WINTER FUN STILL ON TAP AT SUNSHINE VILLAGE FOR NOW
It takes about 15 minutes to get from the bottom to the top of the gondola at Sunshine Village.
Right now, though, that ride can feel like you're stepping into some sort of parallel universe.
At the bottom of the gondola, it feels like spring has truly arrived in Banff National Park.
At the top, though, winter is still in full-swing. The snow's still falling — a lot of it — and temperatures on the slopes tend to be a lot cooler than they are down at the base of the mountain.
For skiers and snowboarders, that's always been part of what's made Sunshine a destination in the spring.
“It's full-on winter up on the slopes with incredible powder conditions,” said Kendra Scurfield, director of brand and communications at Sunshine Village.
Sunshine's high elevation means it's generally the last ski and snowboard area to close in the region. There have been years where Sunshine has seriously considered trying to reopen on Canada Day.
This year, it's scheduled to keep welcoming guests until May 24. There likely won't be the annual year-end Slush Cup to finish off the season, but there is still more than a month left for skiers and snowboarders to get out and carve up a few turns before packing their gear away for the summer.
And we're not exaggerating when we say it still feels like winter up top. Yes, it's supposed to be 20 C in Calgary this weekend — and yes, we're hyped about that, too — but Sunshine's had an epic winter and the snowfall seems to have picked up a little bit throughout April.
The past week alone, for example, saw 45 cm of new snow fall on the mountain. That brought the season total to 902 cm, a total that's higher than any other ski resort in the region this season.
“We're still getting tons of snow,” Scurfield said. “We got 17 cm on Saturday which was just like butter-cream frosting to carve into. It was pretty delightful. It's staying around minus-5 to zero, so it's definitely full-on winter.”
Of course, Sunshine is subject to the same COVID-19 restrictions as everyone else in the province. Anyone who has taken to the mountain on their skis or snowboard this winter knows what most of the restrictions will look like: face coverings on lifts and when you're in a lineup.
The most recent set of provincial restrictions does mean there's no indoor dining, although that's less of an issue now than it was earlier in the season because despite the winter conditions at Sunshine, it has warmed up enough that it's comfortable to sit outside and soak up some sun while you take a break and eat.
Crowds are thinning out, too, although Scurfield noted that there can still be a lineup to get on the gondola on Saturdays. Mid-week remains your best bet if you're looking to avoid crowds entirely, but lineups generally aren't even an issue on Sundays.
One way or another, guests should take some time to review the rules and regulations that have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 before heading to the mountain. It'll help keep everyone safe.
“Conditions are incredible,” Scurfield said. “It's still something you can do to get out and enjoy the fresh mountain air.
You can eat outside and you can escape the city and feel like you actually got away.”