Find your winter fun in Alberta
Read our series on exciting adventures and romantic trips around the province
It only takes a few days in the pure snow and mountain air, and mountain views of Banff or Jasper or Calgary to change a diehard beach lover’s opinion about the season that has just begun in Canada and make him or her understand how most folks in Alberta feel about the winter.
Over the next few weeks, the Star will give you a look at some of the glorious opportunities for winter fun in Alberta. You’ll find plenty more adventures online at thestar.com/travel, including interactive maps of itineraries to match your mood and extra stories on exciting activities and romantic, fun trips you can take around the province. Cat-skiing Arriving at the top of the slopes and overlooking Lake Louise sparkling in the shadow of the massive Rocky Mountains isn’t quite the same thing as taking the lift to the top of Mount St. Louis Moonstone.
If you really want to try something spectacular, take a cat-ski trip up For- tress Mountain in Kananaskis Country southeast of Banff for the fluffiest powder around. Ice-climbing Making your way up frozen water faces in beautiful ice canyons is strenuous exercise and a magical experience.
Climbers in Grotto Canyon will pass along limestone walls rising more than 50 metres above their heads and see fading red pictographs left hundreds of years by Hopi Indians. Dogsledding There’s nothing quite like the pull of a powerful team of dogs as the sled you are on dashes across the surface of a frozen lake. The dogs go wild in anticipation of a day on the snow, and it is a joy to see them run and hear your sled squeak through the fresh powder. Rest and relaxation If all that ice-climbing and downhill schussing has you worn out, consider something just a little more relaxing. And a little warmer. The Willow Stream Spa at the Fairmont Banff Springs Resort has a pool that resembles something out of a decadent Italian villa, and they have dozens of treatments you can try. Remote winter lodge A snowbound gem that can only be reached on skis in winter, Skoki Lodge is so magical Prince William and Kate just had to stay there when they visited Canada. An-11-kilometre trail takes you from Lake Louise to the Skoki Valley, where you can reach pristine alpine lakes and breathtaking mountain ridges. Read our series on Alberta Winter Fun to find the Alberta winter adventure for you.