Avant Ski

We're headed to the Canadian Rockies later this week for a long overdue ski vacation.  Our favorite spot is the tiny village of Lake Louise and nearby Banff, where we'll stay and ski and hang out (read needlepoint, visiting the spa, and curling up with a good book).  To get in the mood, I am trying to start thinking "winter" and "ski" and "cabin" and "cold" - all in a good way. 

Lake Louise is a real ski locale - they hold World Cup Races here each December and the slopes are long and some are very difficult.  This isn't a place you go to look good or to be seen. You won't see much Hermes on the slopes here, likely Arcteryx.  Lake Louise is part of a national park system so there are no condos, no development, just lots of trees, fabulous landscapes and animals in the wild. We've seen bobcats and elks in winter there.

 (1931)

We'll be skiing the 4200 acres that make up Lake Louise.  It is nirvana, even in bitter cold weather.  That is the Chateau Lake Louise at the bottom of the picture.

 

The Lodge is lovely.

The cocktail bar in the lobby at Lake Louise is my favorite.  There's no place like it anywhere and yes, this view and this window does exist. We'll be sitting by it in about a week!

 

 We'll also spend some time at The Post Hotel, another gem in the Canadian Rockies.

 We'll be living in Arcteryx next week!