-
For more information on how to avoid pop-up ads and still support SkiTalk click HERE.
Northern Rockies/Alberta SkiBig3
- Thread starter Viking9
- Start date
How about 2 Canuck ladies. I know I can talk my friend Katherine into a trip!
@Jilly I want to ski with you! WYD the last week of February 2023?
Ouch, last week of February is year end....just like Jenny....but things might change by then...
Fingers crossed.
Sunshine is re-opening for Canada Day long weekend. July 1 to 3.
The last time it opened for Canada day was 1991!
calgaryherald.com
The last time it opened for Canada day was 1991!
Sunshine Village to reopen for skiing and riding on Canada Day
The Banff resort has somewhat miraculously announced that they’re re-opening for Canada Day this week.
calgaryherald.com
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2015
- Posts
- 599
it won’t be very good skiing… but I might be there anyway! It’s included with our season passes, and we can do a few runs and then do some hiking.
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2015
- Posts
- 599
Strawberry for skiing, Standish for sightseeing. Last time they had skiing on Canada Day was 1991!
I believe that last time they also had the Great Divide open as I recall skiing while it was snowing up top and raining in the parking lot. I guess 30 years makes a difference in terms of climate
I went out on canada day as well. It looks like they groomed divide, but there was one patch that didn't quite connect. Close to being a real ski day! I bet they were really hoping to get that open!
Still worth skiing strawberry for the day, even though the runs were short and the lines were long.
So is Lake Louise/Sunshine a bad idea mid-late February on account of the cold? Worse idea than going mid-late April with a beginner/intermediate? 
Evil plans are being made...
Evil plans are being made...
Mid-late April is reeeaaaaallly nice (long days, thawing lakes, no lines) and still leaves powder days open to possibility. I’ve never been in mid-late February, but I’ll be there for 2023. But, per @Jilly, it’s about the same amount of cold as Vermont in February. Can your beginner/intermediate handle Vermont February cold?So is Lake Louise/Sunshine a bad idea mid-late February on account of the cold? Worse idea than going mid-late April with a beginner/intermediate?
February Vermont-cold is totally manageable for me. My friend has never experienced it, but did survive low single digits in the Cottonwood canyons this past winter. We’re looking at presidents week. If you’re there around that time, I’d love to take a few runs with you (no pressure though)
Oooh maybe I’ll go both times
Ah, sadly it’s gonna be the week after that I believe… last week of February going into first week of March. Traveling on my husband’s company’s dime!
But, just lmk when you’re in Vermont. I saw you for like 2 seconds at the NEG before the “advanced” group ditched me and @skiki at the peak lodge and didn’t actually get to say hi. I usually do Sugarbush/MRG but would make the trek to Killington. I didn’t use enough of my Killington days this year.
doooo it!!! I plan to go back in April 2024. I’d like Banff spring skiing to be an annual thing for me. It’s basically the easiest western ski area for me to get to.
Lake Louise is best skied from mid March to mid April, Banff Sunshine (the new name) skis well into May. I'm not sure but they may still offer a Spring Pass with mid week or 7 day versions.
"Springtime in the Rockies" really is a thing.
"Springtime in the Rockies" really is a thing.
It was insanely cold this Feb break, but I would say that's somewhat unusual. It depends what your cold tolerance is--I'd expect highs between -5 and -20C at that time of year. Feb break will be busy for the rockies but that's not THAT busy compared to Whistler or busy US mountains. My personal opinion is that Lake Louise is not a great mountain for beginner skiers. It has a very good bunny hill, but its beginner and groomed terrain (tho improved last year with a new chair) is generally frontside and comparatively icy, with a lot more manmade snow. SSV is entirely natural.So is Lake Louise/Sunshine a bad idea mid-late February on account of the cold? Worse idea than going mid-late April with a beginner/intermediate?
I think Sunshine Village is a much better beginner/intermediate hill to be honest. Shorter runs, but lots and lots of green-and-blue groomed terrain, some easy off piste terrain, and the snow quality is much better because of its altitude advantage. The best things about LL are the views (spectacular) and the back bowls/advanced terrain. Beginners and intermediates have much less to choose from. As an intermediate skier I prefer Sunshine quite a bit and have spent maybe 100 days at SSV vs 10 at LL, the majority with 8-16 year olds in tow.
Weather will be similar at both.
Last edited:
Lake louise is amazing once it is covered. I also agree that it the terrain is skewed towards the advanced skier. Coverage was great this January as well as the prior January. However both were above average snow years? Dec-Feb can be cold, however it is all relative. What climate are you coming from?
Hmm. Maybe I should ask my friend about visiting in April. Or visiting somewhere else in February. She's pretty okay with short blue/greens and doesn't have the endurance for top to bottom runs, though. We were thinking Banff because it's beautiful whether or not you're on the mountain the whole time. I am used to New England mid-winter ski conditions (-15C to -10C is no problem) where you'd better not need to clean your windshield because your wiper fluid is frozen, but my friend is from a warm climate.
