Well it’s that time of the year again. Already in southwestern Alberta we’ve seen nearly a foot of snow, after an exceptionally dry summer. While we don’t anticipate that the snow will stick around just yet, it’s been a great reminder that Old Man Winter is knocking on our doorstep.
Alongside of Mr. Winter’s re-awakening, Castle’s “summer sale” on Season Passes is nearing an end. October 15 is your last day to purchase a pass, at reduced rates, so that you can maximize your enjoyment of everything winter has to offer in southwestern Alberta. Here are just a few of the things you can look forward to this season:
Forest Fire Update
We still get the occasional question as to whether or not we were affected by the Kenow Fire which, while it was close to us, didn’t ever directly threaten the resort. Castle Mountain Resort staff and residents were indeed evacuated after the situation escalated in Waterton Lakes National Park and areas adjacent to us within the MD of Pincher Creek, but the fire did not get closer than 20 km from our resort. Other than some lost productivity and the inconvenience of people having to leave their homes for a week, there was no impact on the resort or its infrastructure. A special thank you to Pincher Creek Emergency Services for all their proactive work to protect our resort in the event that the fire headed our way and to Wildfire AB staff for all of their hard work in protecting Albertans and their assets.
More Events
While our events calendar isn’t fully populated just yet, behind the scenes we’re working feverishly to finalize the details on a number of new additions to our events calendar. Old favorites like our New Year’s Eve Party, Family Day Weekend Lodge Party, Alpenland Demo Days, Never Ever Days, Maritime Night, and more are back on the calendar. New initiatives this year will include a bigger and better World Snow Day, participation in Alpine Canada’s National Ski Day, Full Moon Snowshoeing, Scenic Cat Rides, our Castle season kick-off party with Shred Kelly, as well as our “Beats in the Base” spring music series.If you were looking for more than just great skiing / riding, you’ve come to the right place.
Continued Great Rates
Skiing and Snowboarding isn’t a cheap sport, we get that, but Castle remains a leader in big-mountain value in western Canada. As an example, both Child and Student season passes remain available at $299 through to our deadline of October 15. Sure, Adult passes are $899 but when you contrast that against our window rate of $84 / daily, your break-even is just a smidgen over 10 days. Family pass scenarios will help you realize even better break-even points.Our season passes offer other great benefits as well. Whether you’re interested in Castle’s Powder Stagecoach cat-skiing (save $40 / day) or you’re looking to take a trip somewhere else (vast network of discounts at partner resorts), there is additional value to be had.Click here for a full run down on categories / rates
Big Plans Ahead
Castle Mountain Resort recently completed its released its Master Development Plan (MDP). We know that many of our guests love the fact that they don’t have to share Alberta’s second largest resort with too many folks, and with our development plan this won’t change. Additional terrain and lifts are in the works but not so much as to ruin the skier experience. Spoiler alert, you’ll see no high speed quads or gondolas in the plan.The intent of this document is to provide a conceptual road map to the preferred development of Castle Mountain Resort (CMR). The content is designed to improve the quality of the experience offered at the Castle in an environmentally and economically sustainable fashion. The MDP forms the foundation from which the CMR vision, goals and objectives can be achieved.
Realizing the full extent of our plans will not happen overnight, more like over several decades. However, work has already begun on the installation of snow making infrastructure in our base area. This summer we broke ground on a water intake after receiving a permit to draw water from Haig Creek. This permit is not a carte blanche. Castle will only be able to draw water during times of peak flow (spring) and water will need to be stored in reservoirs for future use. The first phase, hopeful to be completed next summer, will include the first reservoir, snow making lines, and associated equipment for portions of the base area. The cost will eclipse $1 million, which is why we need your continued support.
Same Great Vibe
Andrew Penner of the Calgary Herald & Snow Seekers perhaps put it best:“Let’s just come right out and say it: Castle Mountain (Resort) is not Banff. There are no posh hotels. You will not find dozens of overpriced restaurants. You will not find glitz. And Castle certainly doesn’t do glamour. But what you will find at Castle Mountain – in spades – is authenticity. And skiing. Very, very good skiing.” (Snow Seekers – Keepin’ it Real at Castle article)While we’re all about incremental improvement at Castle, there’s something to be said for not fixing what’s not broken. We care deeply about offering up a great, family-friendly experience to all of our guests but we don’t want to lose what is special about this place.Castle will always be a place where chairlift line-up hugs are more common than fancy mocha-chino lattes. You have our word.
