Sparwood or Hinton.

The answer seems obvious, but I've never lived in either.

Sparwood is near Fernie/Creston and Not in Alberta so it is currently seeming like the better option. I'd be moving there to work/buy a home/bank money.

Princeton or Mackenzie

thank me later.

sparwood

I'd be moving there to work/buy a home/bank money.

Going to be working patch? Why only these two options? Hinton = better if it is indeed the patch you're after. Shorter drive to work, steadier work, busier area. And, best XC riding in the province. Downhill? they host one of the 4 races. And Valemont's just over the border.

trains?

I've been to both a bunch and hands down Sparwood. You'll be close to great riding in Fernie, Invermere and Golden. That means AM and two resorts with lifts in the summer. You'll also be close to Calgary in case you need to get your big city on. If Hinton you'll be close to 80's riding in Jasper with the closest city being Deadmonton.

Comparing Sparwook and Hinton is like comparing Vancouver and Winnipeg.

I've been to both a bunch and hands down Sparwood. You'll be close to great riding in Fernie, Invermere and Golden. That means AM and two resorts with lifts in the summer. You'll also be close to Calgary in case you need to get your big city on. If Hinton you'll be close to 80's riding in Jasper with the closest city being Deadmonton.

Comparing Sparwook and Hinton is like comparing Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Hey! Dammit, why do so many people hate on my neck of the woods?

To some of us, there is nothing more fun than gigantic trucks (sans testicles on trailer hitches please), jobs in the patch, fun toys (mine are bikes and snowboards, others have quads, skidoos and seadoos, not my cup of tea…), and decent houses. Shit, get a job operating at a local gas plant and you can make 80000 by working 150-160 days a year. That's a lot of play time.

Having lived here, on the island, on the prairies, on the lower mainland, and in the Thompson-Okanagon, I can see with certainty that the only difference between here and there is that the rednecks have some fluidity here. So if you've always been drawn to trucks like this:

out of necessity, why not go someplace with mountains, a bike park, AND jobs so that you can afford (or in some cases, get given) a truck like this:

Living in the 80s? Nope. We just don't like eating sushi for two meals a day, the term 'metrosexual' still gets laughed at, men are still allowed to work jobs that strain their muscles without worrying about political crap, and nobody wears that Ed Hardy douche uniform, because out here style is a white tshirt and jeans you've had for 5 years.

Love the rat race? Go down south.

Hey! Dammit, why do so many people hate on my neck of the woods?
…
Living in the 80s?

I rode Jasper park for a solid 5 years and my impression is that Jasper trails haven't progressed much in the last few years.

Sparwood has Tek so it's pretty easy to get a good paying job at the mine and work less than the 5 day work week.

If I had a hate on for Hinton I'd have said "Drink up Hinton, Jasper just flushed".

The copper mine in Princeton might be getting busy eh? Couple of the blasters I work with were talking bout it

Never been to Hinton, but I would recommend Sparwood for sure. Main reason is that Fernie is just 15 mins down the road and has some of the best mountain biking in BC, and a great skihill to keep you busy in the winter.

The copper mine in Princeton might be getting busy eh? Couple of the blasters I work with were talking bout it

I've done some work there….
A new mine is being built and it should be online soon.

Princeton is very close to some of the most unreal mtn biking in the province. It's also one of the best kept secrets in the province.

Isn't this like asking "Shit sandwich or shit taco?"?

Isn't this like asking "Shit sandwich or shit taco?"?

I think you mean a turd sandwich or a giant douche.

My vote is for Sparwood; summer you've got some of the best maintained and widest selection of trails in the province (in the Fernie valley and near Sparwood) and some great winter riding at Castle, Fernie, Kicking Horse [HTML_REMOVED] Revy.

The riding in Fernie is awesome, no doubt. Hinton has some pretty good trails AFAIK straight from town.

What do you do for fun in the winter? Skiing in Jasper sucks. I love Jasper for many things, but the biking may not be the best for someone from BC. Oh sure, there are many great all day xc rides, but I don't think it has progressed much as previously mentioned. However, there is phenomenal backpacking and paddling near Hinton, if either of those things matter to you.