02
Jul
We planned on an afternoon of skiing at Sunshine Village, one of the largest ski resorts in Canada. It is located just 15 minutes from Banff, going west on the TransCanada Highway. Sunshine Village is a pretty historic place and as a ski resort it dates all the way back to 1936.
With over 3,300 acres of skiable terrain Sunshine Village is one of the largest ski resorts in Canada. The top elevation is 8,954 feet (2730 m) and the base elevation is 3,514 feet (1070 m). It receives a huge amount of natural snowfall: up to 33 feet or 9 m. Skiing usually lasts from mid November all the way to late May.
This resort straddles the Continental Divide and some of the runs are in Alberta and some in British Columbia. 107 runs spread out over 3 mountains (Goat’s Eye Mountain, Lookout Mountain and Mt. Standish). The whole area is serviced by a high-speed 8 passenger gondola that whisks you from the parking lot up to the main village. In addition, there are also 5 high-speed quad chairs, 2 quads, 1 triple, and 1 double chair and 2 magic carpets.
Sunshine Village also offers extreme terrain for really expert skiers. Delirium Dive is an expert ski area that requires special safety equipment and precautions such as being equipped with an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and having at least one other person with you. Goat’s Eye Mountain offers a number of highly challenging double-black diamond runs that should be mastered before you even consider venturing into this area.
At our level we decided to stick to the blue runs, which on this snowy day with lots of accumulated snow were plenty challenging enough for us. Every trail had turned into a mogul run, with all the extra piles of snow that had been carved into bumps by the other skiers. It was basically snowing the whole day with the sun peaking through in between the snow flakes. The night before 10 cm of fresh snow had fallen, and during the day several more centimeters got added. All the extra snow made this a really great workout, and we had to work really hard to push the white powdery stuff around.
The Banff National Park is unique in that it restricts development and there are no sprawling condominiums at the base of any of the 3 Banff area ski resorts. It is almost a throw-back to an earlier time when skiing was less commercialized. The only ski-in/ski-out accommodation is at the recently renovated 84-room Sunshine Inn, located in the main village of the Sunshine Village Resort at an altiude of 7082 feet. Ski Canada has referred to the Sunshine Inn as “the best rooms with a view in Canada!”.
For those with an appetite Sunshine Village offers a variety of culinary options: the Creekside Bar & Grill is located the gondola base. The Deli, Alpine Grill and the Lookout Bistro are all located in the Day Lodge in Sunshine Village. The Java Loft Coffee Bar and Chimney Corner Lounge are located in the Sunshine Inn while the Mad Trapper’s Saloon can be found in the Old Sunshine Lodge. Goat’s Eye Gardens is located right next to the Goat’s Eye Express and offers cafeteria style food.
An interesting feature of this resort is that it offers a SnowHost program, an absolute free program for visitors, that are welcomed by a team of frontline ambassadors for Sunshine village, all dressed in yellow and black outfits. Every day at noon the SnowHosts take skiers / riders out on tours using blue runs and show them how to access this monstruous ski area.
We spent most of the afternoon in the Lookout Mountain (top elevation: 8954 feet or 2730 m) and Mt. Standish areas, going up the Angel Express and the Wawa Quad Chair. There are many blue and green runs available in this area which was helpful on this challenging day. After a rest in the Goat’s Eye Gardens cafeteria and a sinfully filling portion of poutine, a truly Canadian culinary treat that combines French fries with curds and gravy, we felt strong enough to tackle Goat’s Eye Mountain which offers mainly single and double black diamond runs. By that time it was about 3:30 and after getting safely down the mountain we decided to make our way down to the Gondola Base. We skied down a picturesque green run called Banff Avenue all the way to our car, surrounded by peacefulness in the forest.
On our way back to Banff the sun finally came out and we stopped the car several times because the scenery was so breath-taking. The Rockies do have a way of sucking you in….
01
Jul
June 29, 2006
It was an early day today, I got up at 4:30 am, and my husband dropped me off at 5:45 am at Toronto’s historic Union Station. Several buses of young students were already unloading their luggage and ready to enter the train station. At about 6 am the Via Rail counters were opening up and since I had a first class ticket (called Via 1), I was directed to Via’s Panorama Lounge, a special section with comfortable armchairs, free newspapers and soft drinks. This was my first time on a Canadian train and I was very excited about experiencing train travel and not having to fight my way through traffic driving to Montreal.
Via 1 passengers received their own special priority boarding announcements and off we went to the first coach behind the locomotive. I made myself comfortable in the seats and stretched my legs. The seats recline very far back so a tired traveler will have a chance to get a good rest. Shortly after I was joined by a gentleman, a businessman from Edmonton who had some appointments in Toronto and was now heading to Montreal for other business duties. Ray kept me entertained with his family stories and humorous tales of growing up in Montreal and time passed quickly as we started rolling through the suburbs of Toronto.
