Non Region Specific Mid April trip? Backcountry ski + warm weather activities?

[Slim]

I’m trying to figure out where to go for spring break (mid April). This will be a family trip. Looking for sunshine, some nice backcountry skiing on corn snow as well as some activities on ‘dry ground’. Stuff like hiking and rock climbing. We might also want to do a day of lift served if there was an Indypass resort around, but that’s not essential.

A few years ago we went to Cook City, MT. Great skiing and we can visit Yellowstone on the non skiing days.

Last year we went to the Eastern Sierras in CA, driving trough Death Valley. Really cool.

Both of those are great, and I would consider doing them again.

New options I thought of:

Oregon, most likely around Mt Hood and Bend.

Banff and Jasper in Alberta.

Utah: Park City, maybe traveling south as well.

Thoughts on the lieky weather in those locations?

 

[Tom K.]

Bend. The weather is likely to suit you, and the mtb is dependable in several of the regular locations. But, for me, that place has gotten to be off-the-hook crowded. Too much of a city feel now. MTB is kind of the antithesis of Split Rock Wilds.

Taos. I've been there once, ages ago, the first week of April. I had glorious corn every single day, and the sidecountry (not a term then) terrain off Kachina Peak was astounding. Not sure about the mtb then.

Banff: Never been there, but Mrs. K's main horse friend kind of grew up there, and goes on and on and on. I'm always reading about how great it is for spring skiing. Maybe not warm enough up in the Great White North for much non-skiing fun by then. I know @GregK has spent a bunch of time up there.

 

[Slim]

Oh yeah, forgot about AZ, that’s a good one @Tom K. !

 

[Tom K.]

Oh yeah, forgot about AZ, that’s a good one @Tom K. !

We'll be in mtb mode in Prescott AZ April 14-28.

 

[surfacehoar]

Mid April is peak season for "all the things" in the Okanagan. Kelowna is a bit warmer than Bend, pretty similar to Taos that time of year.

Big White (on indy pass) is great in the Spring, if it's not powder, the resort faces East, South, and West so it's easy to follow the sun to find optimum corn. Revelstoke upper mountain gets a ton of sun on the South side too, with great corn.

Some brave people were out wake surfing yesterday, April is usually pretty quiet on the lakes, great time to get out in the afternoons. Rent a boat or paddle board/kayaks.

Ski a few days in Revelstoke/Rogers Pass + climbing, hiking,biking, golf, lake sports, wineries in the Okanagan.

 

[Slim]

Thanks @surfacehoar , that’s another one I hadn’t thought of!

 

[Jim Kenney]

Utah: You could ski (resort or backcountry) and rock climb in LCC/BCC in mid-April. Moab/Arches/Zion/etc. is about 4 hours drive from SLC and will be near 80 deg highs at that time, also quite busy, but comfortable time to visit those parks weatherwise.

 

[New2]

Spots like Bend (and Moab and Sedona) are crowded with recreation fans, for sure, but I'm not sure I'd call them a "city" feel, either... real cities have a lot more people, but also better infrastructure and more spots to spread those people.

If you're looking at April in Oregon, it's also worth considering more in the Portland/Hood River area. Mt. Hood Meadows is one of the best Indy Pass ski areas (operating 7 days a week in mid April, so you can pick good conditions), and depending on weather there are backcountry ski options around Mt. Hood, with Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Jefferson within day trip range. The waterfalls and windsurfing in the gorge are great, lots to explore. And if you want to mix in any big-city entertainments, Portland is fun.

 

[Slim]

@New2 : great points.

In Oregon we would fly into Portland, then travel to Hood and on to Bend, or another area, depending on weather.

Like you said, Mt Hood great backcountry skiing and lift served as well. My worry there would be the weather, it gets a lot of weather off the ocean, and being above treeline, it’s pretty bleak if that happens.

So that’s why I was thinking of Bend as a back up: drier climate, more chance of good weather. Besides being busy, the other issue with Bend is that the easily accessible backcountry around Bend is limited to lower stuff elevation. The high elevation stuff all requires >10 miles of rolling skinning on the approach and exit, in addition to the actual ascent descent. I don’t think my family will commit to the overnight trips with winter camping that are required for the most of the Sisters and surrounding volcanoes.

