Bringing back good vibes: ski Marmot Basin for Jasper community renewal
Skiing or shredding at Marmot Basin this winter supports the recovery of one of Canada’s top communities. All you gotta do is show up and slide.
Jasper, AB — As I walk into the Upper Chalet at Marmot Basin, I'm greeted with a big hug by a beaming Jesse Lent, one of Jasper's longtime local ski racing coaches. Neither of us can erase the grins stretched wide from the turns we've enjoyed. We both agree, the skiing is fantastic and the slopes, as always, are uncrowded.
The stats don't lie: as of early December the mountain had 6 of 7 lifts open (just the Knob to go), a solid 54 centimetre early season base, and consistent snowfall topping up the runs. Pre-Christmas, the skiing is almost at mid-season levels.
A few runs later, I run into Erin Reede (formerly Marmot Basin media relations) at the lower chalet. Big hugs again, and I'm introduced to her daughter who is learning to snowboard.
With all the hugs and happy welcomes, I'm reminded that one of the rare things about Jasper is that it is a community first, and a ski destination second. One of the things I've always loved here is the ski-to-lift ratio, but lately, I'm digging the hugs-and-handshakes ratio.
Conditions have been excellent to start 2024-25. Here, ski instructor Colin Borrow gets some soft turns in the Paradise area.
Later, at the D'ed Dog, hugs and backslaps circulate among our blended family of ski patrollers. Some of us are from out of town, but among us are local patrollers who work as local volunteer firefighters, rafting guides and store managers, and who have spent the last few months supporting staff through difficult times.
In the wake of the Jasper wildfire, you may have heard some of their stories, or others like them. The fires may no longer be in the headlines, but for people here, it's still a part of their day to day reality.
Their stories, and the story of Marmot Basin, are intricately connected. For many skiers and snowboarders both here in Jasper and beyond, Jasper and Marmot Basin are an escape. And that escape is all the more important right now.
Welcome back to your Jasper escape
"Marmot is not just a ski hill anymore, it's a safe haven," says Ryan Titchener, a local Jasper skier and snowcat operator at Marmot Basin.
"It's a place where people can relieve themselves from the fire… it's a green forest, it's exactly intact the way it was prior to the fire, and it gives us that little bit of hope we can restore the town and bring back the things we lost."
Marmot Basin remains a green—and white—forest, spared from the Jasper wildfire of summer 2024.
It was a close call. We all saw the photos of the burn line, just a couple hundred feet below Marmot Basin's leasehold. The resort remained "untouched" by the grace of wind, luck and maybe Ullr.
Untouched, relatively: power lines to the hill were destroyed, holding tanks for water storage (used for snowmaking) were drained to aid in firefighting. Local staff lost homes and belongings and were displaced. Some, like other Jasperites, remain in temporary housing or living elsewhere as they await the rebuild.
But the town of Jasper is nothing if not resilient. And the return of the ski season is a rallying call, a panacea for the stress and turmoil we all felt last summer. For so many of us who have sought ways to support Jasper, this winter is the time.
Driving up to the ski hill, and looking out beyond it from the top of the lifts, you can see the effects of the fire.
And with the season off to a strong start, the time to go is now and often. Even just driving up to the ski hill is a new experience, says Jasperite Mike Day.
"It's a spectacular drive up there because you drive through a really intense burn site so you get a really close-up view at the level of force that was passing through," Day says. "It's fascinating."
Building a winter bridge
As for the effects of the fire on winter tourism operations, Day says, most businesses are in operation. While two hotels on the west end of town were taken by fire, the rest remain standing and ready.
Restaurants are waiting with open doors, and there's even a new distillery restaurant in town, the Maligne Range, adding to all the many reasons to make a visit.
"Other than seeing the phenomena, this is the time when locals really need the business," says Day.
Get ready for a hug! Jasper the Bear symbolizes the town's welcoming vibes.
Day and his family lost their home, but life goes on for the busy restaurateur. He finds himself spending more time working at his restaurant, Evil Dave's, to fill in the gaps left by the fire's impact.
"We are just trying to get back on our feet, we lost the summer," Day points out. "In winter it's a challenge at the best of times so if we can see even some incremental improvement on the usual winter that will help us get through to spring."
If Jasper has a place in your heart, then going to Jasper now will do your heart good. The skiing is great, and by supporting the ski hill, you are supporting local economic recovery.
Ski Jasper and feel good doing it, with an escape that gives back
"We just need a bit of a bridge to get through to spring," Day sums up.
Put simply, skiing in Jasper right now is the best way to feel good on skis.
Marmot's snow mandala, and hope for Jasper
For Titchener, this isn't the first time he's nearly lost his ability to ski. Skiing was nearly taken away from him in 2016, when he was temporarily paralyzed in a freak climbing accident.
After a gruelling rehab, he is again walking, paddling and sit-skiing faster than most traditional skiers.
He exudes positivity as the two of us talk about finding the spirit of adventure, even if it means overcoming barriers, both mental and physical. Which is why spending time up at Marmot is even more special to him now.
"It's a hard drive… but when you get there it's this breath of fresh air, up in the mountains… it's the reason we live in Jasper and it's a miracle it's still there."
These days, as a snowcat operator, Titchener works on a giant snowy mountain mandala, each day reshaping the snow that has been skied off and pounded down through the day. There is a cycle to it, refreshing the hill for another day only to return once again to clean up and rebuild the next night.
"It's like a clean slate every night and we go out there and redo it and make it good again. It's just a process that we go through."
In that sense, there's a parallel to Jasper's recovery. "That sense of adventure is still there," says Titchener, "we just have to learn how to restore it."
It's the perfect reminder that no matter what came before, each day on snow carries with it the promise of renewal.
How to make the most of your Marmot trips this winter
Jasper is open and waiting to welcome you back!
3 ways to save on Marmot Basin lift passes
Get a Mamort Basin escape card to save 50%—all season long, no blackouts—on your ski days at Marmot Basin. One of the best deals in skiing, bar none.
For families making a single trip, you can save with Marmot's new family package, $329 for a family of four.
Or check out the Marmot Basin website for other ways to save.
Dining and apres Enjoy a dinner out and support local, with this list of local operators currently open and ready to welcome you. PLUS take a complimentary horse-drawn wagon ride to and from your hotel to upgrade your evening! (Thurs-Sun, Dec 12-Mar 31, watch Tourism Jasper for details).
Where to stay Plan your stay with Tourism Jasper’s accommodation list here.
More to do in Jasper If you’re there in January, be sure to check in on Jasper in January, now 30+ years strong. Expect some serious community joy to ring in the new year and local renewal.
Or read on for some more inspiration.
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