Tour leaders, Richard and Marilyn took nine of us on a beginners’ tour of the trails near Lake Louise, January 28-29. The skiers were: Frank, Trudy, Sally, Lorna, Dianne, Karen, and three new members, Sheila, Marilyn and Robert. The camaraderie and support for each other was evident in our group throughout the weekend.

We stayed at the Lake Louise Hostel which was a great experience – modern and clean. The restaurant attached to the Hostel provided tasty and economical food and refreshments, not that we ate there, but happy hour was irresistible for some.

On Saturday, at 9:30 am we left the Hostel to ski just over 13 km on the Pipestone and Hector Trails. Though the trails had not been set, they were in good condition with lots of fresh snow and a skier-set track. The heavy snow on the trees and the views of the lakes made for a truly memorable experience. We finished skiing at about 2 pm and returned to the hostel.

Saturday night we celebrated, to the muted sound of Greek tavern music, with a pretty authentic Greek feast which included appetizers, soup and Greek salad, main courses such as moussaka, souvlaki and ratatouille and desserts of baklava and apple pie. Greek wine complimented the meal and Ouzo crowned it.  After the meal, each person presented their adopted ancient Greek character amidst lots of laughs and discussion.  We anointed Sheila our Greek princess in recognition of her amazing performance as a first-time skier.

On Sunday we left just after 9:30 AM and skied a 7.5 km loop which included parts of the Moraine Lake, the Fairview and the Tramline Trails.   During the ski, we stopped for lunch and viewed the Ice Sculptures at Chateau Lake Louise.  We were back at the parking lot by 2PM and departed for home.

The ski conditions for the entire weekend were excellent! Blue-purple was generally the wax of choice.

From a newcomer’s point of view, it was a fantastic time! OPA!