Canada Travel Forum

My wife and I are planning on driving from Edmonton to Vancouver next Mar 09 stopping in Jasper, Banff/Lake Louise and Whistler for some skiing on the way.

What are the road conditions like at this time of year? Are the major highways all open and accessible?

Vehicle choice is would obviously preferably be a 4WD with or without chains?

I see you are from AU. Are you completely comfortable driving right? You will definately need your reflexes at that time of year. Have you driven on icepacked roads previously?
If you get lucky the majority of roads will be fine however you have to count on hitting some ice and driving through snowfall. The roads into the ski resorts in particular will be slippery. Also you can be driving on what you think is bare pavement and enter the shadow of a mountain and find yourself on "black ice". Black Ice is the term for a very thin coating of moisture that has condensed on the road and been polished to transparency by the passing vehicles. This is also common at intersections where exhaust condenses on the road surface from cars waiting for the light to change so if you are stopping for a light you have to leave a lot of extra room.
I don't want to scare you off because that is a fun time to be in the mountains. Years ago I went from Edmonton to the Columbia icefields via Jasper for a weekend in the backcountry I made it in but they closed the highway behind me. It was wonderful, I had the place to myself for a couple of days until the road opened again. Not many people use chains anymore, good snowtires are required and a 4x4 would be best.

Thanks for that helpful comment.

I've never actually driven through snow & ice conditions here in OZ. But I am aware of the dangers and hazards of black ice and the like. thanks for pointing out where it is more prolific.

We did want to have the freedom of driving and checking out the BC/AB country side at our own leisure, and were hoping that March would be the tail end of the wintry roads. We're planning on taking the shuttles up to the actual ski fields except for Whistler.

having said that, would you recommend coach transfers over self-driving then?

With winter tires you will be fine... You don't need chains, and even worse, chains are sometimes illegal on roads because it breaks the road. When you rent a car, make sure you ask for winter tires, although on the west coast, they might have only 4 seasons tires has they rarely have snow. I did the highway through the Rocky mountains many times during winter period through Banff, etc... and I never hit some snow, but you might get some. People on the west coast are pretty nervous about driving in snow as they rarely get some, so they might dangerous drivers into those conditions, I think you should be more scare of other drivers then yourself if you are being careful to not go too fast. You should try to rent a manual car (if possible). If you slide on snow, it is practical to downshift instead of breaking to get slower without sliding (when you feel that you are loosing the control, because it is not necessarily very good for the car to do that too often). But with winter tires, there is no danger if you are aware that it might become slidy and that you stay vigilant and if you are lucky, you will not even have any snow on the roads, except maybe at the ski resorts.

if you are a confident driver, i say go for it. i've done the trip many times in winter and have never had a problem. what you need to do is plan some flexibility in your schedule. that way, if a storm blows in, you can just stay put for an extra day and give the transportation unit time to clear the roads. i recommend that when you get the car, find a deserted parking lot or road and practice a bit with sharp turns, quick braking etc. that will give you a good feel for how the car handles in snow and ice. it's important that if you go into a bit of a slide, do not over compensate. your gut reaction will be to turn the wheel quickly and that can cause you more problems. also, if it's a automatic car and you start to slide or need to come to a quick stop, throw it into neutral. that helps. remember the daylight hours will be short so try to plan your distances so that you are always driving during daylight.
an absolute beauty of a trip. enjoy.

March is the tail end of winter in this area but there is always a chance of a snow storm. The road crews usually do a very good job and have the roads cleared within a few hours of the end of the storm. As long as your vehicle has good tires (prefrably snow tires not all season, there is quite adifference between them). Don't waste your money on a 4 wheel drive. They don't help you stop or steer any better and those are the biggest hazards. I have found that the biggest problem with poor road conditions is the drivers in their 4 wheel drives who think they are invincible and drive way too fast for the conditions. I have seen more SUVs in the ditch during snowy weather than any other vehicles. as long as you slow down when the weather/road conditions deteriorate yu will be fine. Enjoy your trip. If you want any recommendations on which ski hills to visit I have skied every hill between Calgary and Vancouver (most of them quite a few times) and I would be happy to tell you about some little hidden gems along the way

Without a doubt the place is magic at that time of year. The snowpack is deep and the days are starting to warm up. You might find yourself on skis wearing shorts, if you do make sure to put suscreen on the backs of your knees as the reflection from the snow always burns that particular spot. Personally I prefer telemarks and quiet backcountry trails but my kids both took lessons at Sunshine and loved every minute.
Welcome to Canada you'll have a great time.

Thank you to all the people who answered re the driving conditions in March
We are also visiting Canada in March 09 drinving from Vancouver to Calgary We have driven this route before but in September. We were thinking of renting 2 people movers as there are 9 of us. Would people mover be a suitable choice of vehicle if it had winter tyres on it.
Thank you

By people mover do you mean a full size van such as a Dodge Grand Caravan? That is what I use in my work. For Winter I install ice and snow radials. As long as you have good winter tires you'll be fine.