Rider rediscovers his own backyard

Terrific conditions and new chair makes visit to Marmot Basin memorable

WILL COLFORD

Some young riders enjoy the rails at Marmot Basin's Rogers Terrain Park, now located on the lower portion of the resort. WILL COLFORD/SnowSeekers

JASPER, AB — As a SnowSeeker from Edmonton, my attention has been squarely fixed on the slopes of central and southern British Columbia; however, over the last decade, a light has been growing in the corner of my gaze that I can no longer ignore.

While many hills are billing themselves as the next Whistler, and throwing all their development eggs into the luxury on-hill condo basket, Marmot Basin and the Town of Jasper have been subtly and substantially improving on what’s always been there: a laid back, quality ski experience.  

President of mountain operations, Dave Gibson, says the big change came seven years ago with a new board of directors. “The new board was composed of business owners from the town of Jasper itself. Marmot works very closely with the town in order to ensure a better overall product. We understand that what’s good for Jasper is good for Marmot and vise-versa. Because the new board is directly involved with the well-being of Jasper, they have a better understanding of what developments will benefit the hill.”

Focus on terrain rather than shiny trimmings

By not selling themselves as the next super resort, Marmot has been able to focus on expanding terrain and changing the mountain dynamics to improve on an existing product, rather than trying to copy something else.  

Eagle’s East used to be a locals-only hike, granting access to both expert glades and the alpine bowl. Through helicopter logging and close working relationship with Jasper National Park, Marmot won an environmental stewardship award for the development of Eagle’s East.  

However, for riders like myself, the new area translates into “pod skiing,” meaning a good mix of open faces and perfect glades. Opening day, the Eagle’s East chair and I became really familiar as I lapped the knee deep pow through its trees all day long.  

“Marmot has always been criticized for being sectional, but with the new lift we’ve retained the ability for people to ride their favourite sections, or get in 2,000 vertical feet without having to change lifts.”  

An unknown skier pulls a wicked move at Marmot Basin's Rogers Terrain Park, now located on the lower portion of the resort. WILL COLFORD/SnowSeekers

Excellent grooming keeps the smiles wide

The Rocky Mountain Express is the longest high-speed detachable lift in the Canadian Rockies  Express. Within seven minutes, riders can be thrust atop the mountain, starring down at 2,000 vertical feet below them. Even without knee-deep snow, the combination of a deep base and a fully groomed hill means soft, speedy turns all day long, which is what I enjoyed this past weekend. 

Not once did I hear the dreaded chatter or grind of an icy patch. From someone that’s taken plenty of high speed spills, pushing a run flat out without losing an edge is a rare experience. The Canadian Rockies Express allows riders to get in 10,000 vertical feet before lunch time.  

Jeff Stone – a pipe fitter from Grand Prairie – reminisced how a good day used to be eight or nine chairs. But he was confident his legs were going to hold until about chair 15 on the new lift. A bold feet considering just how much 15 rides up the new lift translates into. That is the equivalent of skiing the height of Mount Everest in a single day; not bad for a pipe fitter pushing 70.  

Terrain park gets a new home

The final change improving Marmot is the location and construction of the terrain park. By moving the terrain park to the lower mountain, the upper slopes are unclogged, thus retaining more snow through the day. Taking either bottom lifts usually warrants a good show as riders of all ages test their progression and creativity on the park’s features.  

“We asked our new park supervisor not to build a park for the seven local pros to test their mettle, but instead, to make it fun for all levels.”  

Usually that means taking out the big jumps and only focusing on small features devoid of potential litigation. However, Marmot’s park supervisor has really nailed a ‘fun’ construction. The kickers are floaty without being treacherous, the boxes and rails are at a nice degree without being boring. The use of space and lines is well done and allows for a mix of large, medium, and small features to express creativity on.  

Wess Snider, a 16 year old shedder from Grande Prairie says the park is better than it’s ever been this year. “Marmot is my home away from home and the park they built is really fun.”  

After seeing Snider stomp an insanely corked (off axis) 720 on the small table, it was obvious ‘fun for all levels’ was a well executed mandate. 

Festival offers the best opportunity

When riding other mountains, I am always concerned about the greener grass, or I guess, the deeper snow. I feel like I’m missing some secret local stash of snow and terrain, or feel guilty for not hiking a ridge-line to discover what might be on the other side.  At Jasper, like the town vibe, I’m concerned only with riding what’s in front of me, and who’s riding beside me; in other words, it’s friendly and laid back turns.  

The ticket prices are low and the lift waits are non-existent. Sectional laps, park runs, or full mountain blasts, Marmot has the snow, the terrain, and the attitude to return my undivided attention into my own back yard. 

With the Jasper in January Festival kicking off this weekend and running through until Jan. 31, there’s some great package deals and plenty of family-fun activities scheduled for the hill. It’s the perfect time for you to go see for yourself how the community driven development is turning heads and implanting grins. You won’t be disappointed.