Southerners Visiting Edmonton: Help Needed!

[Dorian2]

Kinda jelous. Ive live din Alberta my whole life and played hockey and pond hockey since I could walk. Ive never got the chance or took the effort to play pond hockey on Lake Louise. Even though its a pretty easy day/ weekend trip to do

Glad you guys had a good time. Edmonton has stuff to offer if you look hard enough. But Banff/Jasper is really an experience that is top notch in North America

Hopefully you can make a return in May when the Oilers and Stars are playing in the WCF Spring is a nice time there

I'm going to go all Replacement on this sentence! Be extremely cautious when going into the mountains in the spring. Not only is snow and ice still melting, creating unfavourable road conditions. Not only is the ice and snow, and runoff from the melt an issue, but also be extremely cautious of the habitat surrounding you. Spring is typically when the animal mating seasons is in full effect. So the wildlife will have extra high hormone production. This is particularly important when considering beasrs in and around the area. Also, there are many newborns running around, in Bear, Deer, Elk, and Moose populations, just to name a few. The mothers of these cubs or yearlings are particularly prone to violent behavior if they feel that their young are in any sort of danger.

I'm only half joking though. Those are all things that you should at least be aware of.

Oh yeah. Glad you had a good time in Banff OP, as well as the game. I'm another that has lived in Edmonton for a long time and never played pond hockey in the mountains. Great call there.

 

[McPuritania]

^Banff? A bit odd for a Banff recommendation on an Edmonton board. That's like recommending seeing the Calgary Flames instead of the Edmonton Oilers.

Jasper is our mountain park.

Next, sorry, but countless people are recommending a "drive to the mountains" in December to people from Down south who may never have driven in winter road conditions ever before.

Am I the only one of this board that knows that Via rail operates to Jasper and that Busses do as well? Its a beautiful way to go.

Again I would take the train which is quite fast to Jasper. Quite enjoyable as well with lounge car, restaurant and luxurious coach seating on resplendent stock traincars. Train goes about as fast as one can drive to Jasper in winter conditions. Tours, skiing, everything is available in Jasper and as nice or better than Banff.
Particularly spectacular is seeing Maligne Canyon in winter. Or the frozen Athabasca falls.
A game of shinny on Lac Beauvert, lake Edith or Lake Mildred all of which have outdoor ice like I said is a memory of a lifetime. Beautiful restaurants/lounge inside in JPL or just sitting by the huge fire warming up.
What could be better than this place?

http://www.fairmont.com/jasper/

An older thread, but I have to agree wholeheartedly with Replacement. Jasper is amazing, and way better than Banff imo.

 

[Aceboogie]

I'm going to go all Replacement on this sentence! Be extremely cautious when going into the mountains in the spring. Not only is snow and ice still melting, creating unfavourable road conditions. Not only is the ice and snow, and runoff from the melt an issue, but also be extremely cautious of the habitat surrounding you. Spring is typically when the animal mating seasons is in full effect. So the wildlife will have extra high hormone production. This is particularly important when considering beasrs in and around the area. Also, there are many newborns running around, in Bear, Deer, Elk, and Moose populations, just to name a few. The mothers of these cubs or yearlings are particularly prone to violent behavior if they feel that their young are in any sort of danger.

I'm only half joking though. Those are all things that you should at least be aware of.

Oh yeah. Glad you had a good time in Banff OP, as well as the game. I'm another that has lived in Edmonton for a long time and never played pond hockey in the mountains. Great call there.

Everyone needs a little danger in their life. Live your live, pet a baby bear

 

[McPuritania]

Everyone needs a little danger in their life. Live your live, pet a baby bear

I know you're joking but I hate people that touch the wildlife. I don't care if they get mauled, but the animals get shot if that happens.

 

[Aceboogie]

I know you're joking but I hate people that touch the wildlife. I don't care if they get mauled, but the animals get shot if that happens.

Yeah they are horrible. There is always the dad who wants to put kids on top of wildlife or get extremely upclose shots

Enjoy the wildlife, take some far away shots, but go home and google search pictures if you want upclose shots

Why risk injury to get some picture thatll be forgotten in your photo library forever

 

[guymez]

An older thread, but I have to agree wholeheartedly with Replacement. Jasper is amazing, and way better than Banff imo.

Depends what your priorities are. Visually Banff is much nicer IMO simply because the mountains are newer (more dramatic looking) and less weather worn.
I also have some amazing memories of staying in the Banff Springs hotel in both winter and summer.

That said Jasper is sleepier and much less busy which appeals to a lot of people.

Different strokes.

 

[Nunymare]

Did a bike ride from Jasper to Banff via the Icefields Parkway last year and loved every second of it. So surreal. If any of you here are into cycling, that's something you definitely should do.

 

[ATL Star]

Here is a personal photograph of Lake Louise on Saturday. Still in awe.

 

[McHilman]

 

[Dorian2]

I was going to ask if you took any pics for us to see. Thanks for that one. Really captures some of the beauty of the Rockies that people take for granted around here some times.

I'd imagine you and your buddies were in awe of some of the sights.

 

[guymez]

Here is a personal photograph of Lake Louise on Saturday. Still in awe.

Great pic...was there a lot of snow on the ice?

 

[Replacement*]

I was going to ask if you took any pics for us to see. Thanks for that one. Really captures some of the beauty of the Rockies that people take for granted around here some times.

I'd imagine you and your buddies were in awe of some of the sights.

This gal was nearby showing off her winning form..

I imagine the mountains looked good too.

 

[ATL Star]

Great pic...was there a lot of snow on the ice?

They had a guy with a tractor scraping it off regularly. The Fairmont was not the cheapest option, but it was worth the money. First class experience. The skates they rented were 44ks, and they had top of the line sticks for rent as well.

I could have done that all day.

 

[guymez]

They had a guy with a tractor scraping it off regularly. The Fairmont was not the cheapest option, but it was worth the money. First class experience. The skates they rented were 44ks, and they had top of the line sticks for rent as well.

I could have done that all day.

Sounds fantastic!

You know I really get a kick out of your adventure seeing as I live within 2 hours from Lake Louise (for over 20 years now) and I have never ice skated there.
It took someone from Atlanta to make me aware of it.

I have skated on Ghost Lake just on the edge of the Rockies...you would have passed near it on your way to Banff.
In addition to ice skating they have ice boating there as well.
The ice was smooth and clear with very little surface snow on much of the lake.
Great way to spend a day during a chinook.

So now we will take a day trip out to skate at Lake Louise on your recommendation.