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Banff
- Thread starter Jenny
- Start date
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
It really varies - you should expect, on average, for the temperature to be usually not much lower than -5 F or thereabouts. It may get down to -20 F, but that would be pretty rare, especially for more than one consecutive day. One of the good things is that we've got lots of sunny weather, so even it it is -5 F, it doesn't usually feel like it. Lake Louise also gets lots of inversions in cold weather, so it will sometimes be -5 F on the bottom and like 20 F on top. It can get windblown on the backside though.
For my body, I dress like most people usually. I have a thin merino wool top I wear and lightweight merino bottoms. If it gets lower than -5 f, I have a heavyweight pair of merino bottoms from icebreaker that I bust out. On top of that, I will wear a fleece hoodie or my Patagonia Nano Puff on top, and then I've got a Marmot insulated jacket and insulated snow pants. When it's cold, I'll wear a thin merino liner under my helmet, and I will wear thin merino wool glove liners underneath my insulated mittens (I prefer mittens when it's cold). I wear midweight wool ski socks. I always keep a fleece buff with me to pull up over parts of my face. This is especially useful at Sunshine Village, where you're often above tree line. So, not very different from most places.
The bigger challenge I have is not staying warm, but staying dry. Even when it is that cold, I will sweat, but the problem is when it's that cold, you feel wet clothes way more than usual. So, I actually will often have some extra layers to change out at lunch time. I'll usually bring another wool top. I find the thing I change out almost all the time are my glove liners and mittens. If there's even a little bit of moisture, I won't be able to keep my hands as warm as I like them, so I always change it out. Keeping my hands warm on a cold day is, for me, the biggest challenge. I have never used the chemical handwarmers, but I know a lot of people that do.
For my body, I dress like most people usually. I have a thin merino wool top I wear and lightweight merino bottoms. If it gets lower than -5 f, I have a heavyweight pair of merino bottoms from icebreaker that I bust out. On top of that, I will wear a fleece hoodie or my Patagonia Nano Puff on top, and then I've got a Marmot insulated jacket and insulated snow pants. When it's cold, I'll wear a thin merino liner under my helmet, and I will wear thin merino wool glove liners underneath my insulated mittens (I prefer mittens when it's cold). I wear midweight wool ski socks. I always keep a fleece buff with me to pull up over parts of my face. This is especially useful at Sunshine Village, where you're often above tree line. So, not very different from most places.
The bigger challenge I have is not staying warm, but staying dry. Even when it is that cold, I will sweat, but the problem is when it's that cold, you feel wet clothes way more than usual. So, I actually will often have some extra layers to change out at lunch time. I'll usually bring another wool top. I find the thing I change out almost all the time are my glove liners and mittens. If there's even a little bit of moisture, I won't be able to keep my hands as warm as I like them, so I always change it out. Keeping my hands warm on a cold day is, for me, the biggest challenge. I have never used the chemical handwarmers, but I know a lot of people that do.
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Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
oops - i made a mistake above - can anyone please delete that? 
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
@Jenny - I would say you don't need new ski clothes. Layers are the way to go. I much prefer being able to change those out. Off the slopes, I often have long underwear under my pants - especially when staying in and walking around Banff. I also have a pair that of fleece lined pants that I almost live in mid-winter.
surfsnowgirl
Banned
Beautiful pics. I am so excited. Ski club opem house was tonight anf banff trip is sold out. I have tons of layers plus my self named canada jacket that i mostly wear when i ski vermont and quebec. I just bought a hard shell sportube series 2 so the ski transport will be set.
Jenny
Angel Diva
Drat! There goes that excuse . . . I really have plenty of layers already and will just bring them all.
surfsnowgirl
Banned
@Albertan ski girl Between DH and I I'm sure we'll have room for a pair of Santa Anas so if you find a good deal on them in the states send me a PM. I'll give you my address, you can have them shipped to me and we'll bring to you at the end of February. 
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
@Albertan ski girl Between DH and I I'm sure we'll have room for a pair of Santa Anas so if you find a good deal on them in the states send me a PM. I'll give you my address, you can have them shipped to me and we'll bring to you at the end of February.
Just saw this - thanks for the offer
But to be honest, I'm not sure if I can wait until February for a new pair of skis ;) Also, with the exchange rate, I still think it's worth it to buy here at the moment...gotta get yo' dolla to drop!
Jenny
Angel Diva
@Albertan ski girl - Can't remember if I've seen you,post this anywhere, but is there a shop you recommend for demos? DH currently has two pairs of skis - his Volk AC 30 (80 wide) and the Volkl Shiro (119 wide). He's trying to decide what to bring.
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
Hi @Jenny - there are a couple of options in Banff. Snowtips/backtrax is probably the cheapest, and they have quite a decent selection of skis. They've got lots of options from volkl, Nordica, blizzard etc. Just walk to the very back of the shop to see what they have. Ultimate ski and bike also has lots of options, but they are often 2-3 years old, and I find they tend to be quite crowded at peak times. There is also soul ski and bike - really nice skis but much smaller selections, but they do have k2 and Icelantic which other shops do not. The most expensive is Banff ski hub - I'm not crazy about their skis or prices, but if you need boots, they have the newest and nicest.
