 Poster: A snowHead
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I'm counting down the days to our trip to Lake Louise. We've been going there for 9 years now, only missed 2 seasons in that time, but every previous trip has been around Christmas/New Year so I'd like to know how conditions and temperatures are likely to compare?
We fly out on the 23rd March and stay (in the wonderful Post Hotel  ) until the 10th April so I'm hoping for loads of great skiing.
On a completely separate note, I am having to go to Racine (WI) and Minnesota on business at end of Feb for a trip that will probably include a weekend. Is there any skiing anywhere near those locations, it's not a place I have ever visited before?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I've skied at L.Louise (from Banff) at that time of year quite often. The temps are usually a lot higher then than earlier in the season and LL is relatively low, so it can be icy early, a bit soft and mushy in the late morning/afternoon (it was in 2004 at exactly that time). Other years it's been much better, but Sunshine, which is quite a bit higher, is likely to be better. You can always head to Sunshine, or spend the afternoon in LL Station, one of my favourite bars/resturants in the world.
I've been to Minnesota only in the summer, never to WI. Minnesota is perhaps the flatest place in the world, so downhill skiing seems a bit unlikely. I'm sure that there's loads of X country skiing, and snowmobiling is big there, I think, also ice fishing. Amputation of frostbitten limbs is another popular winter activity, I understand. Minneapolis is designed so that you never have to go outside during the winter; you go from your house directly into your heated garage, drive down your heated, snow free drive, park in an underground car park and move between buildings in downtown Minneapolis by covered walkways a few storeys up.
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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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Would recommend that you stay up in the bowl areas if you have the ability to do so.Trail Maps of Lake Louise 50 51 37 are not as difficult as made out looking at the colour type, they will be high up in altitude and so will be cold compared to the slush nearing the bottom of the hill. Louise at this time of year can be an amazing time to enjoy the hill since it is so quiet compared to other times of the year. There are loads of hotspot areas if your willing to give them a try such as the numbers above. I would also recommend Ptarmigan Trees. From the quad chair either come right underneath it and then cut accross OR ski down the green into 17 and then head right into it. Because the sun aint shinning in here, the snow temperature tends to stay a little (72, 74-77) colder since it will still be cold at night. This will allow you an enjoyable loop area of skiing which is also very close to a lift chair. You will also see that theres a lodge directly opposite as you descend and come out from the trees. Otherwise get onto larch and do the reds and blacks since they are difficult to do in winter months due to being hard packed and icy but at this time of year, you'll find that you can achieve amazing control on your skis or board. The same applies to the runs off Summit Platter however unless you have the realisation to come down the bottom half fast (back of ski mountain has long flat which u need speed for) you'll find yourself having anything up to a 10-15minute stroll. Not that its a bad thing but you'll prefer to come down exilerated after the run, lift your ski mask or goggles off and enjoy the slightly warm breeze compared to the nerve cutting one that one might get if they ski here in January.
Basically stay away from the front side unless you are doing runs from the top down to the middle mountain chair lifts. After that, your really in slush country and it will be no good to you if your renting skis for a week or more. The slush will peel the wax of your ski's and you will really notice the ski's jeerking backwards as you ski down the hill. I should know since I lived there for 9 months and worked in a ski rental store at lake louise.
Other than that, my best advice is to pack a backpack, find a good spot that has a nice view point and bury a few beers in the snow around a tree. Do a few runs, come back for a beer, few runs and so on. This is what Spring skiing is all about 
Good website to take note off regarding Banff area is www.digitalbanff.com
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I also meant to say that the Larch area is invariably in significantly better nick than the frontside at that time of year.
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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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Thanks for the feedback guys, the back bowls and larch area are my favourite anyway so it's good that they should have the better conditions. Ptarmigan trees has been a little disappointing for me since I have been capable of skiing it for probably 4 years but in that time we have missed two years at LL and the oter 2 the snow cover wasn't really good enough in the trees in early season. But I do like skiing in trees so with better cover I'm sure I'll do those runs a few times too.
How does some of the upper front side hold out in March/April, things like Eagle Flights for example? Also, is the Summit Platter any easier to ride at that time of year? I have used it a lot to get to places like Brown Shirt which is excelllent, but in December/January it is very icy and there is often a bitterly cold wind coming through at the steep part. I would love to take my daughter over to Brown Shirt, she is certainly capable of skiing it and would love the deep snow, but I would be very concerned about her going up that platter if it is as tough as in the early season. Alternatively, is there a way to get to Brown Shirt from Top of the World?
One final question, my skis suffered a fair bit of damage when through desperation I did some off-piste skiing when conditions were bad in LL (December 2002). I knew the snow wasn't good enough, but after a week of being confined to the (very) well groomed man made snow on the pistes, I just had to try some of my usual fun places and ended up hitting some nasty rocks at speed. I had the skis repaired and skied in Val Thorens with them last season but I now want to get some new skis. We will be spending the first night/day of the trip in Calgary because the hotel in LL was fully booked for that night, so I thought I might buy some skis in Calgary rather than here in the UK or in Banff/LL, am I likely to get better prices that way or is there not much difference? Where would the best place be to buy skiis in Calgary?
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The top of the front side should be OK, as Cahir says, but even the lower part of the upper part (?) can be a bit soft. They have snow making so there's no real problem, but bottom part can be really foul' deep slush, basically.
Is Brown Shirt on the back side (if they had 'The Sun' in Canada, no doubt it'd have a picture of Prince Harry skiing it in a Nazi uniform)? Doesn't ring a bell, although skiing the backside off the Summit platter, I'm usually to busy trying to ski to notice the name of the run; Brown Trouser might be more appropriate. I've not had a problem with the Summit platter. All my recent years at LL have been at Easter, so I suppose it must be OK then, but I don't remember it being particularly gruesome in Feb.
There a couple of big ski/sports shops in Calgary, in the downtown malls, and you may catch their end of season sales. It's years since I spent any time in Calgary (it doesn't exactly draw one), and I can't remember places or names, sorry. Have lunch at the top of the CNN (or whatever it is) tower in the revolving restaurant, if you haven't already done that the views are as impressive as you would expect.
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