It’s late October and the snow has already started to fly at Jasper’s ski resort, Marmot Basin. A quick look at their webcams shows snow at all elevations, with 84cm having fallen at mid-mountain by October 23rd 2017, and you can be sure that skiers and snowboarders are chomping at the bit to get their first turns of the 2017-18 season.

Luckily the wait is almost over, as the planned opening day for skiing in Jasper Alberta is a little less than 3 weeks away.

Marmot Basin ski resort has a tentative opening day of November 10 2017 for the 2017-2018 ski season. This opening date is subject to snow conditions and it is recommended that you confirm the date directly with Marmot Basin before heading up the mountain.

With season passes already on sale, it’s certainly not too early to get excited about skiing and snowboarding again!

For anyone looking for an adrenalin filled day, you can’t beat the Jasper whitewater rafting experience, and who better to provide that experience than Jasper’s Whitewater Rafting Ltd. Choose between 3 tours – two at Class 2 white water rapids on the Athabasca River and one at Class 3 on the Sunwapta River. The tours last between 2 to 3.5 hours and include licensed guides plus all necessary equipment.
For more information and reservations, visit www.whitewaterraftingjasper.com.

Jasper National Park is home to some of the most outstanding hiking trails in Canada. The hiking trails in Jasper are usually much quieter than in Banff National Park, and in a short amount of time you can find yourself in true mountain wilderness.
Some of our preferred short hikes include Maligne Canyon, and the Patricia Lake Circle, and if you are out for a full day hike you could try Opal Hills or the Cavell Meadows Loop. For a muti day backpacking experience, the Tonquin Valley is a wonderful destination for a 3 day hike.
Get full details on hikes in Jasper at the Parks Canada website.

Jasper Alberta has plenty to offer for children of all ages, so if you are looking for a quick family friendly getaway before the kids go back to school, why not pay a visit to Jasper National Park and find out just how much fun you and your family can have in the stunning surroundings of the Canadian Rockies.

The Jasper Tramway is an excellent way to bring young children into the high alpine without having to hike up a mountain! The 7 minute guided journey in the aerial tramway involves an elevation gain of almost 1000m, allowing you to experience spectacular lake and mountain views normally reserved for mountaineers. The kids will also love spotting wildlife which can include hoary marmots, ptarmigan, ground squirrels, pikas, and big horn sheep. Washrooms and food are available at both the lower and upper stations.

Rafting on the Athabasca River is an activity the whole family can enjoy. Rocky Mountain River Guides offer 2 hour class II rafting trips which are suitable for all ages while still involving some exciting rapids, as well as 3 hour trips suitable for ages 6 and over.

According to Parks Canada, Jasper has what might be one of the world’s best bike trail systems, which includes a good range of short and easy bike routes, suitable for families with children. The Jasper Discovery Trail for instance is a smooth paved ride along Jasper’s historic rail corridor for 2.5 km one way with minimal elevation gain, and kids will love the undulating Athabasca River Trail which runs for 3 km one way from Old Fort Point to Jasper Park Lodge on the shores of Lac Beauvert. If you don’t bring your own bikes, they can be rented in town, and be sure to download the Jasper National Park Mountain Biking Guide before you head off!

All kids love to swim and splash around in water and there are two great places in Jasper where they can do just that! The Jasper Aquatic Centre has a 25m indoor pool plus a waterslide, as well as a shallow wading pool for the young kids, and if you prefer the outdoors, you can bathe in the naturally heated waters of Miette Hot Springs, suitable for all ages.

If you are looking for a family hotel package which includes your Jasper hotel plus one or more family activities, there are several options available on the new Jasper4Kids website, where you will also find more ideas and recommendations for having fun with your family in Jasper National Park.
For further information, visit www.Jasper4Kids.com.

