Alberta Glades and Steeps
Two words are music to our ears. Powder. Day. Lake Louise Ski Resort, Banff Sunshine Village, Castle Mountain, Marmot Basin and Norquay are all blessed with runs where the snow settles in big drifts between perfectly placed trees. Even a few days after a good dump, many of these runs have untouched powder or, are lightly used. SnowSeekers is all about sharing the hidden gems of our western ski resorts and this time, we're letting you in on our secret stashes. When you test them out for yourself, let us know what you think, but please – keep them a secret.
Lake Louise Ski Resort
Your mind was blown when you hit Tower 12 and Lookout Chutes. Both runs are off the Larch Express. You'll be amazed that you hadn't discovered them before. They are not long but they are secluded, steep and a blast. Fall. Its okay. You'll roll three or four times before you find your feet again, but its such a great ride on a thick blanket. Off the front face while everyone else is taking Home Run, drop off into Mirkwood and Home Run Chutes.
Banff Sunshine Village
Delirium Dive is in a school of its own and those adventurous folks with avalanche safety gear will definitely want to jump into this chasm. There are also plenty of runs over off Goat's Eye Express that can keep you in powder-filled glade bliss. Barney's trees and the glades now called FIGJAM are great but best before the wind whips up a crust on the snow. FIGJAM? Yeah - look it up.
Marmot Basin
The next time you're at Marmot Basin, pray for a snow day. It'll give you an excellent reason to ski another day. Talk about living the dream! After a big snow, you'll find run after run through Diamond Glades and Grizzly Glades will be full of virgin snow. And with the new Tres Hombres area, you'll find a single-lane powder freeway falling right to the boundary below.
Castle Mountain
If it's snowing in the southend of the province, head for highway 3 and take the turn for Castle Mountain Resort. This little gem gets overlooked but offers some of the best glades in the province. You can check the south side of Haig Mountain by jumping on the Powder Stagecoach for a full day of chutes and glades zoned just for the cat access. Trust us - its awesome! But if you just want to rip through the trees, head for Ghost Rider Glades off the Huckleberry Chair or Northern and Double exposure off The Tamarack Chair. If you are new to Castle, just ask any local. They won't just tell you where the best runs are, they'll take you.
Norquay
Norquay, the closest ski resort to the town of Banff, has some great steeps off the two-person North American chairlift. Just riding that old workhorse is half the fun. From the top though, midway through the season after a blanket of snow, anything off that chair is a blast. Staying over to skiers right on runs like Corvids and Waterfall is gnarly. Watch for Toonie Tuesday events, and if it lands on a Snow Day, we'll be right there with ya.
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