The other big volcanoes are probably out of our league for a family trip: many require permits, and all would require an overnight trip due to the length of approach and amount of vertical. Also, we wouldn’t go to the summits anyways, both because of the length of ascent, and so as to keep it to more mellow angles with the kids (<~35 degrees in firm snow).

 

[Tom K.]

Revelstoke upper mountain gets a ton of sun on the South side too, with great corn.

In a normal year, how late into April (May?) does the spring skiing stay good at Revelstoke?

Fully recognizing that skiing is a fickle mistress, and there is seldom a "normal" year.

Like you said, Mt Hood great backcountry skiing and lift served as well. My worry there would be the weather, it gets a lot of weather off the ocean, and being above treeline, it’s pretty bleak if that happens.

PNW volcano skiing -- at Meadows, we always said "if it's snowing, it's blowing"! Tons of snow every season, but in 35 years there, I can maybe remember 10 days when quality snow was falling straight down -- and five of those were in one season!

Of the areas that I have firsthand knowledge, I'd say Bend is the best bet for skiing/mtb in April (w/the backcountry challenge you noted above). But even then, in a big snow year, you'll have to hunt and peck and drive a bit for the best mtb.

 

[Slim]

@Tom K. I don’t think that we’d go ride mountainbikes. I don’t want to bring our bikes on the plane, and rental bikes are hard in my size. mostly thinking of hiking, climbing etc. Although, it would be hard to be in a MTB Mecca like Bend or Moab and not ride.

 

[surfacehoar]

In a normal year, how late into April (May?) does the spring skiing stay good at Revelstoke?

The snowpack peaks around April 20th. The Resort is closing the 14th this year.

Rogers Pass: May 1st, there is historically 40in at the trailhead @ 4400ft and 113in @ 6200ft.

The concerning issue is the lack of overnight freeze, not the snow coverage. It's relatively warm at night in the interior. I like to plan for my last tour around Cinco De Mayo. After that cold enough nights are rare and conditions are better on the Coast or in the Rockies.

 

[Tom K.]

The snowpack peaks around April 20th. The Resort is closing the 14th this year.

Thanks for the info, but darn it. We're kind of toying with the idea of replacing our usual second half of April mtb trip with a northern ski trip.

So, second half of April our choices are likely Lake Louise and Sunshine? Maybe Jasper?

 

[Tom K.]

@Tom K. I don’t think that we’d go ride mountainbikes. I don’t want to bring our bikes on the plane, and rental bikes are hard in my size. mostly thinking of hiking, climbing etc. Although, it would be hard to be in a MTB Mecca like Bend or Moab and not ride.

Got it. I totally forgot you were also a climber. Bend is very close Smith Rocks State Park. I'm no climber, but my understanding is that it is fairly iconic for climbing.

And not half bad for mtb!

 

[Dwight]

Utah: You could ski (resort or backcountry) and rock climb in LCC/BCC in mid-April. Moab/Arches/Zion/etc. is about 4 hours drive from SLC and will be near 80 deg highs at that time, also quite busy, but comfortable time to visit those parks weatherwise.

That was my last years trip.

Skied Snowbird/Alta (Franks Day) one day and then did Moab for 3 days. Great trip! Spent an extra day to get boots for my wife.

 

[Slim]

Well, Utah it is, the kids had a strong preference, I think because our friends there have horses.

 

[Jim Kenney]

Well, Utah it is, the kids had a strong preference, I think because our friends there have horses.

If you plan to go to any of the national parks make sure you check which ones need advance reservations to get into (e.g.Arches) and which ones dont.

 

[surfacehoar]

Thanks for the info, but darn it. We're kind of toying with the idea of replacing our usual second half of April mtb trip with a northern ski trip.

So, second half of April our choices are likely Lake Louise and Sunshine? Maybe Jasper?

Yes, Lake Louise and Sunshine are open till late May.

Whistler is the other option Whistler normally only has the Blackcomb side open but this year they are keeping Whistler open while Blackcomb will be closed.

If you wanted to combine the skiing with MTB, you could fly into Calgary and out Kelowna. Ski Banff/ride Okanagan. The dirt has been pretty good for the past month. It's actually dry and dusty now on the lower, South facing trails.