Winter In Jasper
Jasper's winter sports tend to be overshadowed by the world-class ski resorts in nearby Banff and Lake Louise. This said, the park has plenty of winter activities and a first-rate ski area in Marmot Basin (20min drive from the townsite), a resort with the advantages of cheaper skiing and far less crowded runs than its southern rivals. Skiing in the region began in the 1920s, though the first lift - a 700-metre rope tow - was only introduced in 1961, just a few years after the first road. Today there are a total of seven lifts : two T-bars, three double-chair lifts, one triple-chair lift and one high-speed quad-chair lift; few are likely to be crowded in winter. The terrain is a balanced mixture of Novice (35 percent), Intermediate (35 percent) and Expert (30 percent). The drop from the resorts's top elevation at 2601m to the base level is 701m: the longest run is 5.6km and there are a total of 52 named trails. Lift passes cost around $35. The season runs from early December to late April. You can rent equipment at the resort or from several outlets in Jasper itself. To get here, jump aboard one of the three daily buses ($5 one-way, $9 return) from downtown hotels, whose rates, incidentally, tumble dramatically during the winter. For more information on the resort, contact Marmot Basin Ski-Lifts, PO Box 1300, Jasper, AB T0E 1E0 (tel 852-3816, fax 852-3533). Where Jasper rates as highly, if not more so, than Banff National Park is in the range and quality of its cross-country skiing , for its summer backcountry trails lend themselves superbly to winter grooming. Pick up the Cross-Country Skiing in Jasper National Park leaflet from the park information centre: the key areas are around the Whistlers campsite, Maligne Lake, around Athabasca Falls and along Pyramid Lake Road. For all manner of winter activities such as ice fishing, dog sledding, snowmobiling, heli-skiing, skiing in Banff or Lake Louise and so forth, book through Rocky Mountain Unlimited, 414 Connaught Drive (tel 852-4056, www.sundogtours.com ). Ski and cross-country ski equipment can be bought or rented from Totem Ski Rentals, 408 Connaught Drive (tel 852-3078), and the Sports Shop, 406 Patricia St (tel 852-3654). Ice skating takes place on parts of Pyramid Lake and Lac Beauvert, and there are the usual sleigh rides around Jasper and its environs.
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