One of the main reasons for people to visit Jasper during the winter is to take advantage of the fantastic skiing and snowboarding at Jasper’s own ski resort, Marmot Basin, just 20 minutes from downtown.
Although not quite as well known as the ski resorts in Banff National Park, Marmot Basin holds its own on the international stage, and has a loyal following of skiers and snowboarders who return year after year to take advantage of the uncrowded slopes, varied terrain, and the pristine wilderness of Jasper National Park.
Marmot Basin’s 86 trails offer an even distribution of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain, making it a perfect ski destination for a mixed ability family or group of friends who may wish to ski different runs but still easily meet for coffee, lunch or even ride the same chairlifts.

Beginner to novice skiers and boarders will enjoy the gentle wide green runs from the School House T Bar or the longer green runs from the top of the Eagle Express Quad Chair.
Intermediates may head straight for the new Canadian Rockies Express Quad Chair which in just eight minutes will give you 2000 vertical feet of mostly blue and green runs back down to the base, or find more blue terrain from the Caribou Chair, the Eagle Ridge Quad Chair, and even the Knob Chair.
Advanced skiers and snowboarders will not be disappointed with the selection of black diamond bump runs, chutes and ungroomed bowls found throughout the upper mountain, and the steep treed terrain in the Eagle East area will be challenging even for the experts.
The Terrain Park is conveniently located so that it can be accessed by skiers and riders of all ability levels, and the selection of jumps and rails is better than ever.
Anyone requiring tuition will be impressed by the range of lessons and the quality of instruction offered by the ski and snowboard school, and if you need to rent equipment there is a well equipped rental shop at the base of the ski area.
If you don’t have a car, there is a ski shuttle from all the major hotels, and for a great deal on a hotel in Jasper including ski pass, you may wish to consider a discounted ski package.
Whether you visit for one day or one week, once you’ve been to ski Jasper there’s a very good chance you’ll be back for more!

Jasper National Park is a magical place during the winter months and once you’ve made the journey to Jasper it’s well worth taking the extra step to get out and about and discover the Canadian Rockies, while taking part in fun winter activities along the way.
Sundog Tours offer a variety of winter excursions to suit all levels of adventure. Their Half Day Train Tour includes a one way train journey to Harvey, BC, followed by a guided journey back to Jasper by road on the Yellowhead Highway, and the Wildlife Tour will take you in search of Canadian Rockies fauna while viewing spectacular scenery in Maligne Valley. Active visitors will enjoy viewing stunning Maligne River ice formations on the Canyon Ice Walk, or mushing your own team of dogs on a Dog Sled Tour near Valemount, BC, and the Jasper to Banff Tour is a fantastic way to view all the major sights along the Icefields Parkway, where you can choose to be dropped in Lake Louise, Banff, or return to Jasper.
To find out more about these tours and for reservations, visit www.sundogtours.com.

Skiers and snowboarders in Jasper have been treated to phenomenal early season snow conditions at Marmot Basin. Today there was 50cm of fresh snow awaiting anyone who was willing to take a few hours off work, and you can be sure that plenty of Jasper locals did just that. One long-time local told us that today was the best skiing he had ever experienced in Jasper, which for mid November is quite a statement! Having opened for the season on November 11th, Marmot Basin is reporting a total of over 85cm in the last 7 days, which should set up the Jasper ski resort very nicely for the coming season.
With all the new snow, and the distinct lack of crowds at this time of year, now could be the perfect time to look closely at some of the early season Jasper ski packages.

It’s an exciting time for skiing in Jasper. In less than 2 weeks the local ski resort, Marmot Basin, is planning to open for the 2009/10 ski season. The tentative opening day is November 11th, and the start of the season will be more eventful than usual thanks to the brand new high speed quad chairlift.
The Canadian Rockies Express will be the longest high speed detachable quad in the Alberta Rockies and will transport skiers and riders from the base of the mountain to the area at top of the Paradise Chair in less than 8 minutes.
The slopes and lifts at Marmot basin were already uncrowded, and the addition of the new lift will mean even more time spent skiing and snowboarding than before.
According to their snow report, on October 29th there’s already 32cm of snow at mid mountain and 50cm in the upper mountain.
Excellent!