Sunday Skiing in Banff
Banff National Park, Alberta
There is nothing like waking up hungover on a Sunday morning with the knowledge that soon enough you will be hungover in a far more fun place than your bed. One of the great things about living in Banff is the choices you have when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. Norquay, Lake Louise and Sunshine Village are among three of the best ski hills in the world, let alone the Rockies. On Sunday morning, it was a nice warm temperature (relatively), the sun was out, the skies were clear and there was no excuse whatsoever not to struggle into my boots and click into the skis.
It's all downhill from here!
If you haven’t been on the slopes recently, you really forget just how good it is. That feeling of chatting to people excitedly in the Gondola on the way up while watching people carve down the slopes below is second to none. The atmosphere is always electric up on the hill but it was more so than ever with Christmas around the corner. People celebrated the few weeks off they have without restraint. The restaurants were packed with people sitting beside the fire drinking hot chocolate or more commonly having a beer!
It is no secret that the ski hills have enjoyed record snow in their opening weeks. Well, it is one thing reading about it and another altogether being up there carving through the deep, thick and powdery snow. There is hardly a patch of ice to be found and though it was a busy day, there was still plenty of space for everyone to safely make their way around the hill. Queues were practically nonexistent for the ski chairs and within minutes you could be at the top of the mountain looking over the Bow Valley in peace before shooting down the hill at suicidal pace.
Perhaps the best part of the day was the ski out. I was enjoying myself so much that I lost track of time and the sun was already well on its way down. As darkness fell, I was skiing like a mad man down the hill trying to make it down to Creekside for a quick beer. The ski out is really one of the best runs on the hill with steep drops, thin turns and a beer waiting at the end! If you are coming to the Canadian Rockies during winter, don’t let your visit pass without a trip to the slopes. Regardless of what level you are at, you are guaranteed to have a great time. Best to take the Gondola down at the end if it’s dark though!
Check out conditions and weather live with the Banff web cam.