I just returned from a week at Banff skiing Sunshine, Lake Louise and Kicking Horse. A close friend who moved his family from Rochester, Ny to Calgary provided the detail below as the Banff resorts are now his home turf. For any considering going it is a worth reviewing:
BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
1. The Banff ski areas are currently in the transition from winter to spring. The <0F temperatures of mid-winter are probably gone; more likely, you'll experience 15F to 40F. In a single run, you can go from powder, to hard pack, to slush. So bring skis that can handle it all; you aren't going to want those 120mm under-foot heli-ski boards as the only arrow in your quiver. March is also the time for big storms/dumps, so a water-resistant outer layer is another must; the odds are about 4:1 that you'll experience a good dump
2. Bottle liquor is about 50% more expensive in Alberta than in New York (taxes). Of course, the exchange rate is 40% in your favor, so perhaps it's a wash. The alternative to buying in Canada is to take advantage of the 1.5l allowance you are allowed to import if you are daring enough to put them in your checked baggage. This being said, make a point of trying the wines from British Columbia. The central BC wines compare very favorably with those from Washington and Oregon, and nothing like the rot-gut from Ontario. I doubt that you see them in the eastern part of the US because it all gets drunk locally. Central BC has hot, dry summers so the red wines are a real treat. I'd avoid those from Vancouver Island where it's mild and wet.
3. I don't have any great tips on exchanging money. Personally, I just use the ATM machines. Expect that the Canadian bank will add a fee of $2 to $3 for using the ATM. Exchange rates should be similar to what the credit card companies charge. I don't recommend bringing a lot of US cash.
4. Banff base depths are running about 4 feet at the moment; Kicking Horse considerably more. Beginners and intermediates may not see a rock all week. Advance skiers, however, can expect to hit some - you are skiing in the ROCKY mountains so get use to it! You may want to bring your touch-up tools, as I find at least one P-tex worthy rock most days.
CHOOSING YOUR SKI HILL FOR THE DAY:
1. Check the weather forecasts and the webcams:
For the weather, I like http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Lake-Louise. You can access all of the areas from this website.
The webcams at both Sunshine and Lake Louise include a current temperature reading in the upper-right corner. There can be significant top-to-bottom temperature differences; inversions are common so you will often find the coldest temperatures at the bottom of the hill. It may be too cold in town but pleasant up on top; don't give up before doing the research.
Lake Louise has been having trouble for the last couple of weeks with the Larch chair - a favorite for intermediates. They have been posting daily updates on the Lake Louise snow report, so keep an eye out. Hopefully, this will be a thing of the past before you get here.
2. If the light threatens to be flat or it's going to be foggy, I recommend Lake Louise over Sunshine. Much of Sunshine is above treeline without significant features; it's no fun when you can't see. Lake Louise has more options below treeline, so visibility is better.
3. I also recommend Lake Louise over Sunshine if wind will be a factor. Lake Louise has good skiing/riding in all directions, so there is always some where out of the wind. Sunshine faces east, south, and west, so you can't retreat to many north slopes.
4. Sunshine seems to be the preferred hill for beginners and intermediates. Advance skiers/riders can have a good time at Sunshine - but most of the high-end skiers that I know prefer Lake Louise because of the back bowls and the glades.
5. Sunshine has multiple flat connectors, so boarders need to be prepared to unbuckle and walk.
6. If you only want to ski/ride a half-day, give Norquay a try. Because it's elevation is lower, it's more likely to be icy. Therefore, plan on going later in the day when it has soften up. Advanced skiers will surely appreciate the North American chair. The runs are great, the view amazing, and there is a historic tea house at the top of the chair; it's the only place where I have ever shared a trail with mountain sheep (i.e., like the Ram truck). Pedestrians can also take this chair to the teahouse, so it's good option if you are taking the day off and still have a lift ticket to burn.
7. Norquay and Lake Louise both have tubing but this is a separate ticket.
8. Brownbag or buy your lunch? A burger/fries combo with a soft drink will probably run you about $15. The areas also have both waitress-served bistros/pubs and full restaurants. Or you can brownbag your own food. The Safeway on Banff Ave is a good place to stock up. The day lodges all have 1 or 2 public microwaves, but you'll have to seek them out and may have to wait your turn.
