Yahoo! Winter's Here!
The Ski Resorts: Almost all hills are now open!
YAHOO! is exactly what the folks who run Alberta’s ski resorts, from Marmot in the north to Castle Mountain in the south, are shouting to themselves these days. Snow has come early to our Canadian Rockies and four of the six major ski resorts are already open.Here’s a roundup of what’s happening on the hills, along with scheduled opening dates. Check the operators websites below for status reports before you head out.
Marmot Basin (opened Nov. 17) – New this summer is an advanced technology snowmaking system for the lower part of the mountain. This light snow will ensure great snow throughout the season! The resort has seen recent updates to the Paradise Chalet interior and cafeteria, new grooming machine, and also puts more buses on its shuttle service from Jasper. And don't miss Jasper in January, a fun-factory of events in town and on the hill.
Lake Louise (opened Nov. 11) – The resort is pleased to report one of the best openings in almost 40 years. Since the end of October, the mountain has received over 200 cm (79 in) in accumulated snowfall with more than 990 m (3,250 ft) of vertical terrain available. With some of the world’s most attractive front-of-mountain runs, Canada’s largest backcountry terrain (1500 acres!) and one of North America’s top 10 terrain parks, who can go wrong at Lake Louise? It has the super-fast, six-person Grizzly Express gondola, which whisks you from the base way-y-y-y up to the alpine terrain faster than any other lift in the Rockies. Don't go hungry—fill up with both quick-serve breakfasts and tasty meals from salad to stir fry to specialty meats custom-made for you at cook stations.
Sunshine Village (opened Nov. 10) –Sunshine Village has terrain for all levels of skiers and riders, however it does have a few runs for those looking for that little bit extra. Black diamond terrain at Sunshine Village include Farside, Wildside, Freefall and Hell’s Kitchen, and of course Delirium Dive. If that’s not your speed, enjoy a run that is. There are 107 runs to choose from on three mountains! Sunshine’s renovated on-hill accommodation, Sunshine Inn, offers amazing package deal.
Ski Banff@Norquay (opened Nov. 10) – Under new ownership, Banff@Norquay promises great family skiing. Just minutes from Banff, its ‘uplift capacity’ is so high compared to the size of the mountain that you’ll almost never wait more than a minute or two for a lift. All beginner and intermediate runs are groomed top to bottom every night, skiers disperse more evenly over Norquay’s 28 runs, increasing each skier’s elbow room. A popular feature is skiing by the hour!
Nakiska (opens Dec. 9) – This is one family-friendly resort! With a dedicated lift for the beginner-run crowd, it’s easy and far more relaxing for a new skier, or for parents with kids who are just starting out. This year, Nakiska is calling all beginner skiers and snowboarders to come and sample the sport with The Calgary Sun $20 Learn to Ski Days, taking place on December 9th and December 10th. First timers can enjoy a beginner group lesson, rentals and beginner area lift ticket for just $20. For ages 12 and up. Space is limited, so please register in advance by calling Nakiska at 232-8477. Calgary's closest ski hill is less than an hour's drive. And the action set will love its terrain park and halfpipe!
Castle Mountain (opens Dec. 16) – Where’s the secret castle? Castle Mountain is the best kept secret in Alberta. Skiing this mountain’s like going heli-skiing for only $50 a day! Just 2.5 hours south of Calgary at the end of Hwy 774, Castle Mountain’s in the same snow belt as Fernie. It gets an average of 910 cm of powder every year (that’s 30 feet!). It offers 61 runs (45% of which are black or double-black!).
Closer to Home…
All over this province, local and regional ski clubs and resorts are great places to either learn to ski or snowboard (away from the perceived pressure of the mountain resorts), or for fine-tuning your skills in preparation for a big-mountain visit.Nothing makes you enjoy mountain downhill skiing more than achieving a higher level of skill than you already have, so consider taking a private lesson (prices at regional hills run to about $35/hr) or joining group lessons (much more cost-effective!) before you head for the Rockies. Many local ski operations offer “Discover Ski/Snowboard” lessons for around $30 a day, including lesson and equipment rental!
Most people find that they learn faster and more comfortably at the smaller regional or local ski operations. The pressure isn’t as great as it can feel to a new skier at the mountain resorts, partly because at local ski hills, there are more novice skiers to begin with.
Find out everything on Skiing/Boarding in Alberta at SkiAlbertaLive.com including snow reports, profiles of all the ski hills in the province and much more.
Speed Blasts and Package Deals
Start the ski season off with a bang at the Lake Louise World Cup WinterStart Men’s and Women’s downhill and Super-G events. Spectators are welcome, since there’s plenty of room – both along the courses and at the finish line – to watch the world’s best racers shoot for their own personal glory. “When they go by you at 80 or 90 miles an hour, the noise they make is absolutely amazing,” says spokesperson Matt Mosteller, “it’s a speed blast of both wind and sound!”.It’ll be a great time to be in Banff-Lake Louise, too, as the region will be celebrating its annual WinterStart Festival. The festival kicks off Nov. 24 with the Santa Claus parade, a street party and rail jam. Many local hotels and motels will be offering special value-added packages, some including lift tickets and/or meals, so chances are you can make your dollars go even farther! For more info go to Banff Lake Louise Live.
Be sure to check out SkiAlbertaLive.com regularly for all your skiing and winter event information.
Let Someone else Drive
If you’re planning a ski holiday in Banff-Lake Louise or Jasper, and all you want to do is ski in the daytime and relax (or party!) at night, you just gotta try going by bus! Until you try it, you have no idea what a ‘magic carpet’ a ski bus trip can be, especially on the trip home after you’ve skied your heart out all day.Various services offer daytrips to Marmot Basin, Sunshine and Lake Louise from Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary. If you have a season’s pass, you can pay for bus-only service, but if not, your fare includes a lift ticket that you don’t have to stand in line for!
Most ski bus services also have arrangements with hotels that allow you to stay one or two nights (with daily bus service from hill to hotel and back) then return home.
More Info on Buses
Sunshine Village from Calgary, Banff, Lake Louise and Canmore
Sunshine Village from Edmonton, Red Deer or Calgary
Magic Bus to Lake Louise
Magic Bus to Marmot Basin
There’s even a Snow Train package from Edmonton to Jasper, complete with 2, 3 or 4 nights in your choice of several hotels, and daily lift tickets in the bargain.