For your DH, I would suggest the 80 underfoot. If we get a ton of snow, he can rent fatter skis for the day. You basically never need a 119 underfoot here. The widest I see is about 110. The soul 6 skis are really popular as a wide ski here, as well as the Nordica patron. Most people's skis are about 85-100 and those really serve almost every condition here. My SO has an 80 underfoot for most days, and a 100 underfoot for softer days. Though take this with a grain of salt, we also tend to err on the narrower side of things as a family, and we don't have a problem here. I have an 85 and 100 underfoot and I have rarely needed more - although I don't really ski extreme terrain. You also have to remember that some of the more extreme terrain where you might encounter deep snow here is not quite open yet - we have all natural snow making, so they wait until there's a really good base to open up. Some of the lake Louise back areas aren't open yet, but delirium dive at ssv is - I don't know if he's intending to ski that.
Having said that. If you don't mind bringing both skis, bring both! I'll keep you updated on conditions.
For your DH, I would suggest the 80 underfoot. If we get a ton of snow, he can rent fatter skis for the day. You basically never need a 119 underfoot here. The widest I see is about 110. The soul 6 skis are really popular as a wide ski here, as well as the Nordica patron. Most people's skis are about 85-100 and those really serve almost every condition here. My SO has an 80 underfoot for most days, and a 100 underfoot for softer days. Though take this with a grain of salt, we also tend to err on the narrower side of things as a family, and we don't have a problem here. I have an 85 and 100 underfoot and I have rarely needed more - although I don't really ski extreme terrain. You also have to remember that some of the more extreme terrain where you might encounter deep snow here is not quite open yet - we have all natural snow making, so they wait until there's a really good base to open up. Some of the lake Louise back areas aren't open yet, but delirium dive at ssv is - I don't know if he's intending to ski that.
Having said that. If you don't mind bringing both skis, bring both! I'll keep you updated on conditions.
Jenny
Angel Diva
He doesn't NEED them here in Michigan either! But you might see them anyway. Heck, he took them to Mammoth when we went last spring. Managed them on the rock hard overnight frozen stuff and then really enjoyed them in the softened up slush, too. He can't bring both, we only have single ski tubes, and if he brings both of his then I don't get to bring my new-to-me Kenjas, and we can't have that!
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
Lol! Maybe he should bring the shiros and rent an all-mountain! Your kenjas will be perfect!
DeweySki
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just booked a little trip for Banff over President's Day weekend. Is anyone going to be around? Lots of great tips in this thread, thank you!
@Albertan ski girl Trying to decide which skis to bring (quiver listed in my signature)...maybe the Atomics? Even though I've been skiing my TSTs more around Tahoe, they are terrible on anything resembling hard pack or ice. I am also tempted to only bring one pair so that I have room in my bag to bring home another pair if I decide to go shopping? I'm in the market for a mid fat (106-110 waist) and can't resist the exchange rate right now. Thoughts?
@Albertan ski girl Trying to decide which skis to bring (quiver listed in my signature)...maybe the Atomics? Even though I've been skiing my TSTs more around Tahoe, they are terrible on anything resembling hard pack or ice. I am also tempted to only bring one pair so that I have room in my bag to bring home another pair if I decide to go shopping? I'm in the market for a mid fat (106-110 waist) and can't resist the exchange rate right now. Thoughts?
Jenny
Angel Diva
I'm betting this is what will happen, so wanted to be prepared with something to suggest he demo. We have the same BSL and relatively close DIN so I'm always interested in what he's on . . .
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
Hi, @DeweySki - that's awesome! a warning though - President's day weekend is Alberta Family Day, so it will be quite busy up on the hills. What dates exactly are you going to be here? If you are here on a weekday too, I would suggest to hit up lake louise on a weekday and sunshine on the weekend, as the lift lines are much more bearable at sunshine with crowds. louise is all centralized on the front side and it can be quite busy. we'll be there and skiing that weekend with the kids, so perhaps we can meet up.
Either your TST or your Elysian would be great. I'll be posting conditions updates, so best to judge by the conditions closer to your departure. I doubt that the Rockette would be necessary, unless we're getting dumped on...although you never know
As I mentioned to @Jenny, not to many opeople around here with wider than a 106, lots of Soul 7s, Nordica Patrons, La Ninas, Rossi Saffron and Savory, Volkl V-Werks lately. We just don't get the volume of snow other places do. We have lots of snow because of great snow preservation, dry air, and fewer skier numbers than other places, but we certainly don't have crazy amounts like coastal areas. By mid-Feb there should be some sales in Banff - at Monod, Soul Ski and Bike...the best deals will be in Calgary, I can suggest some stores if you decide to swing through there. You could always demo on hill, and then buy in Calgary. Ski Cellar will often have a 50% of MSRP right about then - I usually get an email from then. Ski West might have some deals then - but you can always usually get bindings included from them...However, I would add that our prices here are generally higher. Even with the exchange rate, we often can't get quite the same deals as you guys can online. The U.S. online ski prices are amazing.