9. Be sure to grab a trail map and keep your bearings as on-hill trail signage is infrequent.
SKIING SUNSHINE:
1. Because the access gondola ride is 20-minutes long, the Sunshine gondola opens at 8:30. A couple of the minor lifts up at the village will open earlier but most don't get running until 9:00. These times could shift earlier as the days get longer, so check the website.
2. If you have a bag that you want to access during the day, take it on the gondola with you. Plan on leaving your bag at one of the upper areas as only beginners ski/ride back to the bottom before last run. (There is only one run to the bottom and it's essentially a snow covered road; the gondola ride back is 20-minutes). The base-area lockers are $10 a day; I just throw my boot bag in a corner. The only base-area locker room is behind the ticket windows.
3. I don't expect that you will have crowds mid-week, but if you want a lift and a mountain to yourself, get off of the gondola at the Goat's Eye mid-station. Most people go up to the village first thing and don't ski Goat's Eye until the afternoon; I like skiing Sunshine in the opposite order. From the gondola mid-station, advance and intermediate skiers/riders will want the Goat's eye chair. Those seeking something milder should check out Wolverine and Jack Rabbit chairs.
4. Up at the village (last gondola stop), the best chairs for beginners would be Strawberry, Standish, and Wawa. Intermediates will enjoy all of the village chairs. Advance skiers will want to check them all out, but will probably drift to Teepee Town chair, Standish, and Divide. On a clear sunny day, the view from the top of Teepee, Angel, and Divide chairs is pretty awesome.
5. For advance skiers, Delirium Dive is a must-do adventure if the light is good and the Dive is open. First, I strongly recommend that they ski the Whitehorn II chutes on the back side of Lake Louise (top of the Summit Platter) to confirm that they are okay with a seriously steep pitch (45 to 50 degree). Then 2 or more people will need to rent avalanche gear in Banff, as you can't get past the Delirium Dive gate without a transmitting beacon, shovel, probe, and a partner with the same equipment. There is an avalanche probe test area at the top of the Wawa chair where they should first practice with the beacon. The Dive is patrolled and regularly bombed, so the avalanche risk is low, but the management wants to ensure only a high caliber of skier enters. The patrol has struggled to get the Dive open this year, so expect to navigate some rocks at the top in a place where you do NOT want to fall. It's best to enter the Dive with someone who has been there before. If you let me know in advance and the weather is good, I could possibly take QUALIFIED people in on Friday or Saturday, but I'd need to check them out first. Alternatively, I think the Sunshine ski school could provide the service for a fee.
6. If this Delirium Dive talk is too much, advance skiers can have a good time in the Goat's Eye South-Side Chutes (right off of the chair along the cat-track).
7. For people wanting to try glade skiing, you have several mild options off of the Wawa chair. The Goat's Eye glades are a step up in difficulty; first try the Big Woody and the ones below Cleavage (skier's left of the lift line above the cat track). The double black Hell's Kitchen is my favorite, but it was scrapped pretty thin yesterday, so I wouldn't try it without a lot of snow in the next 2 weeks.
8. Be sure to check out the new Teepee Town chair - detachable quad with heated seats and retractable dome covers. There is nice terrain under it for advance skiers and intermediates. It's also a good way to get back to the village (via Wolverine) if you have been skiing Goat's Eye.
9. Because of their northern exposure, the best places for advance skiers to find good snow on a bad day are the lift line slopes under Standish and the Shoulder off of Teepee Town. Beginners and Intermediates will have lots of groomed options off of most slopes.
10. The best full-service dinning experience is the hotel restaurant (by the Standish lift). But if I had only 1 meal to eat, I'd go to Trapper's Saloon in the 1928 log cabin that was the original lodge built by the CP railroad. The food isn't as good as the hotel, but the place oozes authentic character. Brown baggers will prefer Goat's Eye, but the mid-level of the village day lodge is also an option.
