It’s not exactly news that Nakiska is close to Calgary.
It’s just a fact that we’re all aware of.
But sometimes, it’s worth taking a moment to consider what that closeness actually means.
After a long day of skiing, no family loves having to pack up the car and drive for hours just to get back home before everyone gets hungry or grumpy. For Calgarians, a day at Nakiska means you’re home in less than an hour.
It can also mean that on a day last week when the temperature was just right and we were getting one of those perfect, no-clouds-in-the-sky Alberta days, you could decide during breakfast that you might enjoy a day on the slopes.
There are few places in the world where you could make that decision, head out and rip down a legitimate mountain and be back home in time for dinner.
“This time of year, a lot of people don’t have a lot of time on their hands,” said Matt Mosteller, senior vice president of marketing and resort experience at Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which owns Nakiska. “It’s all about time and how you spend it and spending it wisely for a day on the slopes where you can ski or ride to your heart’s content. It’s a great escape and it’s quick.”
Because it’s located in Kananaskis Country, Nakiska has long been a favourite of Calgarians who want to get in and out of the mountains quickly. Is there bigger terrain a couple more hours into the mountains? Yes, but there are days when shaving an hour off your drive each way is essential if you’re going to get on the slopes at all.
Search the world over, and you won’t find many cities where a resort of Nakiska’s size and scope is less than an hour away. That’s not something any skier or snowboarder should ever take for granted.
This year, the ski season has gotten off to a snowier-than-usual start, too.
The last seven days alone saw 33 cm of snowfall on the resort and that’s brought the season total to 150 cm. When you combine all that natural powder with Nakiska’s state-of-the-art snowmaking equipment, there’s already great coverage on most of the mountain and there were 46 runs open on Wednesday afternoon, with more set to open in the coming days.
That includes two magic carpet areas, a large, fully-dedicated family area and one of the biggest tubing parks in the entire country,
“We’re seeing a lot of families coming out and making a whole day of it and doing different things,” Mosteller said. “There’s something for all on the challenge-side.”
Nakiska also has a busy holiday season coming up with a schedule that includes visits from Santa Claus from Dec. 23 to 25 and a whole host of activities on Christmas Day that are specifically being programmed for families to be able to do together.
Technically, it’s conceivable that a Calgary family could wake up on Christmas morning, unwrap presents and then drive to Nakiska for a couple hours of skiing and still make it home in time for a big Christmas dinner feast – I’m unclear on how the cooking would work here, to be fair.
If that doesn’t get you in a festive mood, maybe nothing will.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
