TOP 5 PLACES TO SKI IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES

Time away from the concrete is good for you. And besides, that excuse of “no time” won’t work in a place that’s easy to get to, and full of people who are eager to share their secret ski runs. To avoid burning away your limited life clock working all the time, sit back, think about towering jagged peaks shaping your skyline, slip further into your chair (I mean, hot tub) and get ready to hit the slopes. Wake up and feel fresh snow in your face with these five places to ski now.

Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden, B.C.

Let the raw power of nature buck you here. Big terrain, champagne powder and North America’s fourth-largest vertical should impress. However, what really pulls you in here is the ski-to-your-door luxury cabins in the woods, a perfect blend of wild and luxurious. Warning: the view of 1,000 peaks from the mountaintop has been known to take visitors’ breath away.

Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, Alta.

Throw away the desire to spend your days shopping and retreat to the woods. Call it “rustic-pampering,” and become part of a tradition; celebrate 100 years in the wilderness at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. A short drive away, immense snow-filled bowls beckon, with the towering peaks of Jasper National Park to entertain. Now that’s a ski vacation.

Fernie Alpine Resort, Fernie, B.C.

Here, you’ll find the perfect combination — an authentic mountain town with a really big mountain. Let go, and allow the natural eye candy, craft food and drink to take over your senses. Home of the biggest vertical, deepest snow and the clincher — Rolling Stone magazine named Fernie the coolest town in North America. Ask for the Hot Tub Time Machine treatment, as Fernie was the filming location for the cult ski movie.

Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort, Banff, Alta.

Wake up in an alpine meadow. Staying in the only ski-to-your-door lodge inside a national park offers not only a first chair to explore Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort, but a chance to take in stargazing that even Hollywood can’t match.

Kimberley Alpine Resort, Kimberley B.C.

The laid-back magic of this place will cast a spell on you. Snow and skiing history run deep here on over 1,800 acres of terrain, with something for all to enjoy. Sure, there is a lot of challenging landscape, but the real treat is the mass of kid-friendly trails. No forced smiles; they just happen naturally here.