The Lake Louise Ski Friends were formed back in 1978 initially by the wives of those working at the ski resort in the Banff National Park, Alberta, who wanted something to occupy their time during the winter months.
So a group got together and volunteered their services showing skiers and snowboarders of all ages or abilities around their resort.
Nowadays they number over 100, and one – my namesake Dick, a chiropractor by day – was effectively my own personal tour guide around the mountains near Lake Louise.
This proved invaluable for a solo traveller like myself, as Dick enthusiastically led me to the best runs on the front and back side of Saddleback Ridge, including the World Cup Downhill course, and a few hidden gems – all without me having to consult a map once.
However, it wasn’t just Dick and his Ski Friends who showed me remarkable hospitality during my week-long trip to the Canadian state of Alberta.
After landing in the bustling city of Calgary on a bitterly cold snowy evening, I checked in at the Hotel Arts in the Downtown area, and received a very warm welcome with supper at the Raw Bar by Duncan Ly, followed by a good (albeit jet-lag tainted) night’s sleep in one of their newly refurbished rooms, and breakfast in the Yellow Door Bistro.
Then it was time to hit the road in my rented SUV, heading west via a quick stopover at the Calgary Olympic Park for a look around the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, before snaking through the Rocky Mountains.
Some say this stretch of the road on the Trans-Canada Highway 1 is among the most spectacular drives in the world.
True, I found it hard keeping my eyes on the road at times as I sat open-mouthed, bewildered by the sheer scale and beauty of the snow-blanketed and desolate mountainous landscape flanking the highway.
My first destination after entering the gates of Banff National Park was Sunshine Village ski resort.
I boarded the gondola during the late afternoon and made my way up to Sunshine Mountain Lodge – the only ski in-out accommodation in the Canadian Rockies, before a delicious beef tenderloin at the hotel’s Eagle’s Nest Restaurant.
The next morning, I awoke from my slumber 2,100 metres above sea level, and halfway up the mountain, to the sight of falling snow.
This fresh Champagne powder along with the late morning sun made ski-ing conditions on Mount Standish, Lookout Mountain and Goat’s Eye Mountain nigh-on perfect for my guide Sinead and I.
It was easy to see why many people I spoke to during the week consider Sunshine, located on North America’s continental divide, as among one of the best ski-ing areas in North America, mainly due to its uncrowded slopes and plentiful snowfall.
However, the other resort that makes up the so-called ‘Big 3’ with Sunshine and Lake Louise, Mount Norquay, gives the others a run for their money.
Despite being smaller in size, Norquay is the perfect setting for family ski holidays in the area, and features a good range of green, blue, red and black runs to suit all ages and ability.
Nevertheless, Norquay’s main pulling point is its location adjacent to the town of Banff.
The ‘college town without a college’ has a reputation for being a party destination, and from the Mount Royal Hotel on Banff Avenue visitors are within a short drive or decent walk to the town’s main attractions including Norquay, the Hot Springs and Sulphur Mountain gondola.
I was lucky enough to be in Banff on a Friday and Saturday night when the town really comes alive.
Many of the wealthy oil businessmen and women come in from the city (they are nicknamed the ‘Calgary All Stars’ by the locals), as well as tourists from all around the world.
When I was last in the town during the summer of 2010, I stopped by a bar called Banff Avenue Brewing Co.
Despite the place having just opened I was impressed by the look and feel of the place, not to mention the taste of the beers brewed in the micro-brewery at the back of the pub.
Five years on, I got the chance to see how the beer was made, courtesy of the brains behind the tasty ales – master brewer Kent Paterson.
Again, Kent, along with his staff made me feel more than welcome, and he took me for a look around his brewery, inviting me to sample a few of the beers he had on tap, straight from the barrel (“this is the freshest beer you’ll ever taste” he justifiably boasted), and also getting me involved in the process itself.
I even shared a glass of his ‘Brewer’s Breakfast’ with him the morning after – a cocktail of warm water from the boiling hops along with a shot of Scotch.
Another great place to eat, drink and hang out in Banff is at fondue and steak specialist Grizzly Bear.
When I arrived there for dinner on the Friday evening, I immediately spotted there were telephones on each table.
Following a bit of digging, I found out that the place used to be a disco-cum-swingers bar during the 1970s and that the phones, which are all still in fully working order, are a throwback to those heady days.
After a couple of days in Banff, it was with a heavy heart (and head, thanks to the potency of Kent’s dark pilsner), that I made the 30-minute drive up to my final stop off of the week – Lake Louise.
Louise doesn’t have the nightlife of Calgary or Banff, and the small village is home to just a few restaurants and shops.
But after a short drive up to the hill and I arrived at one of the most iconic and beautiful settings in the whole of North America – the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Originally opened in 1911, the chateau is now considered one of the most desirable and picturesque hotels in the world, with world-class restaurants, including the acclaimed Alpine-inspired Walliser Stube, remarkably personalised service and, of course, views of the frozen lake and the majestic Victoria Glacier.
There is also plenty to do in and around the ice, with skaters, hikers and climbers all in their element.
The area around Banff and Lake Louise is also teaming with wildlife, especially during the summer months.
In the winter most of the grizzly bears are sleeping, but grazing deer and elk are still a common sight.
One animal which doesn’t sleep is the wolf, and a visit to the Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary near Cochrane is well worth the trip, with the owner Georgina encouraging myself and the other guests get up close and personal with the animals, even getting one of them, Kuna, to eat treats out of my hand.
The animals here are nothing like they are painted in the sensationalised Hollywood films, and although they are still effectively wild animals, as they have varying degrees of dog in their DNA make-up, they are actually quite friendly, if a bit timid.
However, a group of animals which certainly weren’t shy were the excitable Alaskan Huskies at Kingmik Dogsled Tours just down the road from Lake Louise.
After a lot of barking and howling from the excited quintet of canines, I got wrapped up for an exhilarating sleigh ride through the snow-covered forests pulled by the dream team of Chompsky, Flo, Loki, Lennox and Lexi.
They say dogs are a man’s best friend. However, these adorable huskies had a lot of competition on my memorable trip making friends in Alberta.
THE HOLIDAY
Crystal Ski Holidays offers a week’s stay at the Banff Mount Royal in Alberta, Canada, from £1,041 per person (based on four sharing) including flights from Edinburgh or Glasgow and transfers departing on March 9, 2016.
For more information on holidays in Alberta, Canada, go to www.travelalberta.co.uk