Bring sun block, a willingness to enjoy a variety of great spring snow, and layers that you can strip down as the spring temperatures heat up.
Great deals, family-friendly slopes, more music and parties, snow that holds in the chutes and bowls for expert skiers through spring, and superb weather this year are helping to usher in one of the longest ski and ride seasons in North America.
Spring skiing in the Canadian Rockies extends toward the end of May and Alberta’s six major resorts are preparing for another excellent season wrap-up.
As the weather warms in the Banff Lake Louise area, you have options for hiking and even golfing, so you get the snow along with a lower prices season. And you get extended light in the Rockies as winter merges into spring, giving you a longer ski day. Here are some resort spring skiing highlights.
Sunshine’s 80th
Sunshine Village in Banff National Park provides all-natural snow and it’s aiming to end this year’s ski and ride season on May 19. Extended spring hours started in mid-March with all lifts open an extra half-hour until 4:30 p.m. and Jackrabbit Quad staying open until 5 p.m. The year always ends with a bang, not a whimper, as the 80th Annual Slush Cup invites crazy costumed skiers and riders to brave a descent on snow into and over a frigid pool.
Sunshine’s ski-in and ski-out on-mountain lodging at the Sunshine Inn put you on site and overnight at 3,300 acres of terrain and 12 lifts over three mountains. Passionate skiers who enjoy day events that lead into night life can expect spring skiing with all the trimmings – live music, barbeques, beers and burgers on decks, and glorious sunshine.
Besides the Slush Cup, there’s a Coors Light party on April 26-27 and regular weekend music events leading up to the season’s end, says Jenna Stuckey of SkiBig3. And, you can head into the town of Banff for even more après ski fun before heading back to the slopes. “With our elevation and dry climate, our snow stays nice and fluffy all year,” she says.
Hard core skiers and riders can enjoy Delirium Dive, offering 600 acres of 2,000 vertical feet, as well as free ride zones. And families will find a wide variety of terrain from which to choose, along with warm weather.
Ski Norquay
Like Sunshine Village, Ski Norquay is very close to the town of Banff. This spring on March 29, Norquay hosts the 42nd annual Bruno Engler Veteran’s Race, which is the longest running alpine ski race in North America. There will also be a race clinic for those who want to brush up on their gate skills on the Friday prior to the race. “Norquay has had good coverage this year and remains nice and groomed,” says Stuckey. The target closing date this year is April 13.
Explore Lake Louise
Lake Louise Mountain Resort is Canada’s largest ski area and this spring it stays open until April 27. Paula Worthington of Resorts of the Canadian Rockies knows the mountain well, and spring time is her favorite time of the year.
“It’s the spring days that make up for the days earlier in the year when you are on the chair lift on a cold windy day – and with spring, you’re into value season,” she says.
The days are longer, so that you have a few hours of daylight after the lifts close. Lake Louise has great altitude and accompanying snow conditions, with the sun out during the day but the snow holding the higher you go. Worthington recommends following the sun all day long at Louise during the spring. “You can head to the back side in the morning and then the front side during noon,” she says.
Spring Episode is the annual big spring event on April 26-27, featuring outdoor beer gardens, live bands and fun competitions such as a hot dog eating contest along with demos. For families, the variety of terrain is astounding.
If you’re a hard core skier or rider, the back bowls hold the snow and March can be a very snowy month, so you can get great ski conditions, less people, and more runs. And there’s a Steep and Deep camp you can check out on Fridays and the weekends.
Spring into Nakiska
Less than an hour’s drive from Calgary, Nakiska is a very attractive option for families. “For parents that have younger kids new to the sport, this is a great time for them to learn,” says Worthington. “If you are hanging out at the magic carpet, you have sunny days and warm weather.”
There is great grooming at Nakiska’s slopes right until the end of the season on April 6. Hard core skiers, head to the Gold Chair, where the glades still hold snow. Intermediates can find sun all day under the Silver Chair. If you’re a party animal, you are in easy striking distance to all the big city nightlife in Calgary, or you are less than an hour away from the town of Banff.
Try Mighty Marmot
In Jasper National Park and with 1,675 acres of terrain and 3,000 vertical feet, Marmot Basin offers spring skiing and snowboarding until late April this year – April 20 or 27, depending on the snow, says Brian Rode, Vice-President of Sales and Marketing. And it’s right near the laid-back town of Jasper, which offers plenty of recreational opportunities.
“You will find excellent conditions into April,” he says. “A lot of our bowls face west and north and not so much south, so even though we get bright sunny days, we don’t have huge melts.”
Marmot gets good light until 10 p.m. in the spring, so you can ski during the day and then get into the town. It’s a great spring destination, where you can rent mountain bikes, go for walks, run on trails, and much more. “Don’t forget it can snow like crazy here in April, we get some of our best powder days then,” says Rode. “So you can get great skiing while the barbeques are on and ski or ride spring corn or fresh powder.”
Springtime at the Castle
Scheduled to be open until April 6 this year, Castle Mountain Resort is reveling in one of its best snow seasons ever, says Peter McGee of Castle. This budding resort in southern Alberta near Pincher Creek features family-friendly terrain as well as major challenges of steep and deep for hard-core skiing and riding. Expect to get the ‘cold smoke’ snow sought during mid-season right up to closing.
Partiers can head for the Huckleberry Chair, where the terrain parks are going with music and barbeques, says McGee. You can hit the T-bar Lounge later, and also enjoy beer gardens and patio areas off the T-bar. Families can enjoy a great Discover package that includes lift lesson and rentals. Experts will find a lot of different elevation on which to play, “so you can find wind sifted powder at the top for spring skiing and the chutes are great,” says McGee.