Banff/Lake Louise late February?

ChrisC said:

I want to encourage a 'Southern Powder Highway' in the future with bases in Nelson and Fernie: Powder Highway BC.

Click to expand...

That was the only "Powder Highway" on my first trip in 1997: Fernie, Red, Whitewater.

ChrisC said:

However, Lake Louise is the expert star of the Banff area.

Click to expand...

Absolutely. Expert terrain is more sensitive to snow conditions. Lake Louise's is well exposed and Sunshine's in general is not.

ChrisC said:

However, Delirium Dive has been open 100% of the time, ...... reasonably reliable terrain with high powder potential due to limited access.

Click to expand...

Delirium Dive is very well sheltered for soft snow surfaces. The closures are usually due to snow stability/avalanche exposure. There are wide areas of cliffs and hanging cornices that are hard to control, especially in a brittle continental snowpack. I'd guess it's much easier for Lake Louise to bomb and control Whitehorn.

For intermediate terrain, the exposures are opposite. Lake Louise can groom that frontside, but Sunshine groomers tend to be softer.

Tony Crocker said:

James has a broad standard here, and that description would not occur to me. Both are in the national park with extremely stringent limits on development.

Click to expand...

ChrisC said:

I'm not sure how James can call this 'Industrial Skiing,' but I think his definition encompasses anything that is large, modern, and has decent infrastructure/lodges.

Click to expand...

Fair enough. I guess I was loosely comparing LL/SSV to a classic local's joint, Norquay. While in many ways opposite poles of the ski-area world, the former -- as noted above: large, modern, with decent infrastructure and lodges for North American standards, but limited in development -- are certainly not industrial in the way we usually describe the term, e..g. Vail, Whistler.

jamesdeluxe said:

Fair enough. I guess I was loosely comparing LL/SSV to a classic local's joint, Norquay.

Click to expand...

I thought Norquay's setting was beautiful. And the North American Chair serves legitimate, relentless bumps. However, I did not like having to ski all the way through the expansion terrain to the looker's far right, which I found to be somewhat generic.

Additionally, my expectations might have been too high, given that I had just experienced powdery, sunny days at Kicking Horse, Lake Louise, and Sunshine.

jamesdeluxe said:

While in many ways opposite poles of the ski-area world, the former -- as noted above: large, modern, with decent infrastructure and lodges for North American standards, but limited in development -- are certainly not industrial in the way we usually describe the term, e..g. Vail, Whistler.

Click to expand...

I think the epitome of Industrial Skiing is La Plagne! However, it certainly provides many French people with the opportunity to ski at a somewhat affordable rate. But I can see most of the Tarentaise resorts falling into the category, but at places like Val d'Isere/Tignes, you can go so far away from the masses.

US Industrial Ski Complex:
CO: Summit County, Vail/BC, WP
UT: Mostly Park City. Both Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons retain their charms.
CA: Tahoe does get mobbed, but there are definitely less-developed places: Homewood, Mt. Rose, Sugar Bowl, etc.

In the Alps, there are plenty of large resorts that do not necessarily fit in this bucket, especially outside of France:

• Serre Chevalier
• Monterosa (I almost counted more skiers touring than downhill skiing).
• La Thuile/La Rosierre
• Courmayeur / Skyway
• Chamonix - Aguille du Midi, Les Contamines
• Grimentz-Zinal
• Engelberg
• Andermatt - Gemsstock
• St Moritz - Diavolezza/Lagalb
• Dolomites - Lagazoui

Back to Banff/Lake Louise in February...

You should have a backup plan in case of frigid weather. This happened during my February 2017 trip: Lows: -20 to -15F Highs: maybe 5-10F
I just said we are not going skiing until late morning, when the temperatures were expected to rise above 0°F around 11 am, ski through lunch, and quit at 3:30/4 pm to enjoy some Après-Ski apps/drinks. On our Lake Louise day, we went to Chateau Lake Louise, ate in its sunny south-facing dining room, and played around on the lake after skiing.

Living on the West Coast, I'm no longer accustomed to skiing at temperatures below 0°F.

ChrisC said:

at places like Val d'Isere/Tignes, you can go so far away from the masses.

Click to expand...

I can make that case as well for Vail and Whistler. St. Anton is in that class too: core is very industrial, but far flung connections (Rendl, Stuben, Warth) not so much.

These are the places where James and I diverge in opinion. I don't care what the base area looks like if I can find interesting low density terrain with a little effort and planning.

I think SkiWelt has the most overall industrial ambience I've seen in the Alps. It's like either of the CO or UT Summit Counties all connected. The Idalp central area in Ischgl is also the epitome of industrial, similar in lift/skier density to core La Plagne except it's up the hill from the lodging base.

