Panorama, B.C.

just returned from a week there on sunday. i think they've received snow in the last few days, but nowhere near the 60cm in fernie. <BR>when i was there, anything off piste was use at your own risk. a lot of exposed logs, stumps, and rocks. some of the groomers were getting very thin. did a lot of base damage. <BR>based on the conditions when i left, i wouldn't advise a visit until they get a fresh blanket. <BR> <BR>and for anyone who hasn't been there before, be advised that half of the mountain (most of the best terrain) is accessible only by taking T bars. this was a very unpleasant surprise.
 
You say potato, I say po-<I>tah</I>-to. IMHO, those t-bars are a good thing. They keep the traffic to the goods down to a reasonable level, helping to preserve snow quality.
 
obviously there is truth in that, but i'm paying money to get to the good stuff. the T-bars aren't the only problem - what is annoying is the fact that most of the runs from the top dump you out at the very bottom, which means another 40 minutes to get back up. and for snowboarders, T bars are more than a nuisance. my legs took more strain getting up the hill than coming down. <BR>but panorama has just posted their plans to install two new quads for next season to get you up to the top. with all the terrain in taynton, i don't think you have to worry about finding fresh tracks, as long as they get snow.
 
I'm somewhat inclined toward Marc's view on this one. Panorama is a low snow area (I estimate 215 inches snowfall at upper elevation) so you really do want to keep skier density down in Taynton Bowl. The North Face Poma at Crested Butte is probably a good analogy. <BR> <BR>That said, while we were in Fernie I did hear criticism of Panorama's antiquated lift system in general, and how it takes 45 minutes to get up the mountain. This was contrasted to the usual up-to-date Intrawest resort complex at the base. <BR> <BR>So some lift upgrading is needed, but they should be careful not to put too much pressure on their natural terrain.
 
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