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Alberta Ski Vacation
Alberta is completely unique within Canada and within North America. It truly is the place that has it all. In this province enjoy every imaginable natural wonder: Whether you're in the mood for arctic tundra, sandy cactus desert, alpine lakes, endless prairie, majestic Rocky Mountains, spectacular metropolises, and even a village named Vulcan where the residents wear pointy ears around town, Alberta is your place.Each one of the three resorts is absolutely packed full of amazing slopes and runs atop an average of 180 inches of heavenly, fluffy, deep, incredible Alberta powder that will suit absolutely every discipline level from the youngest child strapping on the skis for the first time all the way to the championship-level expert looking for peak challenges to refine and hone their skillset. That is what has long made the Banff resorts some of the most popular and sought-after slopes in all of skidom.
Sunshine Village's Terrain Park is filled with lots of natural features such as a quarterpipe, lips and drops. You'll find it in the area between Wawa quad and the Standish Express. Dell Valley serves up a natural halfpipe that will get you all primed up for the magnificent Terrain Park there, featuring kickers, ramps and rails. The Terrain Park at Ski Banff At Norquay has table tops, rails, jib boxes and gap jumps, as well as a great halfpipe. Bruno's Gully is the local skiers' favorite run for its challenging natural features. Lake Louise has one of the biggest Terrain Parks in the world: The Showtime Terrain Park features jumps ranging up to an absolutely unbelievable and some people might say unachievable 75 feet, added onto about 30 rails and funboxes, and two gigantic quarterpipes. However, little can possibly ever prepare you for taking on the challenge of the almost endless Superpipe with 15 foot walls and a 17 foot transition. You just can't beat Lake Louise, Ski Banff at Norquay, and Sunshine Village for some of the best skiing in the north!
Although Banff is mostly isolated from the effects of the Chinook snoweater winds, if you've never experienced them before, they are really something to see. The areas south of Calgary might be covered with two feet of snow and then the Chinooks pick up and melt it all in six hours! It is not at all unusual to have breakfast when it's -22 degrees F. outside and then go to dinner in your shirtsleeves.
Banff is a magnificent dining town, where you will find a vast selection of any kind of meal you desire at any budget point you wish to spend. Some of the family favorites include Bumper's Steakhouse, Coyote's Southwestern Cuisine, Caramba Mediterranean Restaurant, Guido's Italian Specialties, Giorgio's Fresh Market Cuisine, Silver Dragon Cantonese and Peking Kitchen, Typhoon Eclectic Asian Restaurant, and Saltlik which advertises itself with its memorable motto: Live It! Love It! Lik It! For quicker and less expensive family lunches, check out Coyote's Deli and Grill, Aardvark Pizza and Subs, and Evelyn's Coffee Bar.
Alberta has more petroleum than the Middle East and at current prices it's economic to extract it from the oil sands so the province is booming like no other place since the 1800s Gold Rush. Calgary is about 90 minute's drive east of the Banff resorts and is an amazing ultra clean city transitioning between the Old West and the New West. Calgary's Olympic Park offers the ultimate in any winter games competition you can name. If you want to stay a bit closer to the resorts, the Banff area is an absolute winter wonderland and may just be the most charming mountain town in North America. There are endless adventures to be had in Alberta, so just check with one of the numerous Adventure Centers to book whatever you want to do.
| Banff Ski Vacations |
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| FORTRESS
MTN. |
Fortress Mountain Base - 6692 feet | Summit - 7775 feet | Vertical - 1082 feet | Lifts - 6 total ( Triple Chairs: 1, Double Chairs: 2, Surface Lifts: 3 ) | Total Ski/Ride Terrain - 400 acres |Terrain Classification -20% beginner, 55% intermediate, 25% expert |
| LAKE
LOUISE |
Lake Louise Base - 4650 feet | Summit - 8650 feet | Vertical - 3250 feet | Lifts -High Speed Six Chairs: 1, High Speed Quads: 4, Quad Chairs: 1, Triple Chairs: 1, Surface Lifts: 3 ) | Total Ski/Ride Terrain - 4200 acres |Terrain Classification - 25% beginner, 45% intermediate, 30% expert |
| MARMOT
BASIN |
Marmot Basin Base - 5534 feet | Summit - 8534 feet | Vertical - 3000 feet | Lifts - High Speed Quads: 1, Quad Chairs: 1, Triple Chairs: 1, Double Chairs: 3, Surface Lifts: 3 ) | Total Ski/Ride Terrain - 1675 acres |Terrain Classification - 30% beginner, 30% intermediate, 40% expert |
