Should you downhill ski Sunshine or Lake Louise? They are both fantastic options for couples. They both offer a variety of beginner green runs to the more advanced double black runs. Costco members can purchase two adult full-day lift tickets for $239.99 + GST at Sunshine and Lake Louise.
Sunshine has many runs that turn into bowls on Mount Standish and straight runs on Goat’s Eye Mountain offering spectacular views. The views can come at a cost though with incredibly high winds making it cold to ski and sit on the chairlift. Looking at the weather forecast before heading to Sunshine is a wise idea, to have a fantastic ski day. Lake Louise runs are typically protected by trees making it less windy. The runs exposed to the sun can get icy at Lake Louise. The ski conditions will vary depending on the snow forecast.
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Sunshine Village
Sunshine Village is located twenty minutes west of Banff and forty minutes east of Lake Louise on Sunshine Road. It’s a popular downhill skiing hill that attracts many visitors every year. When we went on reading week in February, the hill was at its busiest I had ever seen. Unless skiers arrive early to park in the parking lots, they should be prepared to park on the road and take a shuttle bus to the gondola. They have sections marked with signs along the road to indicate to the shuttle drivers where to drop you off at the end of the day. With a busy parking lot and road, it also means it’s a packed hill for skiing.
Tip: Go when it isn’t Christmas or reading week, the hill will be less packed and more enjoyable.
Gondola to Sunshine Village
To reach the village, take the gondola from the parking lot to connect to Goat’s Eye Mountain at mid-mountain or travel higher up to Standish Hill. Strawberry Express Chair takes skiers to access the left side of Standish Hill and another chair allows skiers to access the summit of the right side of the mountain. The gondola provides transportation between Standish Hill and Goat’s Eye Mountain if you want to try different runs.
When you are tired of downhill skiing ski at Sunshine, take the gondola back down or take the ski-out run to the parking lot and head to Lake Louise for a bite to eat. The ski-out is narrow, especially with multiple skiers. It could feel nerve-wracking to maneuver back and forth down the hill without enough personal space.
A Variety of Runs with Different Levels of Difficulty
Run Difficulty
You’ll see the wonderful landscape in the picture above once you disembark the Standish Chair lift to the right. The sign in the middle of the run shows different directions a person can take depending on their ski level. The green runs for beginners or those not confident in their skills yet are marked by a green circle. These runs tend to give you lots of space to turn and aren’t very steep to help build confidence. The blue runs marked by blue squares indicate that they could be more narrow and a bit steeper. The black runs indicated by a black diamond suggest that the runs could be narrow, steep and challenging with rocks or trees in the way that might require fancy maneuvering.
Disembarking the Chair Lift
The first part of the hill can be busy before skiers choose their direction. Before deciding which way to go, enjoy the beautiful landscape in winter. It’s not every day you see gorgeous scenery. It’s often snowy. After all, a ski hill requires a lot of natural snow!
Busy Runs at Sunshine
With so many people on the ski hill, the runs can be busy depending on when you go. The black runs tend to be less busy with most skiers feeling less confident to attempt those runs. Early in the morning when people haven’t arrived yet or during lunch are fantastic times to ski when skiers are breaking for lunch.
Tip: Take energy bars with you for a quick snack to keep yourself fueled during the typical lunch hour. If lunch can be delayed by an hour or so, more time will be enjoyed skiing without having an entourage of skiers. The less populated restaurants will be more enjoyable for eating later as well.
Bowls on Standish Hill
Once a decision has been made about where you want to go, note that the runs join together in a bowl making it crowded with skiers approaching the chair lift.
Tip: Be patient, take your time and let them go if you don’t like skiers beside you. Go earlier or around lunch on these runs to have your own space or choose a different direction to ski if you don’t like crowds. Be mindful of the days that could be busy and plan accordingly.
When it’s windy, this hill is protected from the wind allowing for wonderful skiing conditions with lots of snow. If you don’t mind the busy hill with lots of skiers, you’ll enjoy Standish Hill.
Spectacular Views at Sunshine
The landscape with a mix of sun and cloud offered gorgeous views! Take pictures and enjoy the moment.
Layers at Sunshine
When the wind is brisk, which can often happen at Sunshine, be prepared to dress warmly with numerous layers to avoid being frozen on the chair lift and while skiing.
Goat’s Eye Express Quad
I don’t like chair lifts especially Goat’s Eye Express Quad with high wind guts on the chair and mountain. The chair can feel uneasy and extremely cold. The wind can make for an unpleasant ride up if it’s windy. At the top of Goat’s Eye Mountain, it felt nerve-wracking with the wind trying to blow me in a certain direction with so much open space skiing and no tree cover.
