North America - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 185

is so remote that it can only be accessed via an
18km ski or hike from Lake Louise, due west.
The lodge's isolation, situated high up at 2164m
and surrounded by five deep valleys trimmed
with beautiful mountain ridges and dotted with
alpine lakes, is a major part of its appeal; guests
come here to get away from busy downhill ski
resorts with their packed ski slopes, and frenetic
bars and restaurants.
The first place in Canada to cater for ski-
tourists, the lodge was built in 1931, and today
exudes a cosy, antiquated feel. The main timber
lodge, supported by huge wooden beams on the
walls and ceiling, has two warming woodstoves
and a small library full of historical photographs
and 1930s ski equipment. There's little in
the way of mod cons: no electricity, phones or
televisions - just candlelight and kerosene
lamps, and water fetched from a nearby creek.
To energize guests for a full day's cross-country
skiing and touring the valleys, the lodge lays
on generous quantities of wholesome food: fresh
bread is served every morning, while there's
also hot bacon, cheese, cakes, fresh fruit and
vegetables on offer throughout the day.
With such basic facilities and excellent ski
conditions, Skoki Lodge - and others like it
(see opposite) - is fast becoming a popular
alternative skiing experience. It's a trend that's
in common with the widely held view that if the
ski industry is to deal with the charges levelled
at it by environmentalists, it has to diversify
and provide low-impact options other than the
resource-hungry downhill resorts. Ironically, it
seems that the future for skiing may lie in this
kind of basic, back-to-nature retreat that's firmly
rooted in the past.

241 Skoki Lodge, ALBeRTA

Tucked away in a dense spruce-and-pine forest
in the heart of Banff National Park, Skoki Lodge

Skoki Lodge, in the heart of
Banff National Park

Need to know Skoki Lodge is 60km west of
Banff (and 185km west of Calgary). For prices and
reservations W www.skoki.com; T [phone].
The trek from Lake Louise to Skoki Valley is both
uphill and downhill, so bring backcountry skis with
skins rather than ordinary cross-country skis. Wilson
Mountain Sports hires skis at Lake Louise ( W www.
lakelouisewilsons.com; T [phone]).