda disagree with you on Baker, but rest is correct.
Oct 18 2012 12:05AM
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Squaw6
Posts: 469 - Karma: 50
Right here. If you're not just a park rat and you're willing to sacrifice a day for travel time; Go to Revelstoke or Red Mountain.
Oct 18 2012 12:24AM
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artrud
Posts: 598 - Karma: 1,471
Oct 18 2012 2:28AM
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openmindportrait
Posts: 1157 - Karma: 818
No way in hell is Whistler 6.5 hours away... I just was up there for the closing weekend of the bike park and made it in around 4 each way...
Oct 18 2012 9:31AM
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shredstar
Posts: 232 - Karma: 16
i spent a week in whistler and it was awesome, but we got tons of snow and even a little sun! also rode at crystal this spring and it was a lot of fun too, i thought they had a park, but what they had when i went was a joke. not sure if it always like that though
Oct 18 2012 11:15AM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
When were you there? If the weather is shit lots of the park doesn't open, but I assure you Whistler has one of the best parks in the world.
Oct 18 2012 2:31PM
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KyleTShreddin
Posts: 60 - Karma: 15

Thanks for the ideas guys, I'm not a huge park guy so I'm more concerned about terrrain and snow quality. Interior BC sounds really good because the weather and snow seems the most consistent, so, my new question is... what are the three most logistically compatible ski areas for a solid trip coming from Seattle?

Oct 18 2012 4:00PM
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Banane.
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 414
Revelstoke
Oct 18 2012 4:20PM
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paige.
Posts: 1932 - Karma: 924
Maybe head to Red from Seattle, then get up to Revy and on to Kicking Horse? Both Seattle->Red and Red->Revy are serious drives but getting to the Interior will be a lot of mileage however you look at it and at least you're breaking it up a bit as opposed to heading straight to Fernie or something.
Oct 18 2012 8:02PM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,085
Psh. All this Interior BC talk is nonsense. Yes, being further inland means less tendency for the major wet systems to make it that far, but those show up a few times a year in WA. There's real chance you'll get one, but it's small. You can minimize your exposure by sticking to higher resorts--Stevens and Crystal.

Skip super driving in a rental car and enjoy what you've got there. Part of checking out a college should involve checking out the skiing you'd be doing, right? So here's a roadtrip idea.

Check out UW. First day at Stevens, stay in Leavenworth. Second day at Stevens, stay in Leavenworth. Drive to Alpental the third morning, hit it up, drive to Green River. Two days at Crystal. Make the call if you want to go to Baker from there.
Oct 19 2012 12:25AM
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