Jasper’s Marmot Basin ‘optimistic’ for mid-November opening

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Marmot Basin in Jasper National Park is eyeing a mid-November opening as it looks forward to welcoming visitors back to its slopes.

“We’re going to welcome people with open arms. And you know, quite frankly, we need their support,” said Marmot Basin vice-president Brian Rode.

Since wildfires tore through Jasper National Park in July, the town has had to contend with the reality of a much-needed return to normal, including welcoming visitors back to the park as a vital part of its economy. Rode said that the ski resort is looking forward to being part of that puzzle as the opening nears.

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“The whole community is in this together, and Marmot Basin certainly has a very big piece, a critical piece, of the ski experience, but so does the community as well,” said Rode.

“We’re all so thrilled that we’re able to operate.”

Rode has been working with Marmot Basin for more than 40 years. Starting as a ski instructor, he’s risen through the ranks of the business to his current position as vice-president. Part of what has kept him at the resort over the years is the power of skiing and being out in the mountains and nature.

“I got an immense amount of joy of seeing people who had never ever skied before, discover skiing,” he said.

It’s rewarding to be able to welcome people back, Rode said, but also to welcome those who have never been to the area for a formative experience.

In all his time at Marmot Basin and in Jasper, Rode said there was “nothing comparable” to the fires that ripped through the park over the summer. Recalling the early moments of the fire, Rode said he was working in his backyard when he noticed the wind picking up, then the lightning strikes, and the evacuation order that followed.

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“It was a little bit of a balance between we live in this national park and we knew this could happen, but you never think it’s just right over your shoulder,” said Rode.

As he, his family, and some friends waited out the firestorm while staying near Hinton, it was never a question of whether they’d return to Jasper, he said it was only a matter of when.

As they and the rest of the town waited, Marmot Basin was unscathed by the fire, but Rode said it was close. The flames stopped roughly a half-kilometre from the ski hill, burning the powerlines that connect the resort, which Atco has been working to get back up and running.

“While there was so much that was burned, the beauty remains, and I think that’s what’s going to surprise people,” Rode said.

Despite the large sections of the valley that were burned in the fire, including residential and commercial areas in the town that were destroyed, Rode explained it comes with new visuals, too.

“The sight lines are quite something. You’re on trails, or you’re driving up the Marmot Basin Road, and you can see vistas and mountains that you couldn’t see from these places before.”

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Rode credited the staff at Marmot, who have had just a few weeks to do prep work for the season after missing seven critical weeks during the summer.

“Talk about a busy beehive of activity here in the park.”

He said the resort’s opening felt like light at the end of the tunnel, but he said there’s still a lot of ‘tunnel’ left to go, highlighting the need to support those who lost rental accommodations in the fire.

Over the past few years, Marmot Basin expanded its terrain considerably with a new quad chair that has added more than 300 vertical feet to the resort. In all, he estimated the expansions have added more than 25 per cent of new expert-level terrain.

With a pair of hotels and other accommodations burned by the fire, Rode suggested visitors to Marmot should book hotels in advance and consider a mid-week visit for the best chance of finding somewhere to stay.

“We are so happy that we can operate as a ski area and as a community this winter, and we are thrilled that we can invite people back to experience Jasper National Park and skiing here at Marmot,” said Rode.

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