SKIING LAKE LOUISE:
1. Be prepared for the bus ride to the hill; allow 45-minutes once the bus leaves town.
2. Don't leave your boot bag under a table in the base area day lodge; they will move them to a boot room in the older wing of the lodge (upper level).
3. Beginners and intermediates prefer the front side and Larch; advance skiers will prefer the back side, Ptarmigan, and the upper parts of the front side.
4. In spring weather, plan your day around the sun. The front side faces south and is lower, so it's most likely to be hard - especially early in the day; it will get much softer as the day advances. The back side has the best snow because it faces north, is higher, and is out of the wind (i.e., the front-side snow blows to the back side). Ptarmigan and the back-side catch early day light; the front side is lit all-day (cloud cover willing). Late in the day when the back-side is in the shadows, see if the sun is shinning on the ridge across the valley; if this ridge is lit, you'll have good reflective light on the back side and no trouble seeing. Without this reflective light, the tree-less backside light becomes very flat and hard to navigate.
5. Most trails on Larch get groomed nightly so it's a good place for intermediates. As noted above, they have had lift trouble and were running the lift at reduced speed; if this is happening, it will be noted in the snow report.
6. Temple Lodge between Larch and Ptarmigan is great place to meet for lunch. Convenient location, a good full-service pub, a good cafeteria (but the line can be slow), and the good deck barbeque and bar. If the food lines are long, check out the deli in the loft. The Whitehorn Lodge on the front-side is a full-service restaurant with stunning views; I don't know if they take reservations, but it would be worth asking if you are going to give it try. One drawback of the Whitehorn is that you are forced to ski to the bottom to get back on a lift. The base area day lodge has multiple options, but I never go there because it's an inconvenient location once I'm on the hill.
7. Lake Louise is a great place for advance skiers to find out if they can handle the steeps. Begin with the chutes off of the Paradise chair. If feeling confident, try Whitehorn 1, i.e., the open bowl at the top of the Summit Platter that faces the Paradise chair (turn right when getting off of the platter). If those all go well, head to Whitehorn II, the 9 chutes behind the Summit Platter (turn left when getting off of the platter). In Whitehorn II, go one at a time; each of the 9 bowls funnel into a narrow chute of 45 to 50 degrees. This is not the place to fall, and if you do, you don't want to take down skiers in front of you because you will be sliding a LONG way. For a true alpine adventure and the best chance for powder, take the 15-minute hike to Boundary Bowl (a.k.a. Out of Bounds Bowl).
8. On a poor visibility day, the Ptarmigan glades (skier's left of the Ptarmigan chair) are a real blast for the advance skier. These are the best glades that I have ever skied. Steep but with enough space to have lots of turn options. The trees used to construct the main base lodge come from this slope.
SKIING NORQUAY:
1. As mentioned above, Norquay - the area just about the town of Banff - is a great half-day option, but you can also have fun for the day if you are bored with the other areas. You can buy tickets by the hour, half-day, or full-day. It's only a 15-minute commute.
2. Because of the lower elevations, freeze-thaw is more of an issue. East coast skiers will feel right at home on the hard snow, but the views are pure Alberta Rockies. If you are experiencing freeze-thaw in town, then expect it here.
3. This is the only hill with night skiing - but why bother when the day skiing is so good. The area lit at night would only appeal to first-time skiers (think Swain or Kissing Bridge).
4. The North American chair is strictly for advance skiers - long constant pitch moguled runs with tremendous views and your best chance to catch wild life. Pedestrians are also accepted on the chair, so lower level skiers may want to leave their equipment at the bottom and just go up for the views and tea house. When I can only ski for 3 or 4 hours, this is where I go.
5. All of the other chairs have good options for beginners and intermediates.
6. Norquay has good base lodge, cafeteria and pub/restaurant, but I haven' eaten there in a long time.
SKIING KICKING HORSE:
1. The Horse is well worth the trip, so go if you can. They have had twice the snow of the Banff areas, and the runs are LONG (4,000 vertical) with lots of options.
2. The gondola is the only way to the top. On a weekend powder day, an hour-long line is possible, but much less on a weekday.
