Here is a list of things to do in Alberta on our incredible blue sky days.
Cross Country Ski
Other top picks for cross-country skiing include Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Cypress Hills Provincial Park and William A. Switzer Provincial Park near Hinton.
Downhill Skiing and snowboarding
Alberta is a great destination for fans of downhill skiing and snowboarding. Close to Calgary is Nakiska Ski Resort. In Banff National Park three resorts vie for your attention – Mount Norquay, Sunshine Village – home to Canada’s first heated chairlift and Lake Louise Ski Resort with its exceptional scenery and vast choice of terrain. If you make it to Jasper National Park check out Marmot Basin, a well-designed resort that is a particularly good choice for families.
There are a couple of small ski resorts that cater to local markets including Rabbit Hill Snow Resort near Edmonton, Canyon Ski Resort in Red Deer and Pass Powderkeg Ski Area in Blairmore with fun night skiing here especially for kids. The most southern ski resort in the province Castle Mountain – bills itself as a mountain, not a ski hill that believes in deep powder and challenging terrain.
Skating
There are some exceptional skating rinks in Alberta. The standout – and probably the prettiest skating rink in the world is the one at Lake Louise. You can rent skates, play a game of shinny and warm up by an outdoor fire.
The lagoon in Calgary’s Bowness Park and the oval in Cypress Hills Provincial Park (where there’s a slight downhill on one section which only adds to the excitement) are also excellent choices. In Edmonton try Hawrelak Park skating rink, located right in the heart of the River Valley or skate out in front of the pretty city hall. If you’re in Jasper the oval rink at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is a must-do activity.
Ice climbing
From a distance ice climbing looks scary, even intimidating but I can tell you that both rappelling into Maligne Canyon in Jasper National Park and then climbing the frozen waterfalls with Rockaboo, a local company is tremendous fun, even empowering. It doesn’t take long to learn the basics of ice climbing and then with a little practice, a couple of ice axes and a pair of crampons you’ll be at the top of a giant icicle with a massive smile on your face. Johnston Canyon in Banff National Park and “The Junkyards” at Grassi Lakes are also good choices and easily accessible from Banff. Sign up with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures for those ones.
Snowshoeing
Fat Tire Biking
Whenever I’m out on a fat tire bike I get stopped because people are so curious about the sport. It’s expensive to buy a bike but there are now loads of places to rent fat tire bikes including Soul Ski and Sport in Banff, Kananaskis Outfitters (behind the Delta Hotel in Kananaskis Country), Nomad Mobile Gear Rentals in Calgary and Revolution Cycle in Edmonton.
To have a pleasant experience on a fat tire bike you need packed, not fresh snow. The Marsh Loop up to Sundance Canyon along the Bow River is perfect for first time fat tire bike riders if you’re in Banff. There are loads of trails with some nice downhill sections (brakes work well on snow) before you hit the Nakiska Ski Resort and there are lots of bike friendly trails around West Bragg Creek. In Edmonton, the river valley is the place to go while in Calgary you can explore the bike paths in winter or places like Nose Hill Park once the snow hits.
Dogsledding
Dogsledding is extremely popular as it appeals to all ages; it’s both family friendly and romantic at the same time. Many tours are just a couple of hours long and for most people that’s enough. But it is possible to do full day tours which I love as it’s so much fun being out with the dogs. And these dogs love to run. I like the experience of driving the dogsled myself so check with each company before you book to see if that’s an option.
Dogsledding companies abound. There are three alone in Canmore – Howling Dog Tours, Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours and Mad Dogs and Englishmen Expeditions; in Lake Louise there’s Kingmik Dog Sled Tours and in Jasper Cold Fire Creek Dogsledding. Take your pick depending on your location.
Backcountry Lodge Experience
One of the nicest ways to enjoy winter is to ski or snowshoe into a backcountry lodge. There are quite a number to choose from in Alberta. Near Banff try Sundance Lodge as it’s one of the few that allows one night stays and it’s a relatively easy ski in. Skiers with more experience will love the coziness and excellent food at Skoki Lodge. Shadow Lake Lodge makes a great base for more exploring on skis while Tonquin Valley Lodge in Jasper National Park requires a long ski in so it’s best left to those with lots of backcountry experience. In Waterton Lakes Provincial Park, families can check out Cameron Hut, run by the Alpine Club of Canada.
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