BANFF, Alberta, Canada — Only one lift-served ski area remains in a U.S. national park, and that is Badger Pass in Yosemite. By contrast, Canada’s Banff National Park has three.
Banff and the smaller hamlet of Lake Louise (yes, the same name as the lake and the ski area) are surrounded by 2,568-square-mile Banff National Park, which at 126 years, is Canada’s oldest national park and a UNESCO World Heritage site. There is no better place to sample winter adventures from mild to wild that are ideal for a multigeneration vacation.
The Lake Louise ski area is a giant by any measure with its 4,200 skiable acres draped over three summits, the ridges that connect them and the giant snow-holding bowls they enfold. Despite its complexity, it boasts one great advantage: beginner, intermediate and expert runs are accessed from every lift. This means families and groups of varying abilities can ski or snowboard together, meeting at the bottom and riding up together.
Novices have access to an abundance of gentle slopes and long, meandering trails (actually low-angled summer work roads). Intermediate skiers and expert snowboarders can explore endless chutes, glades, gullies and remote bowls in some of the Rockies’ most challenging terrain.
Sunshine Village is a small cluster of buildings in a high bowl surrounded by slopes. Day skiers access it by a gondola rising from a parking lot deep in the valley. The buildings dot the slopes, cruising broad snowfields that even cross the Continental Divide along the spine of the Rockies. In the evening, day skiers head downhill, leaving the vest-pocket village and the area’s only ski-in-ski-out hotel.
Families enjoy Sunshine because children can roam around on their own without getting lost, and romantic couples love its quiet, close-tothe-clouds remoteness.
Norquay, the smallest of Banff’s ski areas, is the hometown hill. It’s low-key and friendly, with challenging front-side slopes, and is the only one offering skiing under the lights. Norquay provides visitors with a close-in option for half a day on the slopes on arrival or departure day — or to combine with the myriad activities available in the national park.
Ski Big 3, a joint venture of this trio, sells a joint lift ticket that accesses nearly 8,000 acres of skiable terrain. Free shuttle buses connect towns and mountains. Expect the ski season to stretch into late May.
The Banff Townsite, as the community is officially called, which is jam-packed in summer, is wide open during the winter. Lodging rates are low and crowds are absent, but the scenic beauty is unsurpassed. Visitors can get into restaurants and nightspots, and shop, shop, shop.
Surrounded by high mountains, deep valleys, endless forests and abundant wildlife, Banff feels remote but is just 70 miles from Calgary and its international airport.
Those who prefer quieter pursuits can ice skate on a frozen lake, cross-country ski, snowshoe and view wildlife within the park. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, one of two palatial hotels in the area, maintains an ice surface on namesake Lake Louise for skating against a drop-deadgorgeous mountainscape.
Every afternoon in the magic of waning daylight, the hotel puts on a party with steaming cups of hot chocolate, music and a crackling outdoor fire. Another must-do activity is the Alpine Lights evening — a Saturday evening ride on the Ski Lake Louise gondola to an on-mountain lodge for a prime rib dinner.
Winter trails lace through the park. Several outfitters offer ski-touring and snowshoeing excursions, including equipment, the companionship of a small group of guests and the security of following a guide. Tours range from a couple of hours to a full day, and from easy meanders with a focus on the mountain environment to vigorous, heart-pumping full-day trips. Guides are trained in backcountry navigation, first aid and, of course, how to create a fascinating experience for all ages and skill levels.
A guided ice walk deep into a snowy canyon during the day or in the evening is a different sort of experience. The Johnston Canyon route begins on elevated walkways and ends up at a frozen waterfall. The Grotto Canyon ice walk follows a frozen stream. And for the fit and adventurous, ice climbing instruction is available.
Dogsleds and snowmobiles, begun as practical north-country transportation, are now popular as recreation. Snowmobiles are prohibited in the national park, and only one operator, Kingmik Dogsled Tours, has a permit within park boundaries.
Whether for two hours, a half day or a full day, a rollicking ride on a sled pulled by a team of enthusiastic and powerful huskies is a thrill and fun. Trips include stops for photography, a snack and a hot drink, and, on all-day tours, lunch. Most sleds can carry two adults and one child. The professional musher/guide can control the team or teach mushing basics. All outfitters encourage clients to interact with the dogs.
By and large, nonmotorized activities like dogsledding operate from Canmore and the beautiful Kananaskis Valley on the east side of Banff National Park, while snowmobiling and heli-skiing day trips are concentrated across the provincial border in and around Golden, B.C. Most outfitters provide transportation from Banff to eliminate the issue of driving on snowy roads.
The Banff area is also heaven for anyone who wants to enjoy the region’s singular beauty, a pampering spa experience, shopping in a quaint downtown or embracing Canadian arts and culture at the Banff Centre. And those who simply wish to sit back and relax while touring some of the most stunning landscapes on the planet can go on a sightseeing trip from the warmth and comfort of a motor coach as they take in the stunning Canadian Rockies.
SKI STATISTICS
Lake Louise: 4,200 skiable acres, 139 named runs plus terrain park, half-pipe and super-pipe. 3,250-foot vertical. Nine lifts (including three high-speed quads, one six-pack and one gondola).
Sunshine Village: 3,358 skiable acres, 107 named runs plus terrain park. 3,514-foot vertical. 12 lifts (including gondola from access base and six high-speed quads).
Norquay: 400 skiable acres, 36 named runs plus two terrain parks and night skiing. Six lifts.
For more information, contact Banff Lake Louise Tourism at (403) 762-8421 or check out banfflakelouise.com for accommodations, dining and activities. Information of all the ski areas can be found at skibig3.com or by calling (877) 754-7080.
Travel, Pages 54 on 12/04/2011