3. Kicking Horse is lower than Banff and temperatures milder, so the odds are high that you'll have spring freeze/thaw at the bottom but mid-winter at the top. The ski area faces north so there are not a lot of navigation options to maximize sun exposure.
4. Advance skiers will want to spend their time on the upper half of the mountain, but the lift layout will keep forcing you to the bottom. Must upper mountain runs are along three ridges that run north-south. The east slopes are open glades and the best chance for wind drifted powder. The west slopes are open slope chutes like those found at Lake Louise; typically there will be rocks to navigate at the entry, but after the first couple of turns, it's sweet. Finding your run along the ridge lines can be tiring because of the long traverse. If you traverse the ridges along their crests, you'll find them moguled and icy; you'll be worn out before ever dropping into your line. My trick is to drop below the main track and traverse a flatter line. I only intercept the main track when I get to the point where I want to drop in.
5. Intermediates and beginners will prefer the lower half. There are 2 lifts that only service the lower half. These lower runs all face north, so the options on one side of the mountain will ski much like the other side. This being said, be sure to make at least one run to the top for the views. The easiest way down is to go right from the gondola past the restaurant along the cat track. If it's been freeze-thawing, you'll want to look for groomed runs until things soften.
6. The base area is a good option for lunch as all skiers pass through the base area at the end of most runs. There is a cafeteria, a pub, a restaurant and a petit grocery store. For fine dining, the restaurant at the top of the Gondola should not be missed; make a reservation when you get off the Gondola for your first run.
PSS: Two additions to my insider's tips for skiing Banff:
1. Wednesday March 9, Norquay is celebrating it's anniversary with tickets costing $0.90 (yes, 90-cents). Could be real crowded; good thing you are going to Kicking Horse.
2. Warn people about the Wawa lift at Sunshine. Loading is via a moving conveyor. The trick is to LEAN against the retention gate, When the gate swings open, let gravity draw you onto the conveyor. If you push off or otherwise move faster than the conveyor (ex., walking), then you will get ahead of the chair. The conveyor stops shortly after the loading point, so you are at risk of being launched off the end of the conveyor. It's a drop of several feet. Ugly way to go down.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
1. The Banff ski areas are currently in the transition from winter to spring. The <0F temperatures of mid-winter are probably gone; more likely, you'll experience 15F to 40F. In a single run, you can go from powder, to hard pack, to slush. So bring skis that can handle it all; you aren't going to want those 120mm under-foot heli-ski boards as the only arrow in your quiver. March is also the time for big storms/dumps, so a water-resistant outer layer is another must; the odds are about 4:1 that you'll experience a good dump
2. Bottle liquor is about 50% more expensive in Alberta than in New York (taxes). Of course, the exchange rate is 40% in your favor, so perhaps it's a wash. The alternative to buying in Canada is to take advantage of the 1.5l allowance you are allowed to import if you are daring enough to put them in your checked baggage. This being said, make a point of trying the wines from British Columbia. The central BC wines compare very favorably with those from Washington and Oregon, and nothing like the rot-gut from Ontario. I doubt that you see them in the eastern part of the US because it all gets drunk locally. Central BC has hot, dry summers so the red wines are a real treat. I'd avoid those from Vancouver Island where it's mild and wet.
3. I don't have any great tips on exchanging money. Personally, I just use the ATM machines. Expect that the Canadian bank will add a fee of $2 to $3 for using the ATM. Exchange rates should be similar to what the credit card companies charge. I don't recommend bringing a lot of US cash.
4. Banff base depths are running about 4 feet at the moment; Kicking Horse considerably more. Beginners and intermediates may not see a rock all week. Advance skiers, however, can expect to hit some - you are skiing in the ROCKY mountains so get use to it! You may want to bring your touch-up tools, as I find at least one P-tex worthy rock most days.
CHOOSING YOUR SKI HILL FOR THE DAY:
1. Check the weather forecasts and the webcams:
For the weather, I like http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Lake-Louise. You can access all of the areas from this website.