We stopped at the Guildwood Station and then headed off into the green farmlands of Ontario farm. My ticket also included meal service and in a short while we received breakfast, starting with a fruit plate. For our main breakfast dish we had a choice between a Ranchman’s Breakfast (a Cheddar cheese omelette and grilled beef steak served with mini rösti potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and cherry tomato), the second choice were buttermilk pancakes filled with apple cinnamon and cranberry compote served with Canadian back bacon and Quebec maple syrup. Giving in to my sweet tooth I opted for the pancakes.
Mid-morning I got a bit tired and apologized to Ray and said I had to sit back, relax and close my eyes a little since I had had such an early morning. We both fell asleep for a while and Ray was soon entertaining us the whole compartment with a very talented lumberjack impression. I think he cut down an entire old growth forest in the hour and a half during our last stretch to Montreal. When he woke up just outside of Dorion, he told me he never has a problem falling asleep in a train or a plane, and believeme, I could certainly attest to that.
But all in all, I really enjoyed the ride, especially once we started rolling into the suburbs of Montreal. We passed through some of the old industrial areas, some still in their original state, and some beautifully renovated and refunctioned as condos. Montreal, a historic shipping and railroad centre, is one of the cradles of the industrial revolution in Canada and its industrial history includes tanneries, wordworking factories, breweries, shoemaking, textile milles, tobacco and rubber factories, all on display during our train ride through the southern outskirts of downtown Montreal.
Downtown Montreal and its skyscrapers came into view and I was excited to embark on my explorations of this exciting city. Just about 5 hours after we had left Toronto our Via Rail train rolled into the subterranean Gare Central (Central Railway Station), dating back to 1938, at 12 noon. I caught a taxi and was astounded at the congestion in the street in mid-day. The taxi driver himself commented on how busy the city was today. It seemed everyone was getting ready to do their last errands before the long weekend.
I arrived at the Holiday Inn Downtown, located at 90 Viger Street and realized that I was in a perfect location, right in the heart of Montreal’s Chinatown. I was literally only 5 minutes away from Montreal’s biggest and most impressive church: the Basilica of Notre Dame, Montreal’s City Hall was about 7 minutes away and right across the street is the Place d’Armes subway station. I could not have had a more convenient location. Finding a hotel room on this Canada Day long weekend, which incidentially coincides with the July 4 long weekend in the United States is certainly a precarious proposition, and I was very fortunate that the Holiday Inn Downtown had a room available for me. I dropped my luggage with the concierge since the room was not ready yet and I was ready for my first real adventure in Montreal: a personally guided driving tour through the centre of the city which would give me a great lay of the land.
For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/montreal_arrival.htm
01
Jul
The second largest country in the world should by no means stand in the shadow of its more boisterous southern neighbor. Canada’s 10 million square kilometers of land, lakes and life brings its own signature flavor to the North American continent. Travel through Canada is a truly mind-opening experience for even the most seasoned vacationer.
The region has been inhabited since the retreat of the last ice age, creating nearly 10,000 years of aboriginal history. Vikings roamed Canada’s arctic shores long before Europeans began bickering over land rights during the 16th century. The French settlers founded Quebec City in 1608 while British explorers populated the Atlantic seaboard and Hudson Bay. European wars exacerbated Franco-British tensions until the American Revolution sent British refugees north, tipping the balance away from the French. Canada was finally unified under a constitution in 1867, while maintaining ties to the British crown. Since then, a large Quebec sovereignty movement has emerged in the French speaking province and has gained momentum at the federal level.
Canada’s Untainted Urban Gems
Canada’s cities are as diverse as its territory is expansive. French-speaking Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and arguably the liveliest in Canada. After the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the Biodome de Montreal filled in the empty stadium with four actively maintained ecosystems and numerous living exhibits. The collection of species is nothing short of phenomenal. Montreal has a thriving museum culture (buy a 3-museum pass) and an irresistible nightlife, boasting the largest dance floor in the country and a pioneering music scene with an eclecticism not to be found elsewhere. Travel west into Canada’s serene backwoods to discover Vancouver, a metropolitan diamond in the rough of British Columbia’s rugged wilderness. Ski Whistler’s nearby slopes or enjoy a day of sailing, then flex your cosmopolitan muscle in the evening with a stroll through the acclaimed Vancouver Art Gallery and appetizers at Canada Place.
