2/1/2022 – 2/11/2022
By Kevin Dye. Photos and Video by Kevin Dye and Ken Wenzel
Our group of seven fortunate skiers spent the first ten days of February skiing groomed and backcountry trails along the Continental Divide in the Rockies of British Columbia and Alberta, where we enjoyed sunshine, dry snow, and jaw-dropping mountain scenery at nearly every turn. The word of the trip became “epic.”
COVID testing hassles cost a half-day of skiing but they faded quickly from our minds as we arrived at Nipika’s gorgeous Rocky Mountain Cabin, which sits above the groomed trails of the Nordic-focused ski resort, on the edge of the ice-choked, glacier-fed Kootenay River with sweeping views of the soaring peaks.
We skied different sections of the trails each day and were able to visit with Lyle Wilson, a former Canadian Olympic and World Cup Nordic coach who designed the trails and works the little ski shop in the Day Lodge. He enjoys building friendships and getting to know his many returning guests while offering advice on the best routes to take through the beautifully groomed trail system.
On our third day, we arrived at our roomy townhouse in Canmore, Alberta. It was a challenge deciding which direction to head every day, with excellent conditions and endless skiing possibilities before us. We began with a day at the Canmore Nordic Center, skiing a long loop and swooping down the steep hills created for the Nordic events of the 1988 Calgary Olympics.
The second day east of the Divide was perhaps the highlight for all of us. Skiers Jane Connell, John Connell, Marie Dion, Karen Dye, Kevin Dye, Ken Wenzel, and Christine Ye all agreed that the 90-minute drive north over Kicking Horse Pass into the fresh backcountry powder of Yoho National Park was well worth it.
We hopped a shuttle vehicle for the next day in Banff and began skiing near Field, B.C. at Emerald Lake, in a dense valley fog. As we skied the length of the lake and began to traverse the alluvial fan above it, patches of blue appeared and the fog slowly burned off, revealing massive glacier-clad peaks looming above us on all sides. Frozen blue waterfalls draped many rock faces and small avalanches burst and sprayed off the walls as the sun warmed the fresh powder.
With time left in the day, we stopped to view the ice sculptures from the recent Ice Magic Festival at Lake Louise, then skied along the lake to the icefalls and enjoyed closer views of the Columbia Icefields high above. I am sure we took more photos that day than any other!
The next day we skied the 19km trail through the Goat Creek and Spray Valleys from Canmore to Banff, beneath the looming Rundle Peaks. The trail was challenging in spots and the long gently sloping downhill sections were a delight. Like most days, we saw only a handful of skiers all day, and we arrived in Banff with plenty of time to soak in Upper Banff Hot Springs and stop in the swanky Banff Springs Hotel for a drink.
We skied the next two days on the groomed trails of the vast Kananaskis Country Provincial Parks, at the Mt. Shark and Peter Lougheed Nordic systems. Besides fresh dustings of snow and incredible closeup views of Mt. Engadine, Mt. Shark, Mt. Assiniboine, and Mt. Commonwealth, just to name just a few, we were treated to a great view of a cow moose to add to the list of wildlife we had already seen: elk, whitetail deer, and a herd of some forty Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.
Choosing a ski for our final day was especially difficult as warm Chinook winds blew through the night and the Banff National Park rangers convinced us that we should rethink our plan to return to the Yoho NP backcountry. Instead, we skied to a higher elevation (near 7000’) from Lake Louise up the Moraine Lake Road about 8km, where we ate lunch below massive Mt. Temple as the wind howled, snow devils swirled, and the iconic Valley of Ten Peaks range shone across the valley.
After a few final group photos, we wistfully headed back to Canmore to pack for home. My list of tours I still need to ski is long, and I’m sure this spectacular region and the warm and hospitable Canadians we met on our trip will bring many of us back to this Nordic paradise.