The webcams at both Sunshine and Lake Louise include a current temperature reading in the upper-right corner. There can be significant top-to-bottom temperature differences; inversions are common so you will often find the coldest temperatures at the bottom of the hill. It may be too cold in town but pleasant up on top; don't give up before doing the research.
Lake Louise has been having trouble for the last couple of weeks with the Larch chair - a favorite for intermediates. They have been posting daily updates on the Lake Louise snow report, so keep an eye out. Hopefully, this will be a thing of the past before you get here.
2. If the light threatens to be flat or it's going to be foggy, I recommend Lake Louise over Sunshine. Much of Sunshine is above treeline without significant features; it's no fun when you can't see. Lake Louise has more options below treeline, so visibility is better.
3. I also recommend Lake Louise over Sunshine if wind will be a factor. Lake Louise has good skiing/riding in all directions, so there is always some where out of the wind. Sunshine faces east, south, and west, so you can't retreat to many north slopes.
4. Sunshine seems to be the preferred hill for beginners and intermediates. Advance skiers/riders can have a good time at Sunshine - but most of the high-end skiers that I know prefer Lake Louise because of the back bowls and the glades.
5. Sunshine has multiple flat connectors, so boarders need to be prepared to unbuckle and walk.
6. If you only want to ski/ride a half-day, give Norquay a try. Because it's elevation is lower, it's more likely to be icy. Therefore, plan on going later in the day when it has soften up. Advanced skiers will surely appreciate the North American chair. The runs are great, the view amazing, and there is a historic tea house at the top of the chair; it's the only place where I have ever shared a trail with mountain sheep (i.e., like the Ram truck). Pedestrians can also take this chair to the teahouse, so it's good option if you are taking the day off and still have a lift ticket to burn.
7. Norquay and Lake Louise both have tubing but this is a separate ticket.
8. Brownbag or buy your lunch? A burger/fries combo with a soft drink will probably run you about $15. The areas also have both waitress-served bistros/pubs and full restaurants. Or you can brownbag your own food. The Safeway on Banff Ave is a good place to stock up. The day lodges all have 1 or 2 public microwaves, but you'll have to seek them out and may have to wait your turn.
9. Be sure to grab a trail map and keep your bearings as on-hill trail signage is infrequent.
SKIING SUNSHINE:
1. Because the access gondola ride is 20-minutes long, the Sunshine gondola opens at 8:30. A couple of the minor lifts up at the village will open earlier but most don't get running until 9:00. These times could shift earlier as the days get longer, so check the website.
2. If you have a bag that you want to access during the day, take it on the gondola with you. Plan on leaving your bag at one of the upper areas as only beginners ski/ride back to the bottom before last run. (There is only one run to the bottom and it's essentially a snow covered road; the gondola ride back is 20-minutes). The base-area lockers are $10 a day; I just throw my boot bag in a corner. The only base-area locker room is behind the ticket windows.
3. I don't expect that you will have crowds mid-week, but if you want a lift and a mountain to yourself, get off of the gondola at the Goat's Eye mid-station. Most people go up to the village first thing and don't ski Goat's Eye until the afternoon; I like skiing Sunshine in the opposite order. From the gondola mid-station, advance and intermediate skiers/riders will want the Goat's eye chair. Those seeking something milder should check out Wolverine and Jack Rabbit chairs.
4. Up at the village (last gondola stop), the best chairs for beginners would be Strawberry, Standish, and Wawa. Intermediates will enjoy all of the village chairs. Advance skiers will want to check them all out, but will probably drift to Teepee Town chair, Standish, and Divide. On a clear sunny day, the view from the top of Teepee, Angel, and Divide chairs is pretty awesome.
