Lake Louise, Canada - Alberta

Derek from CANADA writes:

I live in Calgary and have skiied Louise for 25 years. Sometimes I love the place. A midweek day after a dump on a clear blue sky day just cannot be beat ant Sunshine, Fernie, Panorama, Kicking Horse or anywhere else. It's all the other days that bother me.
The Lake is huge, but 90% of folks only ski about 30% of the area (Samantha is right; only the locals know the really good stuff). High traffic areas like the front face runs get tracked out and icy by 11 AM, and become out and out evil by 4 PM when all the nuts are hurtling down the runs to their cars. The snowmaking (happily restricted to the frontside and high traffic areas) is poor and obtrusive and layers ice under everything, and gooming isn't very good or very extensive. The backside is incredible, but on a poor viz day is downright dangerous, as it is a vast treeless bowl. I once went over a cliff I couldn't see, falling 20' to a flat I didn't know was there. Weekend crowds clog the lifts and especially clog the Temple and Whitehorn lodges so getting lunch is an ordeal. The Summit Platter is second only to Face Lift at Fernie as the worst surface lift I have ridden. In the spring, everything below the Whitehorn lodge turns to rocks, dirt and soup.
But when it's good (sadly, not that often), man is it sweet. The views are stellar. Five turns in the right direction and goodbye crowd. Whole powder bowls to yourself. Massive vertical and the ability to peice together super long runs. A World Cup Downhill course your can frighten yourself on.
2007 has started off as an epic snow year. This appears to be the year to ski the Lake.

2007-01-12