Cool Family Adventures: Some Paths Less Taken

Some people call it après ski and others just call it fun. There is plenty to do on and off the slopes, but let’s take a look at a few cool family adventures that are easily accessed in Alberta. There’s lots of snow, so let’s go!

Try Torch Light Skiing and Dinner

Here’s a way to brighten your night. This adventure at Lake Louise Mountain Resort in Banff National Park will provide family memories, besides the thrill of skiing down a mountain during the evening.

The Torchlight Dinner and Ski at Whitehorn Lodge is a package that includes an après ski party with appetizers, a full buffet dinner, live entertainment and a guided torchlight ski down the mountain. The fun starts right after skiing and runs through until 8:30 p.m., with bus service back to Lake Louise and Banff hotels. This event is held once a week from mid December to end of March.

You arrive at Whitehorn Lodge, which is mid-mountain, at 4 p.m. Have the all you can eat buffet dinner at 5:30 p.m., then enjoy the entertainment (dance if you want!) until 7:30 p.m., when the torch light skiing begins.

Cost is $65 for adults and $28 for children (not including 6% GST). These are the dates scheduled: Dec. 22 and 29, 2006; Jan. 2007 (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th); Feb. 2007 (2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd); and March 2007 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th). Reservations are required.

Hot Diggity, Dog Sledding in Nature

You might be used to kicking up snow with your ski or snowboard tips and edges, but here’s a whole new way to slide. Dog sledding is a great way to see nature while being whisked through the countryside by trained snow dogs.

The short trips usually last several hours, though you can go longer, depending on the guide and outfitting company. You can fit several people into one of the sleds, which are laden with blankets so that you’re comfy. Sometimes, you can even get on the back and become the ‘musher’ and guide the dogs along the groomed tracks.

Dress warmly, though. While the guides take every precaution to ensure you have a comfortable trip, it can get cold, especially if you’re not used to this particular snow sport. Wearing your ski or riding clothes is usually a safe bet.

If you’re skiing in Banff National Park (Sunshine Village, Ski Banff @ Norquay and Lake Louise Mountain Resort) or Kananaskis Country (Nakiska), guides and outfitters nearby include Mad Dogs and Englishmen Expeditions, Howling Dog Tours, Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours and Kingmik Dog Sled Tours.

Crazy Dog Sled Tours offers dog sled tours in the southern Canadian Rockies near the Pincher Cree/Crowsnest Pass region, which is where Castle Mountain Resort is located. Klondike Ventures you’ll find at Rocky Mountain House.

Take a Hike with Snow Shoes

Kick up your heels in a new way with one of the fastest growing winter sports. Snow shoes are easily rented or you can purchase models that are lightweight for a few hundred bucks.

You’ll often snow shoe trails where there are cross country trails, though they aren’t the same tracks and the trails are usually segregated. If you’re staying at a ski resort, there is likely areas nearby where you can snow shoe, just ask the concierge or front desk.

If you’re skiing in Banff National Park (Sunshine Village, Ski Banff @ Norquay and Lake Louise Mountain Resort), try Mahikan Trails based in Canmore, which offers half day and full day trips and special family rates. If you’re skiing at Castle Mountain Resort or other southwestern ski areas in the Crowsnest Pass area such as Pass Powder Keg, try Diamond Hitch Outfitters.

Snowmobile a Network of Trails

Catch a ride that revs up your taste for adventure. You’ll find superb snowmobiling in the Crowsnest Pass, near slopes including Castle Mountain Resort and Pass Powder Keg. To the north, there is snowmobiling near Vista Ridge.

4Other areas with snowmobile trails include the foothills of Nordegg and Rocky Mountain House and the ‘Golden Triangle’ that includes Whitecourt, Edson, Swan Hills and Fox Creek. There are also great trails in the northern Peace Country and Lakeland.

As a general rule, provincial parks and recreation areas don’t permit snowmobiling right in the park, but there are many areas nearby with trails.

The Alberta Snowmobile Association at www.altasnowmobile.ab.ca is a great source of information for trails and events.

Grab Bag: Skating, Tubing, Luging

For something a bit different, you can try tubing at Vista Ridge, where the tube park is open Friday nights and weekends, with transportation from the lodge and back up the hill via chairlift. There’s even a Fort McMurray luge club. Or get sliding in a bobsled at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary. Skating at Lake Louise near Lake Louise Mountain Resort is a heavenly experience and fun for the entire family. Otherwise, you’ll find skating in most Alberta municipalities.