 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm planning on going back to Canada next year and thought about going back to Banff for a week but then I found out it would be cheaper to go for 10 days in Jasper, even with insurance! 
Anyone got any experiences with this resort and the Hotel Astoria?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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RichardB,
Yes and yes.
Jasper is a small town in the middle of nowhere. The transfer from either Calgary or Edmonton is looong! (four-plus hours in a minibus following a 10-hour flight doesn't really do it for me). The ski hill (Marmot Basin) is about a 20-minute bus ride from town. The ski bus stops at the Astoria, which also hosts the town's liveliest bar (the D'ed Dog Saloon). This isn't saying much. Jasper's a pretty quiet town, so if you're after lively apres, then forget it. The Astoria's a small but comfortable hotel on the main drag. It's reasonably central.
You stand a good chance of seeing quite a bit of wildlife - I've seen moose, elk, bighorn sheep and coyotes in or near town. On my last trip I got uncomfortably close to a bull elk on the main street.
On the hill there's not much challenging skiing, although the ski area has expanded a bit since my last trip. It' still a small area, though, and you can ski the whole place out in a couple of days. My previous trips there were for one week (when I was a beginner - and it was an ideal destination at that stage in my development) and a couple of days, several years later, by which time I was aware of its limitations. Whilst I would always recommend visiting Canada for a minimum of 10 days - to get over the jetlag - I wouldn't recommend spending it all in Jasper.
- The drive from Lake Louise to Jasper, however is spectacular: this takes in the Icefields Parkway - a road with views of half a dozen glaciers. So staying in Banff but taking a two-day trip to Jasper would give you the benefit of both (but might significantly impact on your budget).
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Agree with all of that.
Very much like Aviemore but with bigger mountains, lovely feel to the place. Honeybrown beer!
Go for 10 days, take in Jasper Wolves (ice) hockey game in the Whistlestop Bar in the Jasper Inn and maybe a husky dog trail.
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I've been to the resort but not the hotel. I agree withAcacia's comments, but the new runs look interesting. We were there a week, followed by Banff, which was enough. A day out (at least) looking at the scenery and wildlife is worthwhile, and if you don't do it on the way there or back, the Columbia icefield is probably worth the drive down the Icefields Parkway. There's a great view of the marshalling yards from up the hill (Jasper is a major railway junction), which provides a nice contrast.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Had a few weeks in Banff followed by a week in Jasper - drove via the Icefields Parkway like everyone does.
It's not the most extensive ski area on the planet. But if you can broaden your horizons a bit it's a great place to be. The ski area is probably the most friendly I've ever visited - the staff were really, genuinely nice. The wildlife is amazing (for an urban Brit anyway). We stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge and saw Elk, Elk and more Elk along with all sorts of other furry stuff. Best of all though was the night sky. In one single night we saw the Northern lights, Hale-Bopp comet and an eclipse of the moon. Not suggesting that this will happen again for a few years, but it was a really great holiday!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I forgot to mention how empty it was when we there (school Easter hols). Most of the time we had a piste each. They are indeed big on elks, and some smaller chaps, white tail deer, possibly.
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