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
@DeweySki - if you really want a deal on mid-fat/fatty skis, I would suggest to bypass the stores, and go to kijiji.ca and check out both Calgary and Canmore/Banff sites. Kijiji is our version of Craig's List, and there are so many amazing deals, especially for wider skis on there. Lots of disposable income in the area, so people often get skis that are way too much for them to handle, and then sell them for super crazy cheap on kijiji. That is much more work, so a store is probably your best bet, but just in case you wanted to spend a half day looking for skis...it's a really great option. It would be even less than half a day if the seller was in Banff - they are often selling great skis.
some examples of crazy deals available now, in your approximate size:
Atomic Automatic (109 underfoot) in a 175 for $200 CAD with bindings:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...ki/1224630108?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Fischer Ranger in 170 with Tyrolia Attacks for $335 CAD
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...ng/1224298579?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Icelantic Shamans in 173 (110 underfoot) sold flat for $350 CAD:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...is/1223428798?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
anyway, that's just a very quick cursory look on the Banff/Canmore page...
some examples of crazy deals available now, in your approximate size:
Atomic Automatic (109 underfoot) in a 175 for $200 CAD with bindings:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...ki/1224630108?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Fischer Ranger in 170 with Tyrolia Attacks for $335 CAD
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...ng/1224298579?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
Icelantic Shamans in 173 (110 underfoot) sold flat for $350 CAD:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-ski/banff-c...is/1223428798?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
anyway, that's just a very quick cursory look on the Banff/Canmore page...
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
Hi @Jenny @vickie !
A quick update on conditions and weather. Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the skiing this week has been terrific -it's been snowing consistently all week, and we have a really great base. We're also expecting another big storm on Thursday-Friday that should lay down a considerable amount of snow, probably on the order of 20 cm or so.
The bad news: it's going to be cold next week - which means both cold, and probably not very much snow. The forecast can change quite quickly, so I guess we'll see, and there's a good chance of getting some inversions, where it will be warmer up top. But I would encourage you to bring lots of warm layers. It's going to be a cold one - doesn't look like there will be much wind, and you'll get great views, but it's going to be frigid. The best forecast websites for Sunshine and Lake Louise are here:
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Sunshine/6day/mid
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Lake-Louise/6day/mid
I tried to make it snowy and warm for you, but no luck :(
We'll be skiing on the 3, 4 and 6, most likely wherever the conditions are the best!
A quick update on conditions and weather. Well, I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that the skiing this week has been terrific -it's been snowing consistently all week, and we have a really great base. We're also expecting another big storm on Thursday-Friday that should lay down a considerable amount of snow, probably on the order of 20 cm or so.
The bad news: it's going to be cold next week - which means both cold, and probably not very much snow. The forecast can change quite quickly, so I guess we'll see, and there's a good chance of getting some inversions, where it will be warmer up top. But I would encourage you to bring lots of warm layers. It's going to be a cold one - doesn't look like there will be much wind, and you'll get great views, but it's going to be frigid. The best forecast websites for Sunshine and Lake Louise are here:
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Sunshine/6day/mid
https://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Lake-Louise/6day/mid
I tried to make it snowy and warm for you, but no luck :(
We'll be skiing on the 3, 4 and 6, most likely wherever the conditions are the best!
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
Oh, and i just found out about this great deal that I'm going to take advantage of for all of you coming to visit Banff:
If you are into spa-ing, there is a great midweek midwinter deal at the Willow Stream Spa, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - it's an incredible spa! Mondays through Thursdays, you can get a 45 minute massage, plus a full day access to their spa/baths (large mineral pool, plunge pools of different temperatures, cascading waterfalls, outdoor hot pool, steam room, sauna etc), for $129 CAD. It's a smokin' deal. SO and I are going next week!
If you are into spa-ing, there is a great midweek midwinter deal at the Willow Stream Spa, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - it's an incredible spa! Mondays through Thursdays, you can get a 45 minute massage, plus a full day access to their spa/baths (large mineral pool, plunge pools of different temperatures, cascading waterfalls, outdoor hot pool, steam room, sauna etc), for $129 CAD. It's a smokin' deal. SO and I are going next week!
Jenny
Angel Diva
Oooh, sounds tempting. Especially on one of those frigid days you just mentioned. I may yet need to go back to Cabela's and get this, for the chair rides up. They have a down version, too.
Https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...2,loc:1&lsft=gclid:CLbB-Jbpl9ECFYyLaQodP6gIig
Https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...2,loc:1&lsft=gclid:CLbB-Jbpl9ECFYyLaQodP6gIig
Albertan ski girl
Angel Diva
I can't get the link to open up.
We're definitely going to bring glove liners and those hand warmers too! Thick merino wool base layers!
We're definitely going to bring glove liners and those hand warmers too! Thick merino wool base layers!
