Hit the highway from Vancouver to Calgary this winter

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There’s a corner of this planet where deep powder skiing is the norm, goliath rocky peaks far outnumber the people exploring them and vast wilderness reigns supreme. It’s a place that should be on the bucket list of any skier that’s ever strapped a pair of wooden planks to their feet and slid downhill on slippery, frozen flakes. We’re talking about the expansive area west of Calgary, Alberta—western Canada.

Though its status as the epicenter of North American powder skiing is a tale as old as time, what’s not common knowledge is how incredibly easy it is to link the snow-loaded ski destinations that dot western Canada’s landscape. Thankfully, FREESKIER’s editors and contributors have spent countless days and weeks exploring the region in order to report back our findings to you.

Relying on our own past visits and the knowledge of lifelong locals, we’ve constructed the western Canadian skiing road trip of your dreams. The journey will take you from Vancouver to Calgary, stopping at six resorts along the way.

Grab your gear, get your friends together and start planning, there’s no better time than now to book that one-way flight to YVR.

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WORDS • Connor W. Davis

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Be warned. When you arrive in Banff-Lake Louise, you may never want to leave.

It’ll start with the scenery, which draws you in helplessly like a moth to a lightbulb. Those insanely big mountains with mesmerizing rock faces—decorated with deep snow, tall trees and inhabited with beautiful wildlife—there’s just nothing like ‘em. You’ll feel small looking up at the towering geological beasts, but in a good, humbling way.

When you eventually look down from your surroundings, the town will charm you beyond belief. Its main strip, Banff Avenue, is as idyllic as they come—lined with twinkling street lamps, locally-owned businesses and, many times, wandering deer. It’s like a world of its own surrounded by nothing but spectacular nature. After all, the town is located within 2,564-square-mile Banff National Park. Before even clicking into your bindings, you’ll want to uproot your life and relocate permanently to this dreamy pocket of Alberta. Seriously, be warned.

Then, there’s the skiing. Holy moly, the skiing. This area is home to three world-renowned resorts: Lake Louise, Banff-Sunshine Village and Mount Norquay. The latter, Norquay, is a blast because of its steep, fall line terrain, but it’s smaller and catered more towards young families and groomer cruisers. If you’re looking for something a bit bigger, wilder and challenging, Louise and Sunshine are your best bets.

At Louise, about 40 minutes north of Banff, make your way to the backside, via the Summit Platter T-Bar, and venture to Mount Whitehorn. The views from this iconic piste are life-changing—that’s no exaggeration—and a short bootpack will deposit you above several challenging, but manageable zones that’ll further develop your crush on the Canadian Rockies. On the opposite side of the resort, shoot over to the Larch Express chair, which accesses an array of rolling groomed runs like Wolverine, and picture-perfect tree stashes, such as Tower 12.

At Sunshine, go find Delirium Dive for a true taste of the area’s expert terrain. This zone offers a variety of steep couloirs and cliff drops to choose from, and every single one will elevate your heart rate before, during and after you ski ‘em. But, when you safely arrive in the wide-open snowfield below, you’ll be hootin’ and hollerin’, guaranteed. For something slightly less intense, locate the Standish Quad, which whisks you to a variety of excellent above-treeline terrain.

Arc massive turns down Bunkers, a must-shred groomer, then drop in to the Garbage Chutes for a thrill and a half.

After skiing, the party must go on. And, fortunately, there’s no shortage of good times waiting back in town. For après drinks, snacks and activities, check out High Rollers—an upscale bowling alley that accommodates groups big and small. At dinnertime, carry on to Park Restaurant + Bar. This locale serves top-notch, comfort-food-style dishes and a rockin’ selection of spirits distilled in-house. Then, if you’ve got the energy, cap off the night at The Dancing Sasquatch, a poppin’ night club with a name that simply cannot be topped. Or, for something a bit more mellow, kick back at Banff Ave. Brewing Co. to indulge in some local suds.

When you leave Banff-Lake Louise and the dream-like destination disappears in your rearview, you’ll surely be bummed. But, with its location an hour-and-a-half west of Calgary International Airport, the ease-of-access will be the last factor that draws you into booking your next trip to this neck of Canada. So keep the good times rollin’ and don’t fret, because you’re coming back for more one day.

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This story originally appeared in the January 2019 issue of FREESKIER (21.4), The Destination Issue. Click here to subscribe and receive copies of FREESKIER Magazine delivered right to your doorstep.