Skiing Western Canada
Take to the slopes from Manitoba to British Columbia
Skiing Western Canada is a delight for all skill levels and ages. From cross-country to downhill you'll find whatever suits your needs in Western Canada.
Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains in British Columbia may be the headliners of skiing in Western Canada, but the supporting cast of ski venues is simply outstanding. Yes, you can ski BC, including Vancouver Island, but you can also ski in Alberta, Manitoba and even Saskatchewan.
In Alberta try the Lake Louise area with runs from gentle to double black diamonds. This is a great place to bring a group as you can find runs to suit everyone from beginners to Olympic hopefuls. Lake Louise is only 185 km from Calgary and a mere 50km from Banff. Try the Lake Louise Inn as a base for your ski Western Canada adventure.
After a hard day on the slopes in Lake Louise try “Ski Naked” a potent potable of Blue Curacao, Absolut, Cointreau, grape juice and a sprig of mint. This may cause you to exaggerate your prowess on the slopes but just remember that what happens on the mountain stays on the mountain.
Manitobans head to Holiday Mountain (www.holidaymountain.com), with its two chair lifts, t-bar, and “wonder carpet” beginner lift. If you’ve wanted to try “downhill” skiing this just may be the place to try without being intimidated by giant slopes and overly competent seven year olds.
Saskatchewan is home to superb cross-country skiing in Western Canada. There are hundreds of kilometers of groomed and marked trails in regional, provincial and city parks across the province, to find out more go to: www.crosscountrysask.ca. For a weekend adventure spend the night in a bed and breakfast such as the Hillcrest Inn (www.hillcrestinn.ca) in northern Saskatchewan for an entire weekend of cross-country skiing and snow shoeing.
Mt. Washington on Vancouver Island offers glade skiing, deep alpine bowls and steep drops for the adventurous skiing Western Canada.
Interior British Columbia has Silver Star (www.skisilverstar.com) has been dubbed the favorite destination of the US Ski Nordic Team because of its long, scenic trails. Silver Star skiers have access to over 100 km of track-set trails for skiing.
Happy Trails to you!
