XCD Vacation: Where would you go?

[MikeK]

Cool - thanks a lot for the info! I need to start shopping around and figure out transport... don't really want to fly if I don't have to.

[athabascae]

Well, I think to drive from upstate New York to Yellowstone in 9 days is pushing it. Its alot of time driving, and there would only be a few days for skiing. Even then, I'd be tired once I got there for the first couple of days - which would affect my willingness to spend long days touring and enjoying the experience and surroundings, and I definitely would be beat by the time we finally made it home. (I would also likely turn my wife off of doing similar ever again.) The train is a wonderful way to travel, but even then, its a really long haul.

I don't see much option but flying if you want to get to Yellowstone and enjoy it in the timeframe you have - maybe I'm wrong.

If you didn't want to fly, then, personally, I'd be aiming at the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec or the Gros Morne National Park and Grouse Mountain resort area of western Newfoundland. Even those are quite long drives (and ferry ride in the case of Newfoundland), but the scenery and wildlife both at the destination and getting there is fantastic, and those areas are really well suited/provisioned for outdoor winter recreation - plus both offer wonderful cultural experiences unique to the rest of North America! By my standards, they are every bit exotic locales as anywhere in Europe. Then there is the value of the Canadian dollar....

I believe you can catch the Via train from any small town on the Canadian side of Lake Ontario to the Gaspe, and then rent a car there, if you prefer to relax a bit and not drive. I love Via, its a wonderful way to travel (I'd suggest a stop in the Quebec City / Mont Ste. Anne area if you had time - great skiing and downtown is one of the nicest cities in North America, if you've never been). Newfoundland would require more travel and a ferry across the Atlantic, if not flying.

Just some thoughts.

Tom

[MikeK]

I'm kind of against flying because I want to bring my own skis, but I suppose I probably could get two pairs each in a travel bag, I probably don't need ALL my skis. I wouldn't drive...

Train would be nice if was a more direct travel and I could get a sleeper car.

We'll most likely wind up flying if we go that far west.

[paulk]

NEARBY DREAM: I concocted a tour of the Adirondacks for winter break this year. We're going to ski the BREIA trails (free) in Boonville Sunday and stay over at The Edge Hotel north of Boonville ($111.00 after tax with free breakfast) Then Monday drive to Paul Smith's north of Saranac Lake. Here we can take a day off or swing into free trails in Tupper Lake on the way, all before picking up food & drink for the next two days at Paul Smiths. We rented the kitchenette Osgood Room at WhitePineCamp.com 2 miles from the VIC ($99.00/night). All meals will be in. We ski the VIC trails ($12/person) all day Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Then we hit the road Wednesday and have the option of swinging into Cascade XC ski center for a beer or Van Ho on the way down to North Creek. Cascade XC center has great consignment used gear. Wednesday night in North Creek we check into HeadsAndBeds Hostel for $50/night. Thursday we ski Garnet Lake Lodge trails ($22 adult/better be good!) and Thursday afternoon we head home, past Lapland Lake XC ski center, exhausted probably!!!

FARTHER AWAY DREAM: Next year I'm going to try my best to get to Gaspesie, but eh hem, this will be a guy trip. Bc skiing above treeline, above treeline in the East, I can't wait for that! Other suggestions much closer for hut to hut: http://www.sepaq.com/rf/pal/

REALLY FAR AWAY DREAM: Mike, do you have a copy of Steve Barnett's THE BEST SKI TOURING IN AMERICA. Covers so many areas/destinations I can't start. You can find copies on Alibris for under $5.00

[Freshpow]

Go to Purcell Mountain Lodge near Golden BC on a guided and catered trip, then spend a few days in the Banff/Lake Louise/Canmore areas either xc or lift skiing, depending on your taste. Pick a clear day to drive the Icefields parkway to Jasper and gawk at the mountains and glaciers.

You could take Via Rail to Jasper, but a sleeper would probably cost more than flying to Calgary (plus take 3-4 days each way).

Gaspesie is nice too, but doesn't have the same eye-popping mountain scenery.

Hut to hut touring in Norway is also on my lifetime to-do list. Check out the Telemark Ski Co for some trip ideas.

[lowangle al]

Another option I would consider would be to rent a cabin or cottage closer to home. Something where you could ski right out your door with access to trails or old logging roads. This way you could maximise your skiing and have a more relaxing time than driving to YS.

I don't know how much lead time you need to rent a place but I would think you could find a vacant unit in a weeks time. I'm sure you could check it out. This way you could go wherever it looks like you will have the best conditions. You could look at places within a days drive or whatever and you could end up anywhere from West Virginia to northern Maine or up into Canada for example.

Better yet you could rent a motor home and not deal with reservations at all. and you could try different places driving after you ski.

[MikeK]

I won't drive out west Al, no way, no how. Not for a week of skiing. Only way I'd drive is with a sleeper van and no job, and no plan on when I was going to come back.

Cabin is good idea. It also reminds me that I'd like to do a hut to hut, which could be an option. I'd have to sell the wife on it though. A fire and drying our clothes at the end of the day might be all the convincing she needs though.

[connyro]

I've probably already blabbed about it here, but if you are into driving not THAT far and want to get to somewhere unfamiliar, yet still somewhat familiar, check out this place Bellevue valley Lodge It's not much more than a 12-14 hour drive for you and they are notorious for having great snow, skiing, music, and hospitality. Plus, the terrain is similar to the Adirondacks: it's Canadian Shield!
They reliably get LOTS of deep lake effect powder. Some spots are up to 1000ft vertical. Inexpensive, and according to my buddy, it's a whole lot of fun and the people that run it are cool. They hold a telefest every year. It looks like they take people out for BC touring as well as having trails on-site.

[satsuma]

I learned to ski in Montana (lived there 2 winters and used to live permanently in Louisiana--and have taken several vacations in the NW, including both Yellowstone and Banff.

I have been to Banff with my daughter to do some cross-country skiing. The skiing is not generally difficult, and there is a wide range of skiing. You will need to rent a car to get to trails. The scenery is beautiful, and Canmore, where the Olympic races were once held, is also worth skiing at (I have pictures). Also, excellent hot springs in Banff.

I have stayed in the West Yellowstone twice to ski, primarily due to temperatures when the rest of Montana was having a warm spell, without too much planning. There are both groomed (Rendezvous trails) and ungroomed trails witin walking distance of the town, and what appears to be numerous possibilities (which I did not explore) for ungroomed trail, XCD and off-trail skiing north of town. I spent one day in the Old Faithful area with transportation by snowcoach and did some limited skiing in this area within the confines of the trip. The snowcoach trip was well-worth it for the sightseeing alone. To do more extensive skiing in the Old Faithful area or other interior areas of the park, (of which there is much available), you would need to stay inside the park, which is much more expensive and you should probably reserve well in advance. There is a range of skiing. It is also possible to stay in the Mammoth (north) or Cooke City areas and ski. There is a book "Cross Country Skiing in Yellowstone Country" (Olesen, Olsen, Scharosch and Scharosch) published in 1992 ISBN 1-56044-191-7 which you can look up, I have a copy.

Traffic is not an issue anywhere in Montana. Driving can be due to weather conditions.

In Washington State, you may want to consider the Methow Valley www.mvsta.org. I have not been there, but it has been recommended to me.

[lowangle al]

Mike you should give the rv thing some thought, people do it up here in Ak. all the time. I envy them when I'm getting in my car for the drive home and they are on lawn chairs around a grill enjoying the evening, and they will be waking up where the snow is. It is something I want to do up here for spring skiing.