The Lake Louise Lowdown provides a behind-the-scenes look at the operation of a large ski resort in the Rocky Mountains of Banff National Park, specifically from a Snow Safety and Mountain Operations point of view.
Click on The Lowdown on the Lowdown above to read more of what this blog is about.
This is great stuff! Thanks for posting all this great info!
-Trevor
By: Trevor Brophy on November 21, 2008
at 7:43 pm
I’ve been a Louise fan (and 8 mountain pass holder) for a long time and must congratulate you on this site. Every article explores new territory that regular ski/boarders see but have litle knowledge of the underlying processes.
It’s a delight to read your posts and I suspect access will grow quickly in the coming year. I have certainly passed on this URL to many of my friends.
John
By: John@CdnRockies on November 26, 2008
at 7:52 am
This is great stuff. Miles beyond the promotional fluff that passes for content on most ski hill blogs. The “behind the scenes” content is fantastic, and your love for the mountain really shines through. it’s giving me a new appreciation for the place too. Keep it up!
Steve
By: Steve Cooper on December 16, 2008
at 3:14 pm
Chris
It seems the mercury is going to rise a bit finally. With all the cold weather we’ve seen lots of delays in opening lifts. Can you post the resorts policies on this or shed some light on the procedure. It’s been driving me crazy to drive my 2 hours from Calgary to get there only to have the Glacier chair turning when the ski report says “all lifts open”.
Great work
Thanx
Daffy
By: Daffy on January 5, 2009
at 8:17 am
Hi Daffy,
I’m not involved in the creation of the snow report, but I think it’s safe to assume that “all lifts open” means there are runs open from each lift. If delayed openings are weather related, the status could change at any time. In the past we’ve had to close the three alpine lifts (Top of the World, Summit, and Paradise) for part of the day due to extreme winds. While we had expected the wind to come in some shape or form, you never know exactly what will happen or when (or if) until it actually happens, and the same is true of cold. The thermometer may say -30C, which is a borderline open/close temperature, but any sort of wind or a little bit of sun can easily push it either way, making a day that’s somewhat bearable or one where we only open one lift.
The decision to keep a lifts and terrain closed comes from both Lift Services and Snow Safety. The lift mechanics must be certain that the lift (each is different) can operate reliably in the cold temps. A lift stoppage of even a few minutes means a whole lot more at -30C than it does at -5C for someone sitting on the chair, and machinery doesn’t like cold temps. Snow Safety uses their remote weather stations to measure temperatures, along with wind speed and direction, to arrive at a wind chill value, which explains that on cold days with wind usually only the more sheltered lifts are open. Also, we have to consider how far people are from warmth in the event they get hurt or break their equipment, in Boomerang for example. A patroller would need to respond from the top of Summit, assess the injury, package in the toboggan, and get the patient all the way to Temple Patrol (by Larch Chair) on slow, sticky snow before having a chance to warm up. In -30C temps, that would likely be an unacceptable exposure to cold for both patient and patroller.
If you’re looking for a good picture of current conditions at the lake, use the first link to get forecasted winds for that day, then use the second link to get the equivalent wind chill (both links are on LLL home page):
1. http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Lake-Louise/6day/top
2. http://www.msc.ec.gc.ca/education/windchill/windchill_chart_e.cfm
The wind speed is used to determine if a lift will run, and the wind chill to determine if it’s safe to have people outside. For example, a -24C day means the lifts would have little problem running, but throw in 40km winds and you have excessive windchill for people, so the lifts won’t open.
I hope that helped.
Chris
By: lakelouiselowdown on January 5, 2009
at 10:06 am
Hi Chris,
I must agree with previous posts. This info is extremely interesting & helpful. I only ski Lake Louise a couple days each year but the regulars or more experienced riders must appreciate your efforts. I was wondering if you could direct me to any sites or blogs discussing favorite runs or out of the way spots on the mountain. My friends and I aren’t spectacular skiiers but we are looking to increase our experiences. Exploring is fun but with only days of skiing a year I’d like some directions. Could you describe the area below Eagle Meadows? Trail maps seem to show fairly widely dispersed trees and skiable for a mid to high intermediate. I guess I’m looking for inside info that home skiiers may want to protect, like that special honey-hole fishing spot. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks again.
Bill
By: Billy D on January 31, 2009
at 4:06 pm
Hi Bill,
Thanks for the comment.
The main open areas below Eagle Meadows, Comer’s and Paradise Pocket, are shown in photos in an earlier post about avalanche areas below tree line. Comer’s is right below the Eagle Meadows cat track at the top end of the long permanent wood fence. Paradise Pocket is further down and to skier’s right. It’s hard to find if you’ve bever been.
