Skiing into Shadow Lake Lodge in Banff National Park
My sister Karlee is the best at birthdays. She often plans extremely elaborate surprises, once flying all the way to New Zealand without even knowing my address to surprise me for my birthday! But, that is a tale for another time…
When her 30th birthday rolled around in the middle of a global pandemic, I knew I was going to have to get creative with the celebration. She is so good at making everyone else feel special and loved on their big days, I was determined to find a way to do the same for her. Her husband and I put our heads together and tried to think of something. Obviously, a huge party was out of the question, but the covid-19 related health measures were constantly changing – we didn't know what would and wouldn’t be allowed by the time her birthday rolled around.
After extensive research, many texts and secret phone conversations, we decided to splurge on Shadow Lake Lodge for a surprise getaway. We had recently started cross-country skiing more regularly and this would be a fun way to use our new gear and skills. We booked 2 cabins - One for Karlee and Spencer. One for me, my husband,Matt, and our third wheel: 7-month-old Juniper – for a weekend in March 2021. It would be Juni’s first backcountry trip!
Shadow Lake Lodge was established way back in 1928 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is now owned and operated by the Alpine Club of Canada. This lodge deviates from the typical ACC Hut experience in that it is all-inclusive. Shadow Lake Lodge comprises 11 private cabins and has a full staff serving drinks and gourmet meals - luxury! In the winter, you have the option of skiing or snowshoeing the 14km up Redearth Creek trail to get there.
Matt is a mountain guide with a ton of winter travel and backcountry experience, so I didn’t worry much about the technicalities. I would pack for Juni and he would pull her in the chariot. This trip was going to be a breeze! The week before, Matt got called into work. I’ll admit, I had a momentary freak out but knew I could not bail on this trip. Time to enact Plan B – solo parent expedition!
We met Friday morning at the Redearth Creek parking lot. The weather for the weekend was unseasonably warm with a forecast of sun and blue skies. Having a baby in tow, I was prepared for cold weather (see this post!) but grateful for milder temps. I bundled Juni into the chariot, we strapped on our skis and shuffled across the parking lot to get going. With 440 meters of elevation gain to the lodge, the trail starts off spicy! There is a big climb right out of the parking lot. Karlee had no idea where or how far we were going, I was slipping backwards because of the chariot and Spencer was weighed down by a casual 4 bottles of bubbly in his backpack, but we were in good spirits. After about 10 minutes the trail moderates and climbs more gradually. We found our rhythm and enjoyed our ski through the quiet trees and sparkling snow.
The first part consists of a wide old fire road that is track-set for classic Nordic skiing. At the 10km mark you turn onto a much narrower trail for the final stage. This trail had variable conditions with a few steeper sections and sharp turns. Plus the daytime melt/nighttime freeze cycle had caused it to be quite icy. For that last portion, I was in and out of my skis several times which was annoying while attached to the chariot and carrying a big backpack. By the time we reached the lodge, I was ready to shed the gear and have a beer! That said, the entire journey – parking lot to lodge – with 2 generous breaks, took us just over 4 hours. Not bad!
The stay at the lodge was very comfortable! The staff were helpful, the meals delicious and the cabins cozy. The only “complaint” I have is that the door of the cabin needed to be slammed to close. I put my pelvic floor to the test a time or two because there was no plumbing in the cabin, and I didn’t want to wake her by exiting to use the bathroom! At bedtime, she was so tired that she went down easily and I was able to enjoy dinner and a couple bevy’s with my sister and Spencer. I had a simple sound monitor so I could hang out in their cabin next door. Both nights she woke up around 10pm and I couldn’t sneak back out of the cabin, so I just called it a night! Once I was in, she co-slept with me in the bed and we both slept soundly.
Saturday was a GORGEOUS day with the feel of spring in the air! We decided to take it easy and explore the area. The lodge packed us lunch and lent us snowshoes so we took a mid-day walk along the lake. We stopped for a leisurely lunch at a pair of classic red Parks Canada Adirondack chairs positioned at the base of the impressive Mount Ball. That simple lunch in the sun and snow is a memory I will cherish forever.
On Sunday morning we had to be out of our cabins by 10am. We feasted on breakfast, packed up and were ready to head home around 11am. I walked the first 4km with spikes on my shoes pulling the chariot and ski set-up. It was speedier and much more straightforward than the way in. I would definitely recommend doing it this way, especially if the conditions are on the icier side. Even without ice, it was helpful to have the extra grip on the downhills with the weight of the chariot pushing from behind. We took a quick break at the junction and then it was all downhill from there – in a good way! The return trip took us less than 2 hours. It was steep and slick in sections, and I was happy I had been working on my braking technique all winter!
Overall, the trip went better than I expected. The trip was short enough to be do-able and long enough to feel rewarding. The lodge is super family-friendly and there is a lot to explore in close proximity. Here are some things I learned along the way that might help you:
You probably won’t ski the whole way.
Parts of the last 4km can be tricky with the ski/chariot set-up, especially if it’s icy or if you’re just starting to feel fatigued. Even with perfect conditions, it probably doesn’t hurt to throw your crampons/spikes into your backpack.
Give the lodge a heads-up.
The lodge was very accommodating. They had a pack-and-play set up in our cabin when we arrived, and a highchair ready for Juniper at meals. Having those two items available for us up at the lodge definitely eased my mind and made packing much simpler.
Power.
Each cabin has 2 power outlets so I was able to plug in both a monitor and sound machine while Juniper slept. Having a sound monitor allowed me to go to dinner and have drinks in the other cabin without having to worry about not hearing her if she woke up.
Walk about.
The area around the lodge is STUNNING. You don’t have to go beyond the porch for a good view but in the winter it’s worth checking out the lake trail. The lodge lends snowshoes to get around in the deep snow but you’ll want to have a carrier to haul babe around. I had an Ergo 360! Much easier than towing the chariot everywhere and fairly lightweight to pack in.
It was a lot of work to do solo, but I think Shadow Lake Lodge makes for a great first backcountry foray with a baby. Do I wish my husband had been there? Definitely. Am I glad I did it anyway? You betcha!
