Ski conditions over holidays a mixed bag

Ski conditions in Alberta and parts of British Columbia offer a full gamut over the holidays, according to information from various ski hills across both provinces. 

After weather warnings for large parts of Alberta were issued midway through last week, skiers will be disappointed to learn that the snow didn't find its way to all the slopes equally.

Over the last seven days, a modest amount of snow fell at Norquay and Nakiska, around a foot fell at Sunshine, Kimberly and Castle, 36 centimetres fell at Lake Louise, 44 centimetres fell at Kicking Horse, 56 centimetres fell at Fernie and 79 centimetres fell at Revelstoke.

At Panorama, 31 centimetres of snow over the last week has allowed staff to open the Summit chair.

Norquay appears to be trying to make the most of the snow it's been given by opening its Mystic Express chair over the weekend, while Lake Louise officially opened its Pipestone Express chair last week.

Meanwhile, Sunshine now has Goat's Eye Mountain open for the season, which is sure to help spread out Christmas crowds, and all chairs at Marmot Basin are now up and running.

Dustin Clark is based in Kimberley, B.C. He told Daybreak Alberta host Paul Karchut on Saturday that the area where he usually skis has been blessed with great conditions.

"What a gift we've had the last week down in East Kootenay, it all kind of tracked in Tuesday afternoon," Clark said.

He added the region is well positioned for Christmas crowds to come through.

"I'll reference Fernie and Kimberly and even Panorama in the same breath, we've had really good early-season snow," Clark said. "It's come in nice and moist and dense and so it's really set us up for a fantastic, long season … the East Kootenay hills are definitely set up for success."

Sophia Gould is based in Cochrane, Alta., and usually skis at Nakiska, she told Karchut on Saturday that the slopes there don't have as much snow as she'd like.

"We didn't get that storm, unfortunately, so there's still pretty limited terrain at Nakiska," Gould said.

Dan Thomson is based in the Bow Valley. He says conditions at Lake Louise have been "improving greatly."

"You know, we always get the leftovers from Revelstoke, but we'll take what we can get," Thomson said. "It's been snowing a little bit each and every day, which has made a big difference."

For cross-country skiers in Kananaskis, Mount Shark has seen some fresh snow this week, just enough to get all trails snowcat-groomed after the majority of trails were mostly trackset earlier in the week.

In Peter Lougheed, a bit of snow on Tuesday and Wednesday meant grooming was done by snowcat at higher elevations, and by snowmobile in the Woolley, Amos and Meadow trails from Elkwood Campground to the Discovery Centre. 

What was trackset was done sporadically because of hazards in certain spots, however.

Conditions at West Bragg Creek are not very good with not enough snow out there to lay down grooming or tracks, and it's even worse at Ribbon Creek, where it's not advisable to ski at all.

The backcountry skiing zones in K-Country have gotten a bit more snow this week but it came with strong winds, resulting in windslabs on top of windslabs on what is a thin and fairly weak snowpack.

Staying safe in the mountains

With the number of visitors to the mountains expected to pick up over the holidays, officials in Banff National Park are offering some advice on how to stay safe outdoors.

Officials say it's important to pack headlamps as well as extra warm clothing to handle temperature drops at night.

They add it's best to let someone know where you're going and when you plan to return so they can call for help if anything goes wrong.

Parks Canada visitor safety specialist Conrad Janzen says recent warm weather has created slippery conditions on some trails and recommends wearing proper footwear, including boot grippers.

He adds it's also important to have the means to call for help should you run into trouble.

That includes cellphones as well as satellite communication devices when travelling out of cellphone range.

"We'll see lots of people and we want everybody to be prepared, do some good research on their trips before they come, and have a great time," Janzen said.

To be aware of avalanche hazards, Parks Canada recommends checking the daily avalanche bulletins before heading out and having proper avalanche safety training and gear if travelling in avalanche terrain.

Parks Canada also recommends visiting its website or the Canadian Red Cross website for information on ice safety before setting foot on any frozen surface.