5 Ways to Make the Most of Winter in the Canadian Rockies
Sure, winter is coming and with just one look at those Sorels and negative temperatures all your instincts are telling you to huddle inside and not emerge until March, but instead of hibernating surviving off Uber Eats and leftover NYE booze, why not make some Canadian travel plans this winter?
Chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool
Chase the fresh pow and bluebird days and head west! Take advantage of one of Canada's coolest (coldest?) areas - the Rockies.
Make it happen by using Hopper to find a cheap flight west to Calgary and make your way up into the mountains to Banff National Park.
Lake Louise, Banff National Park
1. Shred the Gnar
Hit the slops and have your pick of some spectacular spots: Lake Louise, Sunshine or Mt. Norquay. Not sure which to choose? Check out this awesome infographic from Fairmont Resorts. From my experience, Mt Norquay is the quietest with more local skiers, Lake Louise is the largest and easiest to ski, with Sunshine your best option for the fresh fluffy white stuff.
Bluebird day at Lake Louise
2. Take a Road Trip
If you're a serious pow chaser, head back into the mountains and hit the (slightly treacherous) trail to Revelstoke Resort and/or Kicking Horse in BC's interior. While there was no fresh snow when I was there, emerging from the cloud inversion into a beautiful bluebird day was more than worth the drive!
Base of Revy, under the clouds
Quick ride up the lift....
And voila!
3. Eat
Banff has some amazing restaurants specializing in locally sourced cuisine, but my favourite was The Bison. A prime example of the farm-to-table movement, there's a map on the back of your menu that shows you where all your food (and wine and beer!) came from.
Bison Carpaccio
Escargot in Bone Marrow
4. Explore
If you're one of those Canadians that aren't into skiing or boarding (what's your thing, then? Hockey?) you can hike Johnston Canyon, and see it's beautiful rock walls and frozen waterfalls, or walk out into the middle of frozen Lake Minnewanka.
Johnston Canyon, Banff National Park
Lake Minnewanka
5. Don't pet the wildlife
Trust me on this one.
Stay cool, Canaliens!
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