The Real Banff Blog

You turn to face your friends, where once you could see enthusiasm and energy, there is now only enthusiasm and fatigue. It’s that time again. You got up early, ate a huge breakfast and stood in the cold waiting for the first bus. You strapped your board to your feet while waiting, at the front of the line, for the lifts to open. Lunch was a hurried affair of sandwiches that have been flattened from a morning in the backpack, hot chocolate and a selection of granola bars. Everybody knew this was going to the last run but nobody called it. You never call last run. You don’t say it out loud. To speak of the last run is to summon misfortune. Time is pressing. All that is left is the ski out. With a final nod to your friends, and with the remaining strength you have left in your legs, you head for the bottom of the mountain and dream of a shower, a rest and the last granola bar.
You get off the bus, say bye to your friends and head home. You can’t wait to get clean, changed and fed. It has been a long and productive day on the hill. You have a few hours at home and then you are all meeting up again in town for a drink and to greatly exaggerate all of the day’s stories. You turn the corner to you house and stop.
You stop and just stand there. You don’t know what to do. A life in the city in England has not prepared you for this. There is a deer stood outside your front door. A big deer. With antlers.
As this fits no previous frame of reference, you end up just standing there. Standing in the street, snowboard under arm, looking at the deer. The deer stops eating and looks back at you. There is a face off. This deer is much more used to seeing people, than you are to seeing deer. Especially a deer, with antlers, that is stood in front of your door.
You turn to your housemate. It is clear from his expression that he also has no idea what to do. Where are all the Canadians? This isn’t weird to them. How can I get it to move. I want to get inside my house!
People may come to Banff to do all sorts of different things, but they all come for one reason, to get some stories. Stories about experiences you can’t get back home. So while sometimes it might a day on the hill that gives you plenty to tell your workmates on your return. At other times these things just creep up on you. And sometimes, just sometimes, they land right at your door.

Wardy

Banff Local

WOW!, January has been a month to chat about! Full of events, little surprises, and great weather!

It has been a while since I have posted as I have been out playing as much as I can in our amazing protected playground.

Our first big event that took off was the arrival of tons of celebrities from all over to participate in the Celebrity Sports Invitational at Sunshine Village and the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Folks like Alec Baldwin and Robert Kennedy were here to raise money for the Water Keeper's Alliance. They went snow-shoeing , skied shopping and partied!

Following that the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay came to Banff. The community embraced the historical event with a huge party and awesome entertainment. The Canadian Tenors and Bomba entertained locals and visitors as Karen Percy-Lowe ran the torch onto the stage and lit Banff's Cauldron. The following morning the flame made it way to Sunshine Village and then departed Banff to Lake Louise where again another huge celebration took place.

Of course a huge highlight every January is the Ice Magic Festival. A truly amazing weekend that involves the worlds best ice carvers as they go head to head carving some of the most incredible ice carvings. Along side that, there is tons of other events for the whole family! Even a whole castle to skate through right on the lake!

We had a little visitor surprise us as well! The Travelocity Roaming Gnome was chosen by Facebook to come to Banff over Whistler. I had the awesome pleasure of taking him every in the park for 3 days. We skied, we ate, we shopped, we dogsledded, play hockey,we went to the spa, the hot springs, the night clubs and more!

So what is coming up? Well join me on Facebook to stay in touch with me every day or follow me on Twitter!

Stay Tuned as always!

rB

Real Banff is looking for a vibrant adventurous couple to help showcase Banff and Lake Louise. The winning couple will be treated to 5 exciting days of skiing, dog sledding, Icewalks, spas, hotels, restaurants and everything else we have to offer in Banff National Park. You will be followed by a camera crew everyday and share your experiences on YouTube.

To win please submit a two minute video on Real Banff’s Facebook Page or provide a YouTube link and show why you should be the couple to win! Facebook users and Tweeters get extra points!

Winner will be announced on Feb 14th.

Transportation to Banff and some meals not included.

Well the countdown is almost up and ole Santa will be coming down the chimney soon! Christmas time is always fun. For us big kids in the mountains there is an endless string of parties and celebrations. There are tons of charities to help out with and give to. It just really is a magic time of year where peoples hearts seem bigger, their wallets more willing to give and there are more helping hands than ever! That is the "Real" part of Christmas. Seeing smiling faces and grateful grins.

On the other side the Christmas that is just playing old fun! Skating, tobogganing, skiing and snowshoeing. Seeing friends and family with wonderful food and of course treats! Banff National Park is Christmas for sure in so many ways. You really should come and see what I mean.

So with that I will say Merry Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday.

rB

There is no mistaking that this time of year has magic to it.

