Like thousands of snow thirsty Albertans, I will always love riding at Marmot Basin. 

Despite our local mountain not always being in the same condensation conversation as resorts in B.C.’s snowy interior or on the wet coast, unequivocally, some of my most fun days on snow have been at Marmot. 

Besides being a top quality ski hill for all abilities, Marmot’s choice off-piste terrain accessed by a relatively quick boot-hike, plus the blissful, consistent, lack of crowds, make Jasper’s ski hill an underrated gem of the Canadian Rockies. In my books, not much can beat slashing fresh powder—or on clear days, carving fresh cord—high above the awesome Athabasca River Valley, practically by yourself, probably during a temperature inversion. 

Since becoming a father, epic, ski-bum-style solo missions have become less frequent. But that’s ok. As many families have experienced ahead of me, there’s a different kind of joy to be found in watching one’s kids get confident on the ski hill. I first had that experience two years ago, when our then-six-year-old was able to start sharing the same green and blue runs that my wife and I happily cruise.

Now, as our four-year-old graduates from the magic carpet to the Schoolhouse Chairlift, we’re once again on the exciting precipice of riding together as a family. 

But, we’re not quite there yet.

On the surface, hitting the slopes with the fam sounds like the perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. However, as ski moms and dads in Jasper know, if you’re not prepared to make more than a few sacrifices, stay uber-organized and forgo any hint of expectations, an exciting day at the hill can quickly turn into … an exasperating day from hell!

This past opening weekend of Jasper in January, my wife and I loaded up the ski gear, chucked in the kids and made the 20 minute drive from our home to Marmot Basin’s 1,698 metre base (highest of all major Canadian resorts, btw!).

Thanks to the ease of getting around the facilities and the helpfulness of some key ski hill staff, I managed to avoid most of the perilous predicaments that can ensnare a family who endeavours to ski together. 

Not all tears were mitigated, of course (my son’s nor my own), but with the hope that they might help others with goals of getting their young skiers into the fresh air with minimal drama, I offer these humble tips:  

Tip 1: Give yourself an edgie

Skis are expensive and kids grow fast. I’m not in a position to buy brand new gear, and kids under five ski for free at Marmot, so while my tyke’s still only ripping the occasional half day, I’m happy to rent. 

However, I will always shell out for an Edgie Wedgie. As I experienced with my oldest when she was first learning to ski, the Edgie Wedgie is a great tool to help keep skis in the proper position and help beginner skiers stay upright.

One bonus of renting gear for my guy is interfacing with the staff at Marmot’s rental shop. Because if they tell Connor it’s cool to affix the “Edgie Wedgie” training aid to his ski tips, it’s cool.

Tip 2: Bring the (healthy) snacks

By the time we got Connor’s boots on, rented skis and walked down to the Magic Carpet area, it had been a few hours since he had eaten breakfast. Dude was hangry, but also stoked to ski, and even more stoked to eat candy on the chairlift (like his sister did last year). He was therefore too impatient to chomp more than one bite of the peanut butter sandwich I brought along. He’ll be fine, I thought. 

Big mistake. The Skittles spiked his blood sugar, energy levels got low and we ended up having an epic battle of wills: I wanted us to stay on the beginners’ run, he wanted to go “way up there” with mom and Cora. 

Luckily, I had more than Skittles up my sleeve. He rebounded once I pulled out the freeze dried mango, aka meltdown kryptonite. Not gonna lie, there were a few minutes where Harry from the Magic Carpet probably figured our day was done. 

Tip 3: Know the mountain

After two decades of living in Jasper, I consider my knowledge of Marmot Basin to be fairly extensive. I know what aspects hold snow on windy days, remember which rock bands to avoid until we see better coverage, and can generally speak the language when it comes to terrain selection and navigating around the mountain. So you’d think I’d be able to guide a novice skier down the widest, safest, most beginner-friendly pitch without any major mishaps.  

My mistake was classic overconfidence. That, and not knocking on wood when I said “last run.” After seeing him ably make a few turns, I let Connor get too far ahead of me en route to our final destination: the Caribou Chalet. Understandably, he got excited when he saw his mom and sister waiting for him. 

Instead of coming to a pizza-slice controlled stop, he pointed his skis french fry straight, right at them. Meanwhile, instead of coaching him around the many obstacles near the lodge, I was hanging back aloofly, shooting a “proud dad” video. We averted disaster, but just barely.

Tip 4: Stop when they’re having fun

This is advice I was given from legendary Jasper freestyle ski coach, fisherman and Marmot Basin ambassador, Chris Peel, who says the best time to cut things short is when they’re having the best time. Why? Simple: so they want to come back.

Despite nearly embedding himself into the lower chalet deck railing, when we kicked off his skis, Connor was rarin’ for more. He actually said he wished Marmot Basin was our house.

But it was Peel’s words which stuck with me and so in my best dad voice, I made the bold call: “Time to go! We’ll come back next Sunday, kids.”

With snow in the forecast, great deals on lift tickets thanks to ongoing Jasper in January winter promotions, and knowing there’s always great turns to be had at Marmot Basin, I meant it, too.

Bob Covey // bob@thejasperlocal.com