7 Days in Lake Louise, Banff, Jasper

Old Nov 15th, 2016, 01:19 PM
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7 Days in Lake Louise, Banff, Jasper

My wife and I have arranged to fly to Calgary Dec. 23-31.
I found a pretty good deal for 7 nights (2 nights free) at the Fairmont in Lk. Louise. LL sounds great, but we sure want to see the area and ski other places if conditions are good. (We are good intermediate skiers and not die hard powder buffs.) Most posts agree that LL is a great location--still convenient enough to get some Banff ski/touring in from LL?

Considering knocking my Fairmont LL reservation down from 7 nights to 4 and spend 3 nights at Fairmont in Jasper. Then, we can drive back to Calgary for a short 2 day visit prior to our red-eye return on the night of the 31st. How does that sound, or have other suggestions for this area? Thanks...
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 02:52 PM
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I would spend the 7 nights at Lake Louise and not split the time with Jasper. Although the Icefields Parkway between Lake Louise and Jasper is open in the winter, it is not maintained to the same degree as the Trans Canada Highway and poor driving conditions can often result. All services on it are closed and there is no cell phone service. For more, see this notice from Parks Canada:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/jas...-ipwinter.aspx

There are three ski areas in the Banff/Lake Louise area and one nearby in Golden BC, Kicking Horse. I have skied at all of them, except for Mount Norquay. Lake Louise ski resort is huge and one could easily ski there for a week without getting bored. I believe there is a shuttle from the Fairmont to the resort which helps with the logistics. Sunshine Village is about a 45 minute drive from Lake Louise, and much of the skiing is above the tree line. It is well worth trying out if the weather is right. Kicking Horse is about an hour's drive west from Lake Louise and although much of the terrain is expert territory, there are nice runs for intermediates and even beginners from the top of the mountain. It has a gorgeous restaurant at the top with spectacular 360 degree views.

However, if it were me, I would save the driving and do my skiing at Lake Louise.
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Old Nov 15th, 2016, 05:40 PM
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Wow. Good to know re: the highway. We are not familiar with the area at all, and were hoping to see as much as possible, aside from skiing. Jasper looked like a beautiful area, and I assumed there would be more of a town to visit than what there is at Lake Louise. Thanks.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 08:58 AM
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Thought the Fairmont LL is probably my favorite hotel anywhere 7 nights in winter might be a bit much. Kind of isolated and while their restaurants are very good they are also quite expensive. Unless the hotel deal is great I would consider spending some of the nights in Banff where there are more restaurant/shopping choices. You can take the shuttle to Mount Norquay ski area for a bit of variety.
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Old Nov 16th, 2016, 09:37 AM
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Jasper is definitely not a good idea. Driving the Icefields Parkway, other than for a short jaunt in good road and weather conditions is not recommended unless you have a lot of winter driving experience, full snow tires (they are required) and a full emergency kit. And flexibility - closures are not unheard of in the winter. Plus pull overs tend to be un or partially plowed, and most parking lots are not plowed, so there's not much chance to see the summer scenic points.

Note that if you intend to intend to head into BC at (Yoho NP, Kicking Horse) etc., your car must have at least M+S tires. And be prepared for delays - both weather (Kicking Horse Pass can be nasty) and construction related.

Stay in the Banff/Lake Louise area and ski at Sunshine & Lake Louise. Norquay probably not worth the time given quality of the other two. Tends to be more a locals hills because of cheaper prices, but doesn't offer the scale or the views/scenery of the other two. For someone coming from a distance, Sunshine and Lake Louise are by far the best choices. All three have plenty of terrain for all ski levels.

If you want to change plans, you need to do some ASAP - that's a very popular time of year and it may be difficult to find booking elsewhere. Staying in LL for 7 nights in not all bad, but it does limit your dining options - there are other restaurants in Lake Louise, but most are part of hotels and holiday time can be a time when hotels limit dining to guests only. That said, you can certainly drive to Banff, though it may not be ideal driving back after dark. Over Christmas, some of the Chateau LL meals will be set holiday meals and there are 3 or 4 restaurants there, plus one within walking distance at Deer Lodge and a few others in Lake Louise "village". So with a good deal, might be worth it. You could head into Banff on one or two days - especially if the weather is too cold/windy/snowy for skiing.
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Old Nov 29th, 2016, 06:55 PM
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are you going to have a vehicle? parking at chateau LL is about $30 per nights so you need to weigh that in. if they are offering a deal, i'm sure it's not a lake view room. limited restaurant selections. i'd stay for 4 nights, skiing at lake louise and skating on the lake. then i'd stay in banff and ski sunshine. then you are a little closer to calgary for your flight.
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Old Nov 29th, 2016, 11:17 PM
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Thanks very much, everyone. FYI- Our deal at the Fairmont Chateau LL for 7 nights includes 2 nights free and a $350 room credit on top of a fairly decent room rate.

We will have our own rented SUV and we don't mind driving to Banff, etc. The hotel is offering a number of activities like a hike to a frozen waterfall. I think the 7 days will go by quickly.
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Old Nov 30th, 2016, 11:00 AM
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Sounds like a great deal!

As to vehicles - you only need a vehicle that will be big enough to accommodate you and your luggage. A SUV isn't going to be any safer than a regular car - snow tires and winter driving experience are far more important than 4WD/AWD. In fact, an SUV can offer a false sense of security - 4WD just becomes 4W slide if you hit ice. There's a reason we often see far more trucks/SUVs in the ditch than cars.

At most I'd go for a small or crossover SUV like a Rav4. Anything more is just extra cost in terms of rental, gas and insurance.

As long as road conditions are good, there's no issue with driving to Banff. But I'd suggest against do the drive after dark - what is quite comfortable driving in the daylight can be unpleasant at night. Snow in headlights can be very blinding, and darkness can mask the changes in road conditions. I've already had a couple less than pleasant post-dusk drives on that stretch of the TCH this year.

While in Lake Louise, I'd definitely get out for dinner at other places. Deer Lodge has good food - I generally suggest sitting in the bar/lounge area where you have access to both the informal and dining room menus. CRMR, which runs the lodge, has their own elk/cattle ranch, so has very good meats. It can also be worth eating at the Post Hotel - the formal dining room gets excellent reviews and I really like the less formal Outpost Pub. I've also heard good things about the restaurant in the old train station.
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Old Nov 30th, 2016, 04:59 PM
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Thanks ever so much. Those are great dining tips. We found the Post online after reading another Fodors posting. The Fairmont highly recommended them for Christmas Eve and made our reservations. It's also good to know there are other informal options for various evenings. It sounds like we'll have plenty of variety between the hotel and other local offerings after all.

We are good with the driving arrangements. We like having room for all of our stuff and skis w/out dealing with a roof rack, plus, we're simply used to driving a larger car.
Thx, Everyone! KF
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Old Dec 2nd, 2016, 05:11 PM
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We lived in Calgary for 2 years and made numerous trips to Banff and Lake Louise. If the roads permit, the Bow Valley Parkway is a lovely drive. Again, weather depending, Johnston Canyon is also interesting. We did not do the icewalk there, but we did one in Jasper and it was fantastic. In Kananaskis, the Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company is good. In Banff, we enjoyed the St James Gate Pub for a good pint and pub food. One Christmas Day, we made last minute reservations and went to the Grizzly House. We were seated by the front window and had a fun meal (hot rock fondue) while enjoying the scenery and watching pedestrians. Then we went to Sunshine Village and went tubing. We love that area and miss it horribly! We are now on the opposite side of the US and are going to Quebec City over Christmas. I am hoping we enjoy it just as much.
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