Visit Vancouver for a taste of Canada’s blossoming multiculturalism and international flavor. For a slower and more intimate pace, discover Nova Scotia’s capital of Halifax in the northeast. This revamped harbor town has become Canada’s Hollywood, with a large number of movies and shows being filmed along the charming avenues.
Unlimited Supply of Adventure
Canada’s Northwest and Yukon Territories offer some of the most pristine stretches of natural beauty in North America, along with the best light show around complements of the Aurora Borealis. Kluane National Park protects Yukon’s World Heritage Sites and Canada’s highest peak. In Alberta, Banff and Jasper National Parks provide the most spectacular views from the Canadian Rockies and a visit to Canada’s Glacier National Park, British Columbia, is imperative to witness the retreating ancient glaciers. With 39 National Parks and Reserves, Canada provides an infinite stock of breathtaking encounters.
Due to Canada’s extreme northern latitude, travel is best enjoyed during the summer months of July and August, even if the days are extremely long or endless. Winter sports can be enjoyed in many resorts year-round; however, December and January tend to be unbearably cold and dark, particularly in the northern regions.
30
Jun
On Sunday, after our high-intensity day in Calgary and after stocking up on groceries in the Mount Royal Area,, we left the city to head towards the Rocky Mountains. It was an interesting drive on Highway 1, the Transcanada Highway, heading towards the mountains. There were some interesing looking clouds on the horizon that kept us entertained on the drive and it didn’t take us any more than about an hour and 15 mintues to get to Banff. We checked in at the Banff Rocky Mountain condominium resort and settled in for the evening to relax after a couple of really hectic days.
Yesterday after a leisurely breakfast we got up to take a drive through Banff. Banff is a quaint mountain town with many different hotels, restaurants, shops and galleries. We drove down Banff Avenue, the town’s main street, and since I had to pick a package up at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, we briefly explored this historic landmark. When Canadian Pacific built the railroads in the 1880s towards the West Coast, they determined that the Banff / Lake Louise area had tremendous potential for tourism and CPR built the Banff Springs Hotel in 1888 to develop this area for all the travellers who were keen to discover the rugged beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.
After our very brief introductory exploration of this impressive building we decided to go skiing at Norquay, just 10 minutes from downtown Banff. On our first full day here we wanted to take it easy a bit since I am just getting over a major chest cold. I figured a couple of hours of local skiing would be enough of an initiation to the Canadian Rockies.
Norquay refers to itself as “Banff’s Best Kept Secret” and it has been around since 1926. Incidentally, Norquay is home to Thomas Grandi, Canada’s World Cup GS 2 time Champion. This ski resort is also the only one in the Banff area that offers night skiing.
What we found great was that Norquay offers the so-called “Ski & Ride by the Hour” passes and a 2 hour ticket was only $29, a great value. We drove up from the town on a forest road with many switchbacks and stopped several times at different lookout points to look over the Bow Valley and the Town of Banff. The vistas of the surrounding mountains are simply magnificent.
We arrived at the ski resort not much later (Norquay is only 5 km from the Town of Banff), and since it was a Monday, the slopes were nice and empty. Norquay’s elevation at the base is 1,630 m (5350 feet) and at the top it is 2,133 m (7000 feet). The vertical drop is 1650 feet and the resort has 32 runs. About 20 % of its terrain is geared towards beginners, 36% towards intermediate skiers, 28% to advanced and 16% to expert skiers. According to their website, Norquay also has a terrain park that features gap jumps, table tops, and hits for all levels of riders. We , however, decided to stick to our good old trusted skis and forego the jumps and table tops….
The runs on the south side looked extremely imposing, and most of them are single or double black diamonds. The slopes are extremely steep and covered with all sorts of bumps and moguls and this was an area we didn’t feel confident enough to tackle. I am sure expert level skiers would have a ball there.
We started with the first of four chairlifts and worked our way northwards and thoroughly enjoyed the extremely well-groomed blue runs. As a matter of fact, Norquay offers a Grooming Guarantee that ensures that the runs are always in perfect condition. We flew down a few of the single-black diamond runs, and because of the excellent grooming there was no problem at all, even for two non-experts like us.
At one point we ventured onto the northernmost trail which connected horizontally along the hill to the last run which was a double-black diamond run at the top. It was very steep, with lots of moguls, and very narrow, probably no wider than 3 m (10 ft). That was a slightly unfortunate choice since we got bumped a little by the topography, but once we had made it through that dicey stretch, the slope improved and we enjoyed our run to the bottom of the hill.
After our 2-hour ticket was finished we relaxed for a while in the spacious chalet at the bottom and watched the skiers coming down the hill. We both commented that Norquay was a very pleasant skiing experience and a great initiation to the Rocky Mountains.