ChrisC said:

This happened during my February 2017 trip: Lows: -15F Highs: maybe 10F

Click to expand...

That's not a real Canadian cold snap. NASJA late March 2002: Highs +5F Sunshine Friday, 0F Norquay Saturday. No one skied Sunday which was -15F in Banff. Late Feb. 2018 highs 0F and -5F last 2 days at Mustang, then -13F for 2 days at Kicking Horse, manageable only because you're in a gondola there. I did not ski this day at Fernie in late Feb. 2023:


I don't want to make Berkshireskier too paranoid about this. I'm in western Canada almost every year for at least a week since 1997. I see a day of 0F or below maybe one out of three trips, but usually just a day or two. 2018 had the longest sustained cold spell.

I woke up at Lake Louise one January in 2019 or 2020 to -46c. Went to LL to ski and they never opened that day. High temp never climbed above -33c. We ended up going for a hike near the lake and discovered sound propagation is much further in extreme cold.

Skieric said:

Went to LL to ski and they never opened that day. High temp never climbed above -33c.

Click to expand...

Reading snow reports over the years, I get the impression that ski areas won't run lifts at less than -30C. I've experienced that temperature exactly once, but it was at Mustang in 2012.

ChrisC said:

Back to Banff/Lake Louise in February...

You should have a backup plan in case of frigid weather. This happened during my February 2017 trip: Lows: -15F Highs: maybe 10F
I just said we are not going skiing until late morning, when the temperatures were expected to rise above 0°F around 11 am, ski through lunch, and quit at 3:30/4 pm to enjoy some Après-Ski apps/drinks. On our Lake Louise day, we went to Chateau Lake Louise, ate in its sunny south-facing dining room, and played around on the lake after skiing.

Living on the West Coast, I'm no longer accustomed to skiing at temperatures below 0°F.

View attachment 47537View attachment 47540View attachment 47539


View attachment 47536

Click to expand...

Yea, I've already talked to my daughter about this. I am somewhat worried about hitting a very cold spell, even in late February/early March, when we will be there. As I've gotten older, I don't tolerate really cold temps as well as I did when I was younger (my fingers especially); I'm actually thinking of maybe buying heated gloves. I wonder if we might be better off to schedule the trip in later March but I'm not sure of my daughter's work schedule - she's starting a new research job on October 1.

Tony Crocker said:

That's not a real Canadian cold snap. NASJA late March 2002: Highs +5F Sunshine Friday, 0F Norquay Saturday. No one skied Sunday which was -15F in Banff. Late Feb. 2018 highs 0F and -5F last 2 days at Mustang, then -13F for 2 days at Kicking Horse, manageable only because you're in a gondola there. I did not ski this day at Fernie in late Feb. 2023:

I don't want to make Berkshireskier too paranoid about this. I'm in western Canada almost every year for at least a week since 1997. I see a day of 0F or below maybe one out of three trips, but usually just a day or two. 2018 had the longest sustained cold spell.

Click to expand...

See above reply, Tony. I do worry a little about very cold temps, even later in February.

Tony Crocker said:

That's not a real Canadian cold snap.

Click to expand...

Tony Crocker said:

I don't want to make Berkshireskier too paranoid about this. I'm in western Canada almost every year for at least a week since 1997. I see a day of 0F or below maybe one out of three trips, but usually just a day or two.

Click to expand...

I've been to Canada far less than Tony, but have only had one really cold snap up there so far. I skied? (more like endured) temps as cold as -29C at Marmot Basin. With truly cold temps on 3 of 6 days of skiing in Alberta on that trip in early March 2012. Plenty of standard cold days in Feb/March (eg highs in teens to low 20's F) on other trips, but that is quite manageable, and you are in the great white North after all.

berkshireskier said:

As I've gotten older, I don't tolerate really cold temps as well as I did when I was younger (my fingers especially); I'm actually thinking of maybe buying heated gloves.

Click to expand...

Heated gloves work. I ended up with heated Hestra liners because a friend found they didn't work for her. They are the liners for gloves but I mostly use them in the 3-finger mitts. My right hand is much more sensitive to cold because that's the mitt that comes off more often. With the setting on Low starting mid-morning, that helps a lot. Rarely need to use the High setting. Only issue is remembering to turn the liners off at lunch time to save the battery.

I have friends who like to do late season trips to Banff. Meaning late March or even April.

EMSC said:

I've been to Canada far less than Tony, but have only had one really cold snap up there so far.

Click to expand...

