Skiing by the numbers

Louise Plus Card adds up to acres of snow and steeps

The Louise Plus Card includes discounts on Cat Skiing and Heli-Skiing at participating resorts, such as Castle Mountain Cat Skiing, pictured above. Photo by Doc Pow

LISA MONFORTON

LAKE LOUISE, AB - When you’re grinning from ear to ear while cruising the powdery blues or harshing the steeps on the ski slopes, mathematics may not be on your mind.

But facts and figures on skiable terrain and vertical feet will be a big part of skiers’ playtime when they purchase the  Louise Plus Card, which went on sale Oct. 16 and continues until Dec. 31.

This year, the $99 card includes four popular western resorts: Lake Louise, Castle Mountain, Revelstoke Mountain Resort and new this year, Panorama Mountain Village.

You can try to do the math, but we’ll sum it up simply for you: This quartet of resorts combined offers 13,668 skiable acres and 15,703 vertical feet.

“We have more skiable acreage and vertical than any other ski card in the Canadian Rockies,” says Mike Moynihan, senior sales and marketing manager at Lake Louise.

The Louise Plus Card includes $20 off all your lift tickets at Lake Louise, Castle Mountain, Panorama Mountain and Revelstoke Mountain. Photo by Will Colford

Here’s some of what’s included in the Louise Plus Card:

• A $20 discount on the daily rate at the four resorts

• Free ski days on the first, fourth and seventh visits
• 25 per cent off the daily rate at several Alberta ski hills, which includes four in Edmonton, one in Red Deer and Calgary’s COP
• Discounts at a range of lodging and hotels, retailers, restaurants and bars
• Savings on cat and heli-skiing at several resorts
• No blackout dates, including peak times such Christmas, spring break or Family Day.

“It’s simple for people to understand and easy to use. The main thing is that (the card) is for skiers who want flexibility,” says Moynihan.

Choice and variety is what it’s all about, especially when you’re trying to suss out the best snow.

After two years in a row of epic “white gold,” skiers and riders will once again be looking for favourable conditions, says David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada.

“Nobody had snow like you guys last year. I'm sure you would love a repeat of that.”

Yes, please.

If the blanket of snow covering the mountains in early October is any indication, it could a three-peat of snow heaven. A more accurate winter forecast will arrive at the beginning of December, says Phillips.

Skiers and riders are pumped. Amanda Guenther Hignell summed it up on the Lake Louise Facebook page when stating what she was looking forward to most: “Enjoying the quiet awesomeness of Lake Louise' natural beauty in waist deep pow!!”

What else is new at Lake Louise this year?

• Direct Lift Card: A free upgrade only valid at Lake Louise. Guests can load cash onto it and link it to their credit card to use at the resort’s various restaurants and retailers. Beside the fact that you don’t need to carry a wallet, “It’s great for families who have teenagers,” says Moynihan. “It’s an easy way to do transactions and users get an email about every transaction.”
• The Sunny T-bar is being replaced by two surface carpets for new skiers, which will also makes it easier on parents with little ones.
• A new Hollywood-style Bagjump will be added in the terrain park to provide soft landings for tricksters.
• A tubing park will open Feb. 1, 2013.
• Two new grooming cats have been added to the fleet, as well as enhanced snow making machines.