Canadian Ski Resort Opens First Chairlift Of The Season
Bring on the good news, we certainly need it during these slow opening times.
Luckily, Banff Sunshine Village in Canada is here to provide, with the announcement that Strawberry is now officially open for the 23/24 season. Strawberry Express is a 4-person, high-speed, detachable chairlift, servicing beginner and intermediate terrain where skiers can build up their confidence.
This update from Banff comes closely following their initial "lite" opening, without a chairlift, on November 11th. Ian Greenwood of POWDER reported that "instead of chairlifts, Sunshine opened with access to the Mighty Might Carpet, a large hike park, a toboggan hill, and the Mad Trapper's restaurant."
Related: Canadian Ski Resort To Open "Lightly" Without A Chairlift
This soft opening was caused by a lack of expected snow at this time in the season. That changed unexpectedly, as ever since opening, Banff Sunshine Village has received 28 centimeters of snow and can now operate normally.
Sunshine Village is especially known for their glades, so if you're working on your tighter turns and ability to pick a line with obstacles, you'll be stoked to know with just a bit more snowfall, the glades will likely open soon.
Banff's annual average snowfall total is 183". Currently, snowpack levels are only 37% of normal, but it's early in the season, so I'd say things are looking good for Banff.
Related: Sunshine Village Opens Delirium Dave, Gnarly Inbounds Run
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