Banff Springs Ski Trip

1. Banff Springs Hotel-

Our hotel was absolutely beautiful. The restored castle is full of history. Constructed in the late 1800's as part of a chain of the lavish rest stops along the Canadian Pacific Railway, it was easy to see what William Cornelius Van Horne meant when he made his famous quote "If we can't export the scenery, we'll import the tourists". I'm sure Mr. Van Horne would be just as happy that American Airlines imported us. Nonetheless, Banff Springs is only one of a collection of fabulous stays linking the Canadian Pacific Rail. The upstairs portion of the hotel had a museum illustrating the rich history of the castle. Several restaurants, bars, sitting areas, and reception halls are housed in the castle, each with a special ambience.

In the amenities category, the hot tub and outdoor pool were enjoyed by almost everyone. The raved Banff Springs Spa was available and Sammy Botton's daughter from new York City liked the hot stone massage. Rumor has it that Eleanor Casey and her daughter Christine (who joined us from San Francisco) also snuck in and gave it an overwhelming 'It was WONDERFUL!' review.

The bell staff was knowledgeable and helpful. They helped with baggage, stored our skies, were very friendly, then, refused any tips stating we had already paid enough in fees. For those of us without our own skies the onsite shop provided great demo skies at a fractional cost.

The shuttle service was great. Transportation was convenient and reliable to both Sunshine, and Lake Louise as well as into the town of Banff.

Lastly, the beds were big, soft and fluffy. The rooms were spacious but cozy. Thick cotton terry robes were available with a phone call and with your own laptop you could access your own high speed internet connection. The view of the Canadian Rockies from our window was truly a sight to behold every morning.

2. Breathtaking Scenery

Almost everyone arrived Wednesday afternoon in daylight to enjoy the views driving in on the shuttle between Calgary airport (YYC) and Banff . The Canadian Rockies were lovely. Other wonders of nature included wildlife sightings. Caribou were on display, both single as well as in herd. Other views included Bighorn Sheep, Elk and Ram.

A short distance from the hotel provided a walk to the falls. Jonathan Peacock, Vivien Benjamin, Mike Geele, and Helen Krug made this trek before we packed up for the airport the last morning.

3. Lake Louise Men's World Cup Downhill Competition

Saturday November 26th found the majority of our group on an early bus to Lake Louise. Sandy Best from Ski Canada took a group of DSC'ers to the back of Lake Louise. Reportedly Sandy has his own 55 degree angle namesake run- aka- "Sandy's Stash". Unfortunately it was not yet opened this season. However, the Lake Louise 'tour de Sandy' still won rave reviews from it's participants.

A group of non- skiers enjoyed the day as spectators both for the lone ice skater at Chateau Lake Louise as well as the Men's World Cup. Tom Keever, Art Whitlock and myself wanted to make the most of our VIP passes. We braved mingling with the international crowd on the sidelines and experienced the thrill of being sprayed by the contenders. The view was great. The free hand warmers and hot cocoa being passed out by sponsors made it even better. An Austrian named Strobl won the competition. Jan Gast and Charlene Cottingham won the best idea opting to watch the competition from the lodge restaurant and bar with warm cocktail in hand where you could easily alternate watching out the window or on the big screen.

4. Dining

Maple Leaf, The Fuse, Giorgio's, El Toro, Salt Lick Steakhouse, Suginoya, Bow Valley Grill, Waldhaus Restaurant are a few of the places our group experienced. There were any number of choices but fine dining was readily available and yes, The Bow Valley grill did have a traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner for us very late Thursday evening.

Newlyweds Tim and Karen Lanz spent their first Thanksgiving together. They also enjoyed a fireside dinner at The Waldhaus Restaurant at the Banff Springs Hotel. According to Karen it was very warm and romantic. They liked the fish chowder so much they got the recipe.

5. Skiing

According to Mike Geele and Helen Krug, 4 yr veterans of Banff, 'it was unusual (and great)to ski Sunshine in the sunshine'. Snow reviews were mixed by our clan. However, for this time of year by the end of the trip there was more snow to be thankful for. Due to snowfall during our visit the last evening included opportunity to ski to the bottom of Sunshine.

Gerald Kresta defined the 2 resorts as Sunshine being more beginner and intermediate while Lake Louise more advanced to expert. At any rate everyone started at Sunshine on Thursday. Many of us took lessons and found them to be of great value. Those who didn't take lessons spent at least some time w/ hill hosts (Don and Sandy). At Sunshine Delirium drive was open. the repeat visitors assured me this was a rarity for this time of year. There were a few sore muscles and scrapes but fortunately no serious injuries.

6. Welcoming Canadian atmosphere

Canadians seemed to welcome our American T-giving tradition. On Thanksgiving day American football was broadcast on the TV's at the slopes as well as at the large downtown sports bars. Our own group was diverse including people from many different backgrounds. Dining and evening ritual was described as more similar to European but some found 'Les Canadiennes' to be more hospitable than Europeans. Additionally, many members enjoyed watching the Canadian Gray cup which is the Canadian football championship.

The flight, getting in and out of the new terminal D at D/FW was a breeze. Many of us had 2 hours left to spend people watching, and relaxing at the new terminal rather than crowding into domestic terminals on the always warned 'busiest day of the year'.

Of course the Canadians welcomed our American dollars. Carol Zahn, and Dennis Arnold were seen w/ large shopping bags on Saturday. Vivien Benjamin, added to her collection of Hida art. Other purchases included Canadian produced Chocolate and world cup t-shirts The American dollar still holds a bit of power to the north.

Saturday night saw Banff's annual Christmas parade complete w/ dog sled pulls and other various competitions on the street for prizes.

7. Notable change in climate/season

Of note was the fact that we stepped into a clearly different season than this years' Texas fall. It was heaven to pull out layers of clothing, put on a coats, and say hello to winter after our long hot dry Texas summer and fall. The fresh snow the last couple of days made for some nice skiing.

8. Camaraderie

Many members had never skied together and enjoyed the company of new Dallas Ski Club friends. Our diverse American group was thankful for a great trip. Thank you to Tom Keever for your hard work in making our Thanksgiving 2005 so special.