Banff Sunshine
| Sunshine Village | |
|---|---|
| File:Sunshine Village-logo.png | |
| Sunshine Village ski resort Sunshine Village ski resort | |
| Location | Alberta, Canada |
| Nearest major city | Banff, Alberta |
| Top elevation | 2,730 m (8,954 ft)[1] |
| Base elevation | 1,660 m (5,440 ft) |
| Skiable area | 13.6 km² (3358 acres) |
| Trails | 107 (20% beginner, 55% intermediate, 25% expert) |
| Lift system | 1 gondola 9 chairlifts |
| Snowfall | up to 9 m (33 ft) |
| Website | SkiBanff |
Sunshine Village is a ski resort in Banff National Park, Alberta. Located in the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Sunshine Village spans the continental divide and the Alberta-British Columbia border. Parts of the ski area are in British Columbia, however access is solely from the base area in Alberta. It is twenty minutes away from the town of Banff, and one hour and thirty minutes away from the city of Calgary, Alberta. The base of the Sunshine Village ski runs and lifts can only be accessed via its eight person high speed gondola, which takes guests from the car park (or bus terminal) to the upper village in thirteen minutes.
History
The first log cabin was built at Sunshine Village in 1928 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as a stopover for trekkers.[2] In 1934, the cabin was leased by the Brewster family, who hired ski guides and expanded the facility to what remains to the present day as Mad Trapper's Western Saloon. The first rope tow was built in 1941 on the slopes of Strawberry Mountain.
In 1960 the nearby Trans-Canada Highway was completed, providing better access to the resort. The resort was sold to the White family, who expanded the facilities with the Day Lodge and Sunshine Inn, and installed high speed T-bars. The Brewster Transport Company started regular shuttle service from Banff to Sunshine Village. At this time, the high speed gondola-lift improved access over the last 5 km (from the Bourgeau parking lot to the village).
The resort changed hands again in 1981, when it was sold to the Scurfield family. The first chairlift, called Wheeler, was erected in 1984, and the lift capacity was improved with the Angel high-speed chairlift in 1988. In 1995, the Goat's Eye Mountain trails were opened, followed in 1998 by the Delirium Dive terrain park. The gondola was replaced in 2001 with a new high speed 8 person version. Prior to the construction of the high speed gondola the base area was accessed by buses from the resort's parking lot further down the mountain. The access road used by the buses was dangerous due to its narrow width and snow conditions. The road is no longer open during the winter months and has become the resort's ski-out, allowing skiers to ski down to their parked cars.
High speed quad ski lifts replaced most lift systems in the 2000's, and amenities were expanded with restaurants and lodging.
Amenities
Sunshine Village has 3,358 acres (13.6 km²) of skiable terrain, with its top elevation at 8,954 feet (2730m), its base elevation at 5,440 feet (1660m), and its total vertical 3,514 feet (1070m). There are 107 named runs spreading out over three mountains (Goat Eye's Mountain, Lookout Mountain and Mount Standish) and the two provinces, (Alberta and British Columbia) with one gondola, nine chairs (5 high-speed quad chairs, 2 fixed grip quad chairs, 1 triple chair, 1 double chair) and two magic carpets to lift the skiers.
The average annual snow fall is up to thirty-three feet (approx nine meters). The ski season begins mid-November, and ends in late May making it one of the longest ski seasons in North America. Sunshine Village has hosted many world class alpine ski events.
Currently, guests can drive and park at the parking lot at the base of the gondola or take the bus in from Banff for a cost of about $15. This bus service is free for guests who purchase a three day "Tri-area lift ticket". This ticket allows you to ski at the three nearby resorts (Banff@Norquay, Lake Louise Mountain Resort and of course, Sunshine Village)[3], thus intergrating 250 runs and 7,700 acres of skiable area.[4]
The Sunshine Inn, located in the centre of Sunshine Village ski area at 7,200 feet, is Banff's only ski in ski out hotel and is accessed by the resort's high speed 8 person gondola, which takes 12 minutes to travel one-way. Road access to the Sunshine Inn is not possible during winter months.
Terrains
Visitors to the resort will often access adjacent backcountry terrain such as 'Delirium Dive', 'Wawa Ridge', 'Wild West', 'Silver City', or Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park in British Columbia. Avalanche rescue equipment is recommended for most backcountry areas and is in fact a requirement for access to Delirium Dive. Access to Delirium Dive is controlled by an Avalanche Control Gate which remains locked at all times unless it detects a working avalanche transceiver on each person that passes through it.
Lift system
- New Gondola (high speed, 8 person)
- Goat's Eye Express Quad
- Wolverine Express Quad
- Jackrabbit Quad Chair
- Teepee Town Double Chair
- Angel Express Quad
- Continental Divide Express Quad
- Strawberry Triple Chair
- Ski School Tow
- Standish Express Quad
- Wawa Quad Chair
References
- ^ SkiBanff - Mountain statistics
- ^ SkiBanff - History
- ^ Ski Banff - Lake Louise - Sunshine - Tri-Area Joint Venture
- ^ Ski Canada Report - Banff/Lake Louise/Sunshine Village