FasterSkier Forums » Travel

1. sailguy
   Member

   Where is your favourite place to ski? And why?

   You can't pick where you grew up or where you learned to ski, because first loves don't count :-)

   My favourite is Sovereign Lake, BC, Canada.

   Why? World Cup (spectating) memories, great snow, good trails, snow falls mostly at night, klister is rare, views are good.

   And if you get bored with only 50km of trails, you can ski over the alpine area into another 50km of trails belonging to Silverstar. http://www.sovereignlake.com

   I showed you mine, show me yours!

   Posted 2 years ago #

2. OldManWinter
   Member

   1st choice - Mont Ste-Anne. If you haven't been, you have to go. 2nd choice - Anywhere with good cover and good company.

   Posted 2 years ago #

3. dvoisin
   Member

   I'd like to second the Mont Ste-Anne, awesome network of trails with terrific snow! Camp Montmorency, is also spectacular for classic.

   For New England, my favorite is Craftsbury. There is something about that place - the snow, the scenery, the pace - that draws me back.

   For racing, its Mt. Van Hovenberg or the trails at Gould Academy. Gould trails are a ton of fun and super challenging.

   Posted 2 years ago #

4. lsiebert
   Member

   Agree with the Gould Trails...the Flying Moose Classic is one of my favorite races.

   Posted 2 years ago #

5. KenR
   Member

   Agree that Sovereign Lakes / Silver Star BC has a rather interesting trail network -- the problem is getting there from any major airport.

   Mont Ste-Anne I found less interesting, more of an old-style trail design with long climbs and descents, not so many fun rolling hills + interesting curves.

   My favorite for interesting trails:
   La Feclaz (www.savoiegrandrevard.com)
   . (also pretty nice views + environment, high elevation for snow security)
   also in the French Alps not far from it:
   Les Saisies (www.lessaisies.com, 1992 Olympics)
   . (the interesting trails are hillier than La Feclaz, better mountain views, high elevation for snow securiry, but in an environment of ski lifts)

   Best is to rent a car and visit both. Also worth visiting in that region are Bessans (www.bessans.com, Junior Worlds 2004, remote ancient mountain village with pleasant trail network), and for mountain scenery La Clusaz (Vincent Vittoz home ski center, World Cup 2009).
   Also in range are the Jura mountains (Transjurassienne marathon) - but I'm not sure which village networks to recommend.

   Geneva Switzerland airport (GVA) is within an hour or two of those centers.

   Ken

   P.S. Also the region of France around La Feclaz + Les Saisies has the best + biggest lift-served downhill skiing in the world, and the best + biggest "drive-your-car-to-the-trailhead" style backcountry ski touring in the world.

   Posted 2 years ago #

6. prairiekid
   Member

   I really enjoy Silver Star but the skiing around Canmore is some of the greatest, if you need big hills for intensity hit up the Nordic Center and if you need some high altitude hit up Pocaterra, Elk Pass, Lake Louise, Mt Shark all under an hours drive.

   Then there is all he skiing in Ostersund, Swe that is bombing and Oslo, Norway. I think if I was going to go on a ski vacation I would go to ones of the later places simply to experience skiing in a ski savy nation.

   Posted 2 years ago #

7. KenR
   Member

   My problem with the places I visited in Norway + Sweden is that they seem to take skiing "for granted".
   Lots of km of trails, but not very _interesting_ trail designs compared to some places in France, Italy, Canada, USA.

   (OK, Falun had some interesting trails.)

   In general a useful clue for which places have interesting trails is the presence of a biathlon center.

   Ken

   Posted 2 years ago #

8. Andy Hardy
   Member

   Favorites in New England: Windblown and the trails at Holderness School. Also Troll Valley in ME and Rangely Lakes in ME

   Favorite places to race: Oak Hill in Hanover (awesome downhills), Holderness, Rumford

   Snowmobile trails are fun in NH too. I guess it's the closest thing we've got in NE to the inter-town trails in Scandinavia. The grooming can be great for skate but classic is probably best. Just make sure you join a club to pitch in for the grooming you're enjoying and listen for sleds coming up before you go bombing down some of the more nutty downhills.

   Posted 2 years ago #

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