Industry News
Castle Mountain Resort in Alberta, Canada, is excited to announce that work on several major projects is underway, which will enhance the guest experience in time for the 2021-2022 season. This summer’s projects include upgrades to indoor and outdoor spaces, headlined by another major investment in snowmaking. The most notable projects being undertaken are:
Snow Making Enhancements
First installed in 2019, Snowmaking infrastructure will be expanded to the main mountain (Gravenstafel Mountain). Underground electrical and water pipeline infrastructure will make its way to the corner of North Road, near the bottom of North Bowl. This nearly 1.1 KM expansion will allow for better snow coverage and earlier access to and from the main mountain than ever before. Additionally, a second snowmaking pump, as well as additional snowmaking machines, will be added. This will allow the resort to more than double the amount of snow it makes at any given time, allowing more terrain to be accessible in the early season and providing better snow coverage throughout the season.
The resort will also make additional investments in water storage to complement this expansion by way of a second water reservoir. Made in Alberta by Rugged Enterprises of Taber, Alberta, and holding the equivalent of 4 Olympic swimming pools worth of water, the new reservoir will help the resort ensure it is compliant with strict, government-mandated water conservation objectives. Water will be stored in the spring, when flow rates are at their peak and conservation objectives met, then used in the late fall when snowmaking is most needed.
Day Lodge Flooring Replacement
Nearly completed, new flooring for the upstairs portion of the day lodge will greet guests this season. Replacing aged carpet, new rubberized flooring will ensure a clean, non-slip surface that is suitable not only for winter guests but also for guests of weddings in the summer season.
Tamarack (Red) Chair Drive Replacement
Resort staff and contractors have been working to replace the Tamarack (Red) Chair drive. Often touted as the “brain” of a lift, the drive is the unit that controls the lift’s motor and sends commands to start and stop, among other things. Replacement of the Red Chair drive will help to ensure the longevity of one of Castle’s most important lifts, ensuring reliable access to alpine terrain for many years to come.
Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing Snowcat / Cabin Replacement
Guests of Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing operation will be riding in style this season, in the comfort of a new cat skiing cabin. The new 13 passenger cabin, made in Alberta by Metal Form Industries Inc. (Innisfail, AB), will arrive in time for the 2021-2022 cat skiing season and will be paired with a repurposed snowcat formerly of Castle’s snow grooming fleet. The new cabin will feature comforts such as deluxe bucket seats, two cabin heaters, an audio/charging system, and side window defrosters, to name a few. Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat Skiing operation will continue 5 days/week this season, from December 28, 2021, to March 19, 2022.
“We’re proud to be reinvesting in the experience of our guests. This summer’s projects represent a reinvestment of every single penny of profit our resort made this past season, and then some. We are proud to maintain the longstanding tradition of reinvesting to continue to improve the experience of our guests.”
– Director of Mountain Operations, Jason Crawford
Castle Mountain Resort is scheduled to open, for the 2021-2022 season, on Friday, December 3. A limited number of season passes remain available with reduced rates in effect until September 30.
About Castle Mountain Resort:
Closer to Heaven, Down to Earth; Castle Mountain Resort is the second largest mountain resort, in Alberta, by acreage. Nestled in the southern Alberta Rockies, adjacent to Pincher Creek and the Crowsnest Pass, Castle Mountain Resort boasts 94+ runs across 3592 acres of terrain. Included in this is Castle’s Powder Stagecoach Cat-Skiing operation, one of the only resort-based cat-skiing operations in western Canada. Known for its abundant snowfall and short lift lines, Castle Mountain Resort remains one of the last affordable, down-to-earth, and authentic Rocky Mountain winter experiences.
