I made the "mistake" of taking my first ski vacation ever out west to Lake Louise. Turns out they were having their best snow year in three decades and it was sunny and clear the entire week, except for one 4 inch snow event.
The views were the mistake- absolutely, unbelievably spectacular. Almost everything else by comparison is second-rate. There is at least one exception that I'm aware of.
My one and only trip to Whistler was over MLK weekend a few years back, during one of the Pac NW drought winters. Whistler was still almost 100% open and had just received freshies the day before we arrived, but all three days were crystal clear, which is absolutely unheard of along the British Columbia coast in mid January. Anyway, the mid-winter views from the top of Whistler are, in my opinion, every bit as pretty as Lake Louise (or, if they're not as pretty, they are really darn close).
But you are much more likely to see the views at Louise and Sunshine Village than you are at Whistler, so if scenery is your thing, those two resorts are pretty much as good as it gets. And, like I said, the next mountain you go to, you'll probably stare out from the summit and say "ho hum." Unless it's Moonshine Mountain.
