Canada 2025 - 16 days below freezing...

[Quickstatus]

Lunch was almost always at the takeaway inside the Perisher tube terminal as the guys running it had a great relationship with us on the concourse

We bought our Jindy place from Aldo

But if you ever caught the skitube in 2015 or 2016 there is a near 100% chance you would've seen me.

We were always front carriage on the 0720 from Bullocks.

....

What was the daily rental fee for Tacoma?
LDW included?

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 7 (part 2):

After returning to the apartment we made a mad, freezing cold dash up to the 2 hot tubs for a soak to soothe the muscles. At this point the temperature was well below -10 and would stay that way for nearly the next week.

The hot tubs had a pretty killer view and we were lucky to find space in the quieter of the 2 - with the other full of 'woo girls' blasting music and drinking... Not really the vibe we were after and something that certainly made me miss the peacefulness of a post ski onsen.

We changed for dinner and set out to go to the Taco Club which was my favourite mexican spot in Revy. Unfortunately we got there at 6:15 and there was already a waitlist. Frustrating - as over Covid they removed their booking system and now accept walk ins only, but also don't allow you to leave a phone number, instead asking you to wait awkwardly at the restaurant. Not wanting to do that for up to 40 mins we went to a new mexican called Cantina Del Centro nearby. It was empty when we arrived but did fill up.

We had a few drinks, corn chips and guac, some mexican style tater tots and each had enchiladas.






The food was alright, not as good as I think Taco Club would've been but we were exhausted so happy to be fed and watered at a reasonable hour. After dinner we caught up quickly for a beer with another mate before getting to bed.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 8:

Rinse and repeat on the morning schedule after a little overnight snow. We were up the mountain a little earlier and had a really fun day up there. Visibility wasn't as good as the previous day but we found some fun powder stashes and also caught up with a mate from school and his family for some laps.

After the days riding we met up at The Mackenzie Common, the bar at the base of the resort, for some drinks and a late lunch. I can highly recommend the buffalo chicken tater tot poutine here as long as you're not trying to watch your weight!

A highlight of the day was seeing a group of heli skiiers not only take off from the heli pad next to where we parked, but also watching them return as we packed up. Certainly very jealous we weren't joining them but it was cool to be so close nonetheless!

A couple of pints later we headed back to the apartment to change. As you might have seen in my last TR we got engaged a year ago so planned an anniversary dinner at what is in my opinion the best restaurant in Revelstoke. Before that though we caught up with some more friends at The Craft Bierhaus, before walking 112, the restaurant in the River City Pub/Regent Hotel. We had some drinks with my old boss at the bar here before having what was one of the best meals of the trip.



If you are in Revy and want casual fine dining 112 is definitely the spot. I had 5 or 6 steaks on this trip and not only was the above the cheapest, it was the best by a country mile...

 

[Jenya]

This was the day I was most glad we had chosen the vehicle we did as the compact snow and cold temperatures meant the road was less than ideal

was that car equipped with studded tires?
I heading there this December and this is my biggest priority how to keep family safe on that black ice and compacted snow.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

was that car equipped with studded tires?
I heading there this December and this is my biggest priority how to keep family safe on that black ice and compacted snow.

Not studded, but proper snow tyres (rather than just mud and snow). This is the best you will get as you won't find a hire company with studded tyres. I highly recommend the 4x4 and snow tyre combination.

 

[Jenya]

Ok thanks.
Looks like we will end up just purchasing proper studded tires like those ones in Vancouver, install them on rental car and after 3 weeks leave them for our friends to sell them on marketplace for us.

BTW Ryan from Northirn Overland also advertise on Turo.
I found that car you were renting on Turo for around $2700 3 weeks rental including $2000 excess insurance.
https://turo.com/au/en/drivers/21161250

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Day 9:

Before leaving Aus I had purchased 2 of 3 day lift tickets for Revelstoke to save money and give us some flexibility. Given the snow and weather quality on our first 2 days we decided to ski both of them (as above) and leave the last full day as a rest day in Revy to shop and explore.

We had a later start after I got some work done and wandered to The Modern Bakeshop for a proper coffee and breakfast.



Before doing some shopping around town. We couldn't find exactly what we were after so went back up to the ski resort base to check their store and found what we needed.

After this we drove up past the Revelstoke Dam, was also a bit windier today and a very nippy -15 in town so we were happy to not be skiing.

We drove back into town for lunch at The Village Idiot, one of my former workplaces. A super fun, typical ski town bar with great food. We certainly over ordered with the poutine and 2 pizzas. The was compounded when we ended up getting what they call a sin bin poutine rather than the regular we ordered. This thing was stacked with fried chicken tenders, wings and drumsticks.




