Alberta's Second Largest Ski Resort Opens Two More Lifts
Castle Mountain Resort in Canada, Alberta's second largest ski area, just opened two lifts this week.
In a post from resort officials four days ago, Castle Mountain wrote, "Some would call it a Christmas miracle, but we were able to get up Blue (Sundance) and Red (Tamarack) today!!"
Take a look at Sundance and Tamarack lifts below.
These lifts service blues and blacks, making them perfect for skiers who are looking for that extra challenge before going all in on expert terrain.
However, right now the trails may be a little harder than their official rating due to the bare snow coverage Castle Mountain is experiencing.
As of December 27th, the snow report stated that the "recent snowfall, just prior to Christmas, has set us up with some reasonably good conditions for the holidays, despite below average snowfall so far this season."
"Today our operational plans to to open Huckleberry Chair, Green Chair, the Buckaroo carpet, and Sundance (Blue) Chair at 9 AM, with Tamarack (Red) Chair scheduled to spin at 9:30 AM."
Importantly, the report notes that "on the main mountain (Gravenstafel) we're suggesting that this terrain is for advanced / expert level skiers only, at this time. North Road is open but thin in places and, with minimal grooming in the alpine, there really isn't any intermediate terrain to speak of open right now, up high."
Please remember that early-season conditions exist, which involves the presence of natural and manmade hazards that may not usually be present, during mid-winter snow coverage. Slow down, take it easy, and help to ensure you have a full season of fun on the slopes!
If you're really itching for those top-notch conditions, cat skiing is an option.
Castle Mountain Resort reminds guests that "our cat skiing terrain is open for touring today. Good skiing exists in parts of this terrain, notably the upper reaches, with some more challenging conditions at lower elevation bands, closer to the Skidaddle Traverse. "
"While coverage was on the shallow side, there was still enough hooping and hollering to be had."
Hey, we're not blaming anyone for throwing those rock skis on and getting after it!
Personally, some of my favorite days this year have been with rocks and dirt showing: extra obstacles, if you think of it that way!
Or you can just call it JAWS out there, because the ground was sharky.
Officials at Castle acknowledged this danger, writing, "PS. Watch your speed, it's still shark-infested waters (shallow snowpack with lots of early-season hazards)."
Ski fast, miss grass!
Related: Snowboarder Captures Depressing Snow Conditions From Whistler's New Chairlift
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