It looks like Sunshine had the best opening, it's not on my pass, so I won't be visiting until more interesting terrain opens. Still, it looks like a pretty decent start.
The same cannot be said about Lake Louise. The Banff region has been hit by several significant storms, but they all seem to have missed the Lake Louise ski resort. Being in the rainshadow of those continental divide peaks can be rough...nice to look at though. The snow depth is currently sitting at 17cm in the back bowls. The backside skis best with a base of 180cm, so we are a long way off. I expect bowl openings at 45cm, but that is a couple of storms away...and even then, things will be marginal.
I skied Louise on Friday for opening day. Just one real run open (the three are just upper, middle and lower parts of the same line, you can't choose a different route). Skiing was surprisingly good, with no true ice, and mostly easy to edge hardpack. The trail was quiet over lunch and after 2:30, and it was fun when you had room to move. Obviously less fun during busier times. Louise is currently concentrating most of their snow-making efforts on the World Cup downhill course. The races have been given the green light, so hopefully, they can start making snow elsewhere. There is a bit of snow in the forecast for tomorrow and Thursday, and the temps remain below 0 for the foreseeable future. So I'm cautiously optimistic that we have a normal early season. It wasn't an all-time opening though, that's for sure!
I skied Nakiska on Sunday. They are currently uploading/downloading to mid-mountain on the Olympic chair. For some reason, nobody had the foresight to put down carpet at the base, so skiers load on foot and carry their skis. Iti's awkward, and unnecessary, in my opinion. Skiing off the gold chair was fine. Things are open from Mapmaker, left. Mapmaker has been groomed and has loads of man-made snow. It is used by racing teams for training during the week. Unfortunately, it's pretty icy and VERY busy. The natural runs are in much better shape, and you actually have room to move. I spent the day lapping the glades, and thought the conditions were fine. The pitch is pretty mellow, but lots of little side-hits, just playful skiing. Coverage is adequate. Nakiska isn't a rocky hill, but stumps and grass were showing in spots...but not enough of a problem to ruin the day. Nakiska is a better choice than Louise at the moment.
I skied in the backcountry off Highway 93 north (north of Lake Louise-on the way to Jasper) on Saturday and Monday (yesterday). We found 10-20cm of fresh over a supportive base. The ski out below treeline was a bit sporty, but the alpine was excellent. We didn't hit any rocks, and had an amazing time in the sun. The snowpack was over a meter at elevation. If you have the gear, the backcountry is very good at right now.
For next weekend, I plan on doing a half day at Nakiska on Saturday (while Liz writes an exam), and touring on Sunday. I hope for more snow.
If you are coming soon, it looks like Sunshine is your best bet for fun....unless you want to tour, or watch the races at Louise.
Hi Vinny, from me and Jim