5. For advance skiers, Delirium Dive is a must-do adventure if the light is good and the Dive is open. First, I strongly recommend that they ski the Whitehorn II chutes on the back side of Lake Louise (top of the Summit Platter) to confirm that they are okay with a seriously steep pitch (45 to 50 degree). Then 2 or more people will need to rent avalanche gear in Banff, as you can't get past the Delirium Dive gate without a transmitting beacon, shovel, probe, and a partner with the same equipment. There is an avalanche probe test area at the top of the Wawa chair where they should first practice with the beacon. The Dive is patrolled and regularly bombed, so the avalanche risk is low, but the management wants to ensure only a high caliber of skier enters. The patrol has struggled to get the Dive open this year, so expect to navigate some rocks at the top in a place where you do NOT want to fall. It's best to enter the Dive with someone who has been there before. If you let me know in advance and the weather is good, I could possibly take QUALIFIED people in on Friday or Saturday, but I'd need to check them out first. Alternatively, I think the Sunshine ski school could provide the service for a fee.
6. If this Delirium Dive talk is too much, advance skiers can have a good time in the Goat's Eye South-Side Chutes (right off of the chair along the cat-track).
7. For people wanting to try glade skiing, you have several mild options off of the Wawa chair. The Goat's Eye glades are a step up in difficulty; first try the Big Woody and the ones below Cleavage (skier's left of the lift line above the cat track). The double black Hell's Kitchen is my favorite, but it was scrapped pretty thin yesterday, so I wouldn't try it without a lot of snow in the next 2 weeks.
8. Be sure to check out the new Teepee Town chair - detachable quad with heated seats and retractable dome covers. There is nice terrain under it for advance skiers and intermediates. It's also a good way to get back to the village (via Wolverine) if you have been skiing Goat's Eye.
9. Because of their northern exposure, the best places for advance skiers to find good snow on a bad day are the lift line slopes under Standish and the Shoulder off of Teepee Town. Beginners and Intermediates will have lots of groomed options off of most slopes.
10. The best full-service dinning experience is the hotel restaurant (by the Standish lift). But if I had only 1 meal to eat, I'd go to Trapper's Saloon in the 1928 log cabin that was the original lodge built by the CP railroad. The food isn't as good as the hotel, but the place oozes authentic character. Brown baggers will prefer Goat's Eye, but the mid-level of the village day lodge is also an option.
SKIING LAKE LOUISE:
1. Be prepared for the bus ride to the hill; allow 45-minutes once the bus leaves town.
2. Don't leave your boot bag under a table in the base area day lodge; they will move them to a boot room in the older wing of the lodge (upper level).
3. Beginners and intermediates prefer the front side and Larch; advance skiers will prefer the back side, Ptarmigan, and the upper parts of the front side.
4. In spring weather, plan your day around the sun. The front side faces south and is lower, so it's most likely to be hard - especially early in the day; it will get much softer as the day advances. The back side has the best snow because it faces north, is higher, and is out of the wind (i.e., the front-side snow blows to the back side). Ptarmigan and the back-side catch early day light; the front side is lit all-day (cloud cover willing). Late in the day when the back-side is in the shadows, see if the sun is shinning on the ridge across the valley; if this ridge is lit, you'll have good reflective light on the back side and no trouble seeing. Without this reflective light, the tree-less backside light becomes very flat and hard to navigate.
5. Most trails on Larch get groomed nightly so it's a good place for intermediates. As noted above, they have had lift trouble and were running the lift at reduced speed; if this is happening, it will be noted in the snow report.
6. Temple Lodge between Larch and Ptarmigan is great place to meet for lunch. Convenient location, a good full-service pub, a good cafeteria (but the line can be slow), and the good deck barbeque and bar. If the food lines are long, check out the deli in the loft. The Whitehorn Lodge on the front-side is a full-service restaurant with stunning views; I don't know if they take reservations, but it would be worth asking if you are going to give it try. One drawback of the Whitehorn is that you are forced to ski to the bottom to get back on a lift. The base area day lodge has multiple options, but I never go there because it's an inconvenient location once I'm on the hill.
7. Lake Louise is a great place for advance skiers to find out if they can handle the steeps. Begin with the chutes off of the Paradise chair. If feeling confident, try Whitehorn 1, i.e., the open bowl at the top of the Summit Platter that faces the Paradise chair (turn right when getting off of the platter). If those all go well, head to Whitehorn II, the 9 chutes behind the Summit Platter (turn left when getting off of the platter). In Whitehorn II, go one at a time; each of the 9 bowls funnel into a narrow chute of 45 to 50 degrees. This is not the place to fall, and if you do, you don't want to take down skiers in front of you because you will be sliding a LONG way. For a true alpine adventure and the best chance for powder, take the 15-minute hike to Boundary Bowl (a.k.a. Out of Bounds Bowl).
