Fall snow generates a flurry of excitement for Alberta ski resorts
You could be skiing in Alberta by the end of next week
The fall flurries may have caused headache and frustration on Calgary roadways, but on nearby rocky mountain ski resorts it was all smiles this week.
“It’s definitely created quite the buzz around here,” said Lake Louise Ski Resort Manager Leigha Stankewich.
“It’s put us in a great spot to be on time.”
The snow guns have been running for days at Lake Louise, but thanks to a whopping 29 cm of snowfall earlier this week, resort staff are confident their lifts will start turning on their targeted opening date of November 10.
“We’re a bit more confident, for sure,” Stankewich said, adding that the resort usually has at least its Glacier Chair running on opening day.
“We’ve also had years where multiple runs and lifts are open, so it all depends.”
The view from the base of Lake Louise Ski Resort, Alta. on Oct. 25. (Connor O'Donovan/TWN)
Down the highway, Sunshine Village intends to open on Nov. 9.
Nakiska Ski Area and Norquay, meanwhile, plan to have at least some runs open to the public as early as next weekend.
“The weather forecast for the next week is cold, and that’s very good for snowmaking,” said Nakiska General Manager Jan Sekerak.
“We have been going from the first minute the temperature went below freezing, and we are pumping a record amount of snow out of our snow guns.”
Nakiska Ski Area, which saw about 20 cm of snowfall during this week’s storm, plans to open runs on the upper mountain on Nov. 4.
“All signs are pointing that way, but we don’t want to jinx it,” Sekerak joked, but said it would take multiple days of unseasonably warm weather to change plans (which doesn’t look likely).
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“Here in Alberta, everything can change very fast, but it does look very optimistic.”
Nakiska will be open to the public on weekends and school holidays until Nov. 25, when the mountain will be fully open to the public for the rest of the season.
“Opening weekend, we will be skiing on the upper mountain on a 1.5- to 2-kilometre-long combination of runs, and we will be skiing in the glacier area on natural snow, and it will be as good as it gets.”
Norquay, meanwhile, has targeted Nov. 3 as its opening day.
Castle Mountain is planning to fire up its lifts on Dec. 1.
Further north at Marmot Basin, skiers and snowboarders can get their powder fix starting Nov. 10.