I have been to Interior Canada (BC/AB) seven times, and that was my only experience with a cold snap lasting two days.

MarzNC said:

Heated gloves work. I ended up with heated Hestra liners because a friend found they didn't work for her. They are the liners for gloves but I mostly use them in the 3-finger mitts.

Click to expand...

I relented and purchased a pair last year.

berkshireskier said:

Yea, I've already talked to my daughter about this. I am somewhat worried about hitting a very cold spell, even in late February/early March, when we will be there. As I've gotten older, I don't tolerate really cold temps as well as I did when I was younger (my fingers especially);

Click to expand...

Again, I would not worry. The chances of a severe cold snap are maybe <20%, and there have been improvements for the Banff ski resorts:

Heated Comfy Bubble Chairlifts! We only had the Teepee Town LX Lift in 2017, but it made a noticeable difference at the end of the day as the sun began to retreat. I cannot think of a better climate/use-case than Alberta for one of these chairlifts; they are overkill in most places, especially the Alps.

These lifts also service the most desirable terrain.

Ski Sunshine
Super Angel LX:
The newer of the two, Super Angel, is a 6-person, high-speed lift with heated seats and a bubble cover.

Teepee Town LX:
The original heated bubble chairlift, the Teepee Town LX, was introduced by Sunshine Village in 2014.

Lake Louise
Pipestone Express:
This new heated chairlift, which opened in the 2024-2025 season, comfortably transports six passengers in a sleek, blue bubble.

Gondola - not heated but enclosed.



Mon, 09 Sep 2024

Experience the Future of Skiing: Unveiling Our New High-Tech Chairlifts at SkiBig3 Resorts​

Winter is fast approaching in the Canadian Rockies, and the SkiBig3 resorts - Banff Sunshine, Lake Louise Ski Resort, and Mt. Norquay are getting ready for a seriously epic winter. For those looking to combine adventure with an added touch of comfort, two big changes are happening at Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort that are bound to have you stoked to hit the slopes this winter in Banff National Park.

Banff Sunshine: New Super Angel Luxury Chairlift​

For the 2024/25 winter season, Banff Sunshine is set to unveil the Super Angel Chairlift, an exciting upgrade to its lift lineup. The Super Angel is a 6-person, high-speed chairlift that will feature plush heated bucket seats, comfy footrests, and a chic yellow weather protection bubble cover, making your ride to the top not only cozy but comfortable too. Developed in partnership with Leitner-Poma, the Super Angel is equipped with the latest EVO premium technology, eliminating the traditional gearbox and providing the smoothest, fastest, and quietest ride on the slopes.




Super Angel Express heated bubble chairlift 


Construction has been in full swing over the summer, and the new lift will be ready to welcome skiers and snowboarders for this 24/25 winter season. With the addition of the Super Angel, Banff Sunshine will now showcase two of the three available heated bubble chairlifts in Canada.





The new Super Angel Express is replacing the iconic Angel Express, built at the resort in 1988 and marks the end of an era. The Angel Express completed its final journey on May 12, 2024, and has been deconstructed for its next chapter. In line with its commitment to sustainability, Banff Sunshine has transported the old Angel Express to Castle Mountain Resort in southern Alberta, where it will continue its legacy as the resort's first high-speed chairlift.

Lake Louise Ski Resort: New Pipestone Express Chairlift​

Lake Lousie Ski Resort is also joining the exciting announcements for the 2024/25 winter season, with the debut of their new Pipestone Express heated chairlift. In collaboration with Doppelmayr, the new heated chairlift will comfortably transport six passengers with a speedy ride time of seven minutes. It will also feature footrests and a sleek blue bubble, keeping you warm and cozy as you ascend to the base of the Summit Chair on the front side of the resort.



The opening of the new lift completes the second phase of the Juniper Chairlift extension and marks the third heated bubble chairlift in Canada. The resort will now feature both the Lower Juniper Express and the Pipestone Express, enhancing the guest experience and allowing skiers and riders easier and quicker access to the base of the Summit Chairlift and West Bowl than ever before.





Juniper Express Chairlift from Lake Louise Ski Resort

Stay warm this winter at SkiBig3​

So, what are you waiting for? Experience the luxury of the new heated bubble chairlift at SkiBig3 in Banff and Lake Louise. As the only heated bubble chairlifts in Canada, located at the SkiBig3 resorts, you can enjoy these cozy rides at Banff Sunshine and Lake Louise Ski Resort with a SkiBig3 Lift Ticket. This ticket gives you access to three world-class resorts with a single pass so you can make unforgettable, cozy memories this winter.