No matter where you end up going down, you’ll probably wind up on Pine Cone Way, a green run that traverses that part of the mountain and takes you back to the base area. If you hit them right, Comer’s and Paradise Pocket can offer a few good turns, though they’re also kind of out of the way from Top of the World, Paradise, and Summit – the three lifts I’ll stick to when I’m up at the Lake on a day off. I can’t even say I’ve skied those areas other than for work purposes. If you like to explore the mountain, they’re worth a look, but I think the excitement will wear off quickly.
As for info on the special fishing spots, I think you’d be better off asking someone (i.e. a patroller) when you’re actually there. Exploring is fun, and this might not be the best place to announce someone’s secret stash!
By: lakelouiselowdown on January 31, 2009
at 8:22 pm
Hi Chris,
Thanks again for the great terrain shots and explanations. MY friends and I just got home from our annual trip. One friend and his wife skiied & rode 5 days at Sunshine, Norquay & the Lake. Without insulting the other hills (because obviously they also undoubtedly have similiar processes in place to ensure great skiing possibilities), my friend’s first comment was that “Lake Louise is the Mecca for skiing (and riding)”. This made our decision to stick to the Lake Louise for our two days. Although their was a decidely lack of snow (compared to previous years) we realize that conditions, in that respect, are not in the control of RCR or the people they emply. We noticed certain runs that were closed and even though I was personally ready to explore some new terrain, we respected the closed areas, confident that they were closed for a reason, even though at times we were unsure of the reasons. Despite some restrictions our group, which consisted of level 3 to 5+ skiiers and boarders had virtually limitless options of areas to have fun. I, myself experienced my first double black run through the glades off of Ptarmigan which was great. We also had a very memorable run at Swede’s off of Paradise. We saw numerous signs of your team of avalanche/terrain control at work and although they were at times above our understanding, for the eye looking for these things, they were evident and this blog gives geater understanding for those interested in the details. I have nothing but good things to say about our experiences this year and we all left with positive thoughts and I definitely reccomend Lake Louise to all those contemplating a trip. Koodoos to you and your crew and a shout out to Rocket whom we have met in the off-season and has been welcoming whenever we meet him on the hill. Greetings to him and his family from La Crete, AB. Thanks to everyone at the hill.
Bill.
By: Billy D on February 8, 2009
at 10:25 pm
Hi Chris,
Your weather, snow & mountain info are great.
I have only been to louise a few times, and was wondering how much avalanche activity happens in west bowl?
By: Neil on March 3, 2009
at 4:00 pm
Hi Neil,
The amount of avalanche activity in West Bowl varies, and really depends on all the same things that affect other terrain. While “backcountry” is the official term used to describe this area since it lies outside the resort boundary, “sidecountry” is probably more accurate, since it gets more traffic than most other backcountry areas due to its ease of access. Skier compaction can significantly affect snow stability, so it’s good to think of it as somewhere between in-bounds terrain and true backcountry (though leaning a bit more towards the latter) – it doesn’t get avalanche control like in-bounds terrain, but gets more traffic, and therefore more skier compaction, than true backcountry areas.
When looking at avalanche bulletins for information on avalanche activity and snow stability, the one produced by the Parks Service for the Lake Louise area is likely going to more accurately reflect conditions than the one produced by the resort, which applies to in-bounds terrain only.
One thing that is a bad indicator of slope stability in West Bowl is other people going in there. I’m always amazed at how many people go into West Bowl when the avalanche hazard suggests staying out, usually without proper rescue gear. It’s not uncommon for skiers or riders to trigger avalanches. At the same time, a slope may need a precise trigger in order to avalanche, and while one person can ride the entore bowl without starting a slide, the next may hit the wrong spot and get the whole thing to go.
I hope that helps. One of the best things you can do to prepare for a trip out-of-bounds is to get the right information, and luckily there’s an entire ski patrol at the Lake who are willing and able to help point you in the right direction to get the information you need.
Chris
By: lakelouiselowdown on March 3, 2009
at 6:25 pm
Thanks for the info Chris,
I really hope that people take the time to read your article on “closed vs out of bounds.”
By: Neil on March 9, 2009
at 10:23 am
Great blog, super informative and really well written. keep it up mang.
By: David Rouleau on May 8, 2009
at 5:37 pm
Hi Chris
Just wanted to say, great job mate. Thie Blog site is superb, kept me safe and in the best spots during the winter season!! And now sittng in my armchair in not-so-sunny england. Is giving me plenty of smiles and reminding me of fantastic memories when i lived and worked at Lake Louise.
All the best for the future, keep the amazing pictures coming , and facinating blog going.
Kind Regards
Simon
By: simon spooner on July 27, 2009
at 4:58 am