8. On a poor visibility day, the Ptarmigan glades (skier's left of the Ptarmigan chair) are a real blast for the advance skier. These are the best glades that I have ever skied. Steep but with enough space to have lots of turn options. The trees used to construct the main base lodge come from this slope.
SKIING NORQUAY:
1. As mentioned above, Norquay - the area just about the town of Banff - is a great half-day option, but you can also have fun for the day if you are bored with the other areas. You can buy tickets by the hour, half-day, or full-day. It's only a 15-minute commute.
2. Because of the lower elevations, freeze-thaw is more of an issue. East coast skiers will feel right at home on the hard snow, but the views are pure Alberta Rockies. If you are experiencing freeze-thaw in town, then expect it here.
3. This is the only hill with night skiing - but why bother when the day skiing is so good. The area lit at night would only appeal to first-time skiers (think Swain or Kissing Bridge).
4. The North American chair is strictly for advance skiers - long constant pitch moguled runs with tremendous views and your best chance to catch wild life. Pedestrians are also accepted on the chair, so lower level skiers may want to leave their equipment at the bottom and just go up for the views and tea house. When I can only ski for 3 or 4 hours, this is where I go.
5. All of the other chairs have good options for beginners and intermediates.
6. Norquay has good base lodge, cafeteria and pub/restaurant, but I haven' eaten there in a long time.
SKIING KICKING HORSE:
1. The Horse is well worth the trip, so go if you can. They have had twice the snow of the Banff areas, and the runs are LONG (4,000 vertical) with lots of options.
2. The gondola is the only way to the top. On a weekend powder day, an hour-long line is possible, but much less on a weekday.
3. Kicking Horse is lower than Banff and temperatures milder, so the odds are high that you'll have spring freeze/thaw at the bottom but mid-winter at the top. The ski area faces north so there are not a lot of navigation options to maximize sun exposure.
4. Advance skiers will want to spend their time on the upper half of the mountain, but the lift layout will keep forcing you to the bottom. Must upper mountain runs are along three ridges that run north-south. The east slopes are open glades and the best chance for wind drifted powder. The west slopes are open slope chutes like those found at Lake Louise; typically there will be rocks to navigate at the entry, but after the first couple of turns, it's sweet. Finding your run along the ridge lines can be tiring because of the long traverse. If you traverse the ridges along their crests, you'll find them moguled and icy; you'll be worn out before ever dropping into your line. My trick is to drop below the main track and traverse a flatter line. I only intercept the main track when I get to the point where I want to drop in.
5. Intermediates and beginners will prefer the lower half. There are 2 lifts that only service the lower half. These lower runs all face north, so the options on one side of the mountain will ski much like the other side. This being said, be sure to make at least one run to the top for the views. The easiest way down is to go right from the gondola past the restaurant along the cat track. If it's been freeze-thawing, you'll want to look for groomed runs until things soften.
6. The base area is a good option for lunch as all skiers pass through the base area at the end of most runs. There is a cafeteria, a pub, a restaurant and a petit grocery store. For fine dining, the restaurant at the top of the Gondola should not be missed; make a reservation when you get off the Gondola for your first run.
PSS: Two additions to my insider's tips for skiing Banff:
1. Wednesday March 9, Norquay is celebrating it's anniversary with tickets costing $0.90 (yes, 90-cents). Could be real crowded; good thing you are going to Kicking Horse.
2. Warn people about the Wawa lift at Sunshine. Loading is via a moving conveyor. The trick is to LEAN against the retention gate, When the gate swings open, let gravity draw you onto the conveyor. If you push off or otherwise move faster than the conveyor (ex., walking), then you will get ahead of the chair. The conveyor stops shortly after the loading point, so you are at risk of being launched off the end of the conveyor. It's a drop of several feet. Ugly way to go down.