Tip: Be mindful of which chairs to take when it’s windy. Sitting on the back edge of the chair can make you feel more comfortable knowing that you can grab onto the safety bar for added comfort. If it is windy, to help feel confident, ski where there’s lots of tree coverage to block the wind. It will feel safer to ski without being pushed around.
If you don’t mind chairs, and you’re used to braving the wind, you’ll be all set. You’ll have a fantastic day of skiing.
Different Mountains at Sunshine
Mount Standish offers a variety of runs for different levels of skiers. Strawberry Express has blue and green runs that can be taken straight to the bottom of the hill. To the right, blue and black runs can be skied but can get congested with all of them dropping into a bowl with skiers.
Downhill ski at Sunshine or Lake Louise? Goat’s Eye Mountain is for more skilled and confident skiers who are capable of blue and black runs. This is a wonderful hill as long as it isn’t too windy. If it is windy, the conditions could feel unpleasant above the tree cover but once you power through that area, the conditions with lots of snow can be spectacular. Multiple blue and black runs can be found at mid-mountain with plenty of opportunity to try different ones throughout your day.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise also gets a lot of snow but depending on the amount of sun exposure, the runs can ice up quickly, especially on the front-facing hill, where most beginners spend their day. It’s recommended to spend most of the day on the back hills such as Larch for intermediate to advanced skiers and only return to the front of the hill for the last run of the day or when you need easier runs before quitting time.
Trees Break Wind
The trees break wind on most runs as they are in the tree line at Lake Louise. Larch Hill makes for the Best Downhill Ski Day at Lake Louise. It has a variety of blue runs that a skier can take over and over or switch up throughout the day. The runs offer beautiful views while being protected from the wind. The left side of the hill doesn’t tend to be as busy, as it caters to more advanced skiers whereas the green runs further to the right or on the front side of the hill where more skiers tend to spend their time.
Skiers can have lunch at the bottom of the hill at Temple Lodge. They offer a variety of food choices. If you choose to eat after the lunch rush around one or two in the afternoon, it will be easier to find yourself a spot to sit with your partner.
Straight Down Runs at Lake Louise
Lake Louise has many straight runs instead of multiple runs narrowing themselves into a crowded bowl like Sunshine. The runs allow enough space for skiers to pass each other while allowing skiers space to move comfortably while turning. The blue runs at Lake Louise allow you to go fairly fast while still feeling under control.
Tip: When finding an icy patch, the trick is not to stop but proceed cautiously. If you stop, you might lose your confidence and freeze on the hill, unable to move. If it’s required to stop on the hill, do so on a relatively flat part of the hill.
My Chaos Multi Tubular Headwear kept my neck and cheeks warm throughout the day. It’s easy to move up and down your face depending on how cold it feels. It cost $14.95 at MEC. It’s super useful to wear while hiking, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing.
Mountain Possibilities at Lake Louise
The west and back bowls offer many runs for advanced skiers interested in doing double blacks. Larch offers a variety of runs ranging from green to black. It has gorgeous blue runs that are protected from the wind and go straight down to the bottom of the chair lift. It has spectacular scenery to take pictures and enjoy the day skiing. The front side has many green, blue and black runs that can be found depending on where you would like to ski. The hill has opportunities to make it the best day possible.
Chair Options
Downhill ski at Sunshine or Lake Louise? Compared to Sunshine Village, there are multiple ski runs to pick to get to the bottom of Lake Louise. The front side has a gondola to take you to the top and a chair to take you to the midsection of the mountain. The front side of the hill has wide runs to help skiers work up their confidence to turn without feeling crowded. There’s lots of space to move around and allow skiers of different skill levels to move as they please.
Final Thoughts
Now comes the decision, is it best to downhill ski at Sunshine or Lake Louise? Is one better than the other one? They offer different options. I prefer downhill skiing at Lake Louise. I like the open space to turn as I please without feeling crowded, compared to skiing in a bowl at Sunshine. It often feels less windy at Lake Louise as there is more tree cover. On the other hand, Sunshine has more runs for advanced skiers with snow-covered runs. It’s up to you to decide where you prefer to ski. Have a fantastic day when you pick where to go!
Additional Links
- Guide to Downhill Skiing in Avoriaz, France
- Guide to Downhill Ski in Marmot Jasper
- What are the Benefits of Skiing?
- 9 Extraordinary Winter Wonderland Banff National Park Activities
- Hiking to Cross-Country Skiing Near Edmonton
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