We fell into a bit of a food coma after this and resurfaced for an earlyish dinner at Kawakubo, Revelstokes best Japanese restaurant. Despite not taking bookings we were able to put our name down for a table at 6:15 and told to leave a phone number. We wandered over to Rumpus Brewing, Revelstokes lesser known but more central brewery for a pint while waiting. Our table was ready 10 minutes later so I basically chugged the beers and we had an early meal.

We definitely over ordered again here but the food was really good and the service prompt. After dinner we started to tidy and pack the apartment for our departure the next morning to Banff.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

Ok thanks.
Looks like we will end up just purchasing proper studded tires like those ones in Vancouver, install them on rental car and after 3 weeks leave them for our friends to sell them on marketplace for us.

BTW Ryan from Northirn Overland also advertise on Turo.
I found that car you were renting on Turo for around $2500 3 weeks rental + $2000 excess insurance.
https://turo.com/au/en/drivers/21161250

Oh we booked direct with Ryan, and I would suggest that over Turo as we paid a lot less including insurance.

I honestly don't think you need studded tyres and I have driven in the US, Canada and Japan in all kinds of snow and ice conditions. Snow tyres, AWD or 4x4 and sensible driving are more than adequate to keep you safe.

I would also be very careful doing any modifications to a rental car. I think you'd have a hard time getting a tyre place to change them over given you do not own the car and I'd expect it would be seen as a modification and void the rental car insurance, if not the whole contract. I'm happy for more experienced travellers to chime in on this or suggest getting in touch with the agency ahead of time to confirm if it's possible.

 

[HirafuHeartAttack]

So my thoughts on Basecamp Suites Revelstoke...

STAY HERE! If you value proximity to restaurants, shops and bars then this is definitely my tip for Revelstoke accommodation. It was only finished late last year so everything was brand new and felt like a good quality build. The bedrooms are a bit tight but for 2 travellers the 1 bedroom suites with a full kitchen and laundry are the perfect size and I'd assume the larger units would be good for bigger families/groups.

The only minor downsides were noise from the people above us who sounded like they were walking around in ski boots every morning and the 2 hot tubs likely being a little small for the property size. Outside of that I was very impressed, particularly at the price point of about $350-$400 per night in mid winter.

The biggest competitor would probably be the Sutton Place Hotel at the base of the ski resort but this is far more expensive and only has 1 bar and restaurant on site. Couple that with no shuttle service of an evening and you're left either eating at the same place each night or having to drive into town. There are a few 3-4 star hotels in Revelstoke but they are much further from downtown, and then quite a few old motels, none of which I'd recommend.

 

[Quickstatus]

Looks like we will end up just purchasing proper studded tires like those ones in Vancouver

Very few canadians have studded winter tyres and I would actually not recommend.
None of my Canadian friends - Calgary, Edmonton, Kamloops have ever got studded tyres.
Studded tyres on urban roads which are not snow covered (like Vancouver) can lead to reduced grip.
If wanting one, I would suggest getting a non studded winter tyre- these are not the tyres you see in Australian with the M&S logo on the treadwall. Instead these are tyres with compound that remain soft in below zero temperatures. They are also not the chunky 4wd tyres either.

But realistically so long as you get a 4WD you will be fine.
My experience is similar, Ive driven from Vancouver to winnipeg, up to edmonton, Banff, parts of Jasper, and Colorado and the icy east coast usa

The main brands are ;
Nokian hakkapelitta (the best IMO)
Brigestone Blizzak
Michelin X ice

 

[Jenya]

Oh we booked direct with Ryan, and I would suggest that over Turo as we paid a lot less including insurance.

Direct you mean through Northrim website booking form?
Hmmm... I checked both options, their web site and Turo platform for exact same vehicle Toyota Tundra and dates (10-31 March) and price including insurance is the same $2700 ish

What's different is Turo offer far more forgiving conditions like free cancellation 1 day prior to booking start, immediate trip modifications with refund if you need to terminate earlier (or extend).
Compare to direct booking non-refundable rental deposit, cancellations within 14 days of the start of a reservation will be charged 50% of the total rental amount. Cancellations within one week of the start of a reservation will be charged 100% of the rental cost. No refunds can be given for early returns...

I would also be very careful doing any modifications to a rental car.

being a Turo host myself I know it's ins and outs first hand.
You wouldn't believe what ppl doing with rental cars! like exchanging engine for faulty one...
Changing tires and still returning car with same undamaged set is the least nutsy guests can do and most hosts wouldn't care at all.
ALL claims on Turo based solely on photo evidence, and they are more favorable to the guest then the host.
As far as you got before and after photos with time and geolocation stamp of each wheel/tire there is no way anyone could challenge anything here.