Maybe it is all the parties and events or perhaps the excitement of friends and family getting together. Without a doubt...Santa is a huge part of the magic. Seeing the look on a little kids face when they see the big guy is pretty priceless. This past weekend Santa came to his favourite town to see what the little ones wanted for Christmas and of course he will be back on the 24th!

Christmas in Banff National Park is truly a winter wonderland experience. Banff Avenue is a lit up with lights, the store fronts are all decorated and the hotel lobby’s have their Christmas trees up. Even in the restaurants and bars the season is evident in the spirit of the staff and guests.

So if you have not been to the mountains for Christmas I would defiantly recommend it. Skiing, dog sledding, skating, roaring fires with hot chocolate and a guaranteed white Christmas!

Here in Banff and Lake Lake Louise we are so very lucky. Not only are we fortunate to have the world class ski areas that we have but even more so that every WinterStart the world comes to compete here. The Lake Louise Ski Area is host to both the Men's and Women's World Cup.

If you have never been out to see a World Cup race it is truly an unique experience. The crowd is packed with people of all ages and waving flags from around the world. The sound of the traditional cowbells grows louder as the skiers race at speeds of over 120 km/hr toward the finish line. Along side the finish line there is lots of free hot chocolate, marshmallow roasting, giveaways and Mounties. The great thing too is you do not have to be a skier or snowboarder, you can walk right to it and it is all free!

All that with a great live band and beers..can't beat that...oh yes you can..you can ski and snowboard all day too!

So we have all waited patiently over the summer occupying our time with hiking and biking and sitting on patios. All the while our minds have been looking to the west in hopes that maybe those clouds will hold what we are craving. Snow. Well it is here!

As of last Saturday with Mt. Norquay opening, this Friday with Lake Louise opening and Sunshine Village opening next week on the 11th the season is here. We have some great early season conditions and are looking at a great winter season ahead. With the World Cup at the end of November the world will be watching and they will see winter has arrived and we have welcomed it with open arms. Don't worry if you cannot get here this week or even next. We are not going anywhere. The snow and our season will be here well into the month of May!

As for me...of course I am heading up tomorrow, maybe Saturday and Sunday too!

In Canada, country is part of our heritage. Out here in the west it is still part of our daily lives. Now when I say country I mean the music, the dancing, the hats, boots and buckles and of course horses. They say the west was opened up by the completion of the railway, well if that was the case then cowboys opened the door. With horseback riding still one the most popular activities in the park it is no wonder we have held on to the culture that surrounds it.

So, no surprise that Country Music Television's Karaoke Star 3 held it's finale here last week at Wild Bill's Legendary Saloon. It was a great evening with talent coming from all over Canada to compete for the $10,000 grand prize. With the saloon packed with locals, visitors and the finalists families the tension was high as all the contestants watched on as each of their peers gave it all they had. Aaron Pritchett kept the evening moving along and even threw out a couple of tunes.

So of all the places in Canada where they could have had the finals for this huge CMT show Banff was it and it is very clear why. Just come out and see for yourself..the cowboy culture is still alive and well in Banff! Yeehaw!

Well they both work and that is the beauty of Banff. Despite the fact that we are well known for our outdoor pursuits such as hiking, biking, rafting and skiing. Banff is also a little cosmopolitan hub. There have been many times when I have sitting at a table in a bar and the crowd I am with is dressed in everything from hiking boots and fleece to high end, cover of GQ attire. The best part of it all is that it totally works. No matter where you head out in Banff it fits.

Some of our visitors actually only come to Banff for the metropolitan side of things. They will roll into town in their shiny new BMW, shop at the high end boutiques and then have a four star dinner while staying in one of our amazing hotels. Not quite the side of Banff most people know about.
Others come for only the true outdoor experience. Rolling up in their Subaru, getting a map and then off on the trails for the day. The really fun part is that these people can be side by side and think nothing of it.
So if you are thinking of what to wear when you come to Banff. Stop thinking and just bring what you want..your favourite heels, your favourite suit, but bring your hiking boots just in case.
rB

As we approach the one year anniversary of "Real Banff" we wanted to check in with you and see how we are doing.
In the past year we have covered events like our Dragon Boat races, Bike Fest and Winter Start to local events like bands, concerts and festivals.
We have shared adventures with you, both summer and winter. Taken you to our Winter resorts and even our summer ones. We have have shared local secrets with you and introduced you to many of our locals and visitors as well.
Well, now we want you to get "real" with us.
We want to here from you. What videos have you enjoyed the most? What do you like about our blog? Is there something else you want me write about? What would you like to see in the coming year? Do you follow us on twitter? We want your ideas and your thoughts.
Please join me on Facebook and tell me what you want to get "Real" about in the Banff National Park.
You can also email me at Dave@banfflakelouise.com.
I am open to any suggestions, thoughts, ideas, comments and of course your general feedback. Please take a moment and write me...I will appreciate your input as I map out the coming winter season.