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The narrative needs to change.
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For most of this winter, the word on Western Canada’s ski resorts has been that conditions weren’t very good. Sometimes, people even asked if the ski and snowboard areas were open, even though you could find lots of great runs just about everywhere.
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Let’s officially put that idea to rest, right here and now.
Maybe the ski and snowboard season got off to a slow start around these parts, but there might not be anywhere in the world that’s enjoying the type of snow that Alberta and Eastern B.C. are seeing right now.
We’re talking more than a metre of snow in less than two weeks at Lake Louise. Sunshine received more than 50 cm in the past week, while Norquay saw 63 cm and Nakiska has seen 90 cm over the past couple of weeks.
It’s seemed like one long blizzard across the provincial border in B.C., too.
Calgary Sun Headline News
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Suddenly, this has turned into a very good winter in the Rockies.
“This storm was heroic,” said Matt Mosteller, senior vice-president of marketing and resort experience at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, the company that owns Fernie, Kicking Horse, Kimberley and Nakiska. “At Kicking Horse, as an example, nearly five feet of snow. Unbelievable. That’s just the beginning of March and March is typically the snowiest month. It’s just an incredible time to ski.
“The five feet put Kicking Horse into a top-10 season in the history of the resort. It’s totally changed the game.”
The welcome blast of winter has changed a lot of things. While there have always been long, steep groomers ready for skiers and riders to enjoy since the start of 2024, there have probably been some days when powder has been hard to find.
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Having skied at Marmot Basin and then Lake Louise in the last week, I can promise anyone considering a trip to the mountains over the next little while that there’s snow just about everywhere. I asked a friend how Sunshine was on Tuesday and he responded with one word.
“Incredible,” was all he said.
If you want to go off-piste, you’re going to be able to do it. If you want to drop into a bowl or a chute, they’re going to be covered in powder.
“There is nothing stopping us from reaching our May 20 Slush Cup with this new snow,” Kendra Scurfield, vice-president of marketing, brand and communications at Sunshine Village. “Conditions are the best they’ve been all year, by far, they’ve been gorgeous.
“We’ve received 70 cm in the last 10 days, more is on the way, it’s warming up. It’s a true, absolute winter wonderland on the slopes right now. It’s what we, as skiers and snowboarders, dream about.”
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And that’s worth celebrating.
The spring is a special time in the Rockies, with the sun lingering in the sky a little bit longer and temperatures rising. Snow is an essential part of that mix, though, and seeing so much of the fluffy white stuff fall from the sky in the last week or two sets up Western Canada for a pretty spectacular final stretch of the season.
“Sunny skies all day today made for some excellent views,” said Leigha Stankewich, marketing and communications manager for Lake Louise Ski Resort. “The trail conditions are very-good-to-excellent thanks to all this recent snow and winter-like temperatures, and they’re featuring a gripping blend of tracked, packed and machine-groomed snow.”
That sounds pretty good, right? Great, even?
Whatever you want to call it, there’s a lot of snow in the mountains.
The rumours of a slow snow season in the Rockies can officially be put to rest.
All indications suggest it’s going to be a spectacular spring.
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