Euphoric in Sunshine

This article brought to you by The North Face Banff, on the main drag in Banff, Alberta.

DOC POW

Thanks to early season line-ups, or lack of, Doc Pow and the SnowSeeker team encountered wide-open terrain like this off of Sunshine's Tee Pee Town last weekend. DOC POW/SnowSeekers

BANFF, AB — When it’s this early in the season and you can score runs like we did last weekend up at Sunshine, it’s all setting the stage for an epic season ahead.  Some friends and I took off to Banff and caught the next rocket to a powder-filled playground. Man, it’s great to be back on the board and suckin’ in snow!

It’s a feeling that is hard to re-create unless you are strapped into your favourite sticks or snowboard; that feeling you get when you make a turn, go to take a breath and instead of air, it’s light fluffy POW. It’s an unearthly sensation that even as I type these words, takes me back into a powder-filled euphoria.

Prescription for the soul

If I was locked in a city I’d need only one day a month (of course, I’ll take all of them I can get) just to get out on the slopes – it’ll keep a groove that will march you right through winter.

Yes Sunshine, much like many other destinations across Western Canada, has opened with stellar conditions. Welcome to winter in Canada.

“I was here on Nov. 11 for opening and it was busy, but it was epic. We were riding powder lines all day,” said Dan Ducholke of Calgary, Alberta.  “With this much snow this season, we are in for a stellar season.”

Give thanks to the farmers

The nice thing about Sunshine is it has the technologies in place to keeps that snow from going anywhere. It’s an art called snow farming. When locals first heard that Sunshine Village was going to develop skiing on Goat’s Eye Mountain, most had comments like “It will never work, it’s way to windy, the snow will never stick.” Welcome the modern day farmer, a snow farmer.

“We ensure snow stays where it should, on the runs," said Adam Towers, chief of Sunshine 18-strong trail crew. “Each season we lay over 120 kilometres of fencing on Goat’s Eye Mountain, which traps the snow from blowing across the face."

At the moment, Goat’s Eye may be closed but with the snow that is falling, it is going to be a very happy day when that pops. Trust me, your early-season trek to Sunshine will not be time wasted. If you haven’t already made travel plans, get on it. There are plenty of runs open and definitely—plenty of snow.

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