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Canadians help.. Lake Louise at Xmas time (1 Viewer)

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xdan

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Hi all
So my girlfriend has a plan for Xmas 2027 to have a white Xmas.

Melbourne to SFO
SFO to Calgary
Lake Louise / Banff
Then to Montreal
Finally finishing in NY on Xmas eve.

Banff is her bucket list location.
This is where I want it to be perfect.

As someone who’s been to the snow once in their life, what do we need to know. Tips and tricks?

Getting around in the snow? Places to check out? What to look out for?

Anyone who’s been and can offer some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I’ve only been to NY in the summer, so being there in winter looks amazing. Basically watched home alone 2 and saw everything we need to know..
 
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This restaurant is at the top of the Gondi at the banff national park. It was amazing. You can see the mountains in the background. Some of the best views I’ve ever seen.

Lake Louis will be frozen and you can skate there.

Also the coolest dog sledding I’ve ever done was up at banff. Best part of the trip.


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I live in Canada and Banff was on my bucket list lol.

I've only been once, and it was in the summer, but the main thing is the views!

The only thing I could probably reliably recommend (as I've done it) is going up the gondola in Banff. There is a main building with multiple levels and a rooftop lookout, then a walking area that you can walk around up top the mountain. They have a buffet style restaurant and a fancy sit down restaurant to choose from as well.

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https://www.banffjaspercollection.com/attractions/banff-gondola/

Whatever you do, enjoy your trip!
 
I just showed her these pictures and she is even more excited.

The dog sledding looks like a load of fun!!
 
xdan said:
As someone who’s been to the snow once in their life, what do we need to know. Tips and tricks?

Getting around in the snow? Places to check out? What to look out for?

Anyone who’s been and can offer some advice would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
I guess I should answer this as well lol.

But the key for getting around in the snow is good comfortable boots with good grip. You don't want those super thick "snow" boots that might restrict movement. You want warm trekking/hiking boots.

And the key for being in the snow and cold is layering your clothes. You will guaranteed be kept the warmest when you wear the following:

- Thin but warm base layer (like a pullover shirt, and long johns on top of underwear)
- Warm and thicker mid layer (some sort of fleece or wool, and pants)
- Outer layer (your jacket, and possibly snow pants, if you plan to play in the snow lol)

If it's really cold this will keep you warm, if it warms up you can always remove one layer or wear a different type of jacket (if you have multiple)
 
xdan said:
I just showed her these pictures and she is even more excited.

The dog sledding looks like a load of fun!!
Click to expand...
Snowy Owl Tours. Ridiculously amazing. We did the one day tour.
 
GamingWithChips said:
I guess I should answer this as well lol.

But the key for getting around in the snow is good comfortable boots with good grip. You don't want those super thick "snow" boots that might restrict movement. You want warm trekking/hiking boots.

And the key for being in the snow and cold is layering your clothes. You will guaranteed be kept the warmest when you wear the following:

- Thin but warm base layer (like a pullover shirt, and long johns on top of underwear)
- Warm and thicker mid layer (some sort of fleece or wool, and pants)
- Outer layer (your jacket, and possibly snow pants, if you plan to play in the snow lol)

If it's really cold this will keep you warm, if it warms up you can always remove one layer or wear a different type of jacket (if you have multiple)
Click to expand...
this is very helpful, thanks.

we are told its best to buy the winter gear over there, even if its used.
we wont be bringing it home with us as we have no need for it where we live.
i'm 43 and seen the snow once in my life..
 
xdan said:
we are told its best to buy the winter gear over there, even if its used.
we wont be bringing it home with us as we have no need for it where we live.
i'm 43 and seen the snow once in my life..
Click to expand...
No worries!

And yes, I was trying to think of the logistics of it all for you guys. Depending on your budget there are many good stores in the main strip where you can buy a lot of the gear you need. And I don't know how cold Australia can get for you but you can probably get away with buying the bottom two layers and keeping them and then buying a used jacket or shell that you can then sell back or maybe there's a place to donate when you are done.
 
Are you staying in Lake Louise or Banff? Lake Louise proper is very small, Banff is going to be larger with more places to eat, actual shopping, etc. They're not too far from each other but they are very separate, so just a heads up.

If you are buying winter clothes in Canada, I'd definitely recommend buying in Calgary for the amount of options you'll have with secondhand stores. You don't need anything fancy with the latest fabric technology for your trip. The key is multiple layers for warmth management. Banff is going to have very pricey options, like the Patagonia and North Face store. Or the new Arcteryx store. There may be some secondhand stores, but most likely not cheap and more so in Canmore than Banff. When you're checking out the weather forecast, be sure to account for the wind chill.

There's skiing at either Lake Louise or Sunshine resort.

I'm usually in the area during the summer, which is obviously a very different beast. But winters up there are gorgeous. Look for online guides about Banff in the winter time. There's plenty of other spectacular lake views besides the famous Lake Louise. Take a drive and explore.

Be sure to to lean on the Parks Canada website. This is vital because things like parking, closures, and other important info can change daily there. If you plan to go to a certain lake, just be sure to check the website to make sure it is accessible.

You'll meet plenty of Australians while in Banff.
 
GamingWithChips said:
No worries!

And yes, I was trying to think of the logistics of it all for you guys. Depending on your budget there are many good stores in the main strip where you can buy a lot of the gear you need. And I don't know how cold Australia can get for you but you can probably get away with buying the bottom two layers and keeping them and then buying a used jacket or shell that you can then sell back or maybe there's a place to donate when you are done.
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Cold for me down here is sweat pants and a hoodie.
Just with a t-shirt under.
That keeps me warm, so my winter wardbrobe is very limited.
 
jcf1713 said:
Are you staying in Lake Louise or Banff? Lake Louise proper is very small, Banff is going to be larger with more places to eat, actual shopping, etc. They're not too far from each other but they are very separate, so just a heads up.

If you are buying winter clothes in Canada, I'd definitely recommend buying in Calgary for the amount of options you'll have with secondhand stores. You don't need anything fancy with the latest fabric technology for your trip. The key is multiple layers for warmth management. Banff is going to have very pricey options, like the Patagonia and North Face store. Or the new Arcteryx store. There may be some secondhand stores, but most likely not cheap and more so in Canmore than Banff. When you're checking out the weather forecast, be sure to account for the wind chill.

There's skiing at either Lake Louise or Sunshine resort.

I'm usually in the area during the summer, which is obviously a very different beast. But winters up there are gorgeous. Look for online guides about Banff in the winter time. There's plenty of other spectacular lake views besides the famous Lake Louise. Take a drive and explore.

Be sure to to lean on the Parks Canada website. This is vital because things like parking, closures, and other important info can change daily there. If you plan to go to a certain lake, just be sure to check the website to make sure it is accessible.

You'll meet plenty of Australians while in Banff.
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Our plan is to stay at the fairmont chateau. We will have 2 nights there.
Thanks for the info on the clothes.
Skiing won’t be an option. We don’t ski.
We will also have a 9 year old with us so we will see what activities we can find for him also.
 
Nice, they are very beautiful hotels, pricey, but the location and views are undeniable.

You’ll be in lake Louise then which as JCF said is very small, not much there. So you’ll probably just make a visit to the Banff core which is like 30 minutes away. They have all of the stores, tourist shops and restaurants.

I’d probably plan to have 1 day of activities hosted from Lake Louise, then another day of stuff from Banff. Maybe take a detour and see some other nearby lakes and viewpoints getting to Banff. Then finish that day by taking the gondola and having dinner.
 

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