How to Have a Blast at Alberta's Ski Resorts, Even if You Don't Ski

News flash: Skiers and snowboarders don’t get to have all the fun at ski resorts. In fact, there’s plenty of merriment to go around at the legendary playgrounds of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, where recent years have seen an explosion of delights aimed at non-skiers.

But why bother to hit a ski resort when you can enjoy many of those activities on the valley floor? Simple. Ski areas offer high altitude and extra-spectacular settings. Throw in lift assistance, and you’re guaranteed to take your recreation to the next level.

Snowshoe into the infinite wilderness

Consider snowshoeing, Canada’s centuries-old method for traversing the deep snows. Nowadays, lightweight gear makes it easy to learn for anyone who can walk. At the introductory level, you simply rent snowshoes at the lodge and strike out on designated trails, making loops as long, short or as uphill as you choose. If you want to get more serious, choices abound. At multi-sport meccas like Lake Louise Ski Resort in Banff National Park, the guided-tour offerings range from half- to full-day and even night tours.

Some tours are specifically designed for wildlife viewing, while others employ the occasional boost by gondola or chairlift to explore the mountain from bottom to top. Once you tromp your way to the seemingly infinite wilderness view from Lake Louise’s summit, you’ll understand why it’s a bucket-list moment that should not be reserved exclusively for the snow-sliding community.

At Castle Mountain, Alberta’s most southerly Rockies ski resort, there are even more ways to explore the alpine zone. Its network of snowshoe trails is shared with the latest conveyance to wheel its way into snow country: ultra-fat-tire mountain bikes. Available for hire in the lodge, you’ll be astonished at how well their studded tires let you cruise through both packed and powder snow.

You don’t need skis to shred it

At Lake Louise, Banff’s Mt. Norquay, Nakiska Ski Resort in Kananaskis Country and Winsport Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, the sport of snow tubing delivers adrenaline-pumping excitement that’s easily on par with what all those shredders are doing. A magic carpet lift (basically a conveyor belt for humans) takes you and your tube up to the start zone. Since each lane has U-shaped walls and safe run-out zones, you can let ’er rip, either solo or with arms linked with your buddies, spinning wildly.

Enjoy lunch or dinner with a view

Lastly, don’t ignore a sedate but time-tested method for non-skiers to have fun: sitting around cozy lodges eating delicious food. At automobile-free Sunshine Village, for example, walkers can arrive via gondola for a reduced ticket price, which includes an additional bump up the Angel chairlift to the panoramic views from Mt. Lookout. Cap your adventure with cheese fondue in front of the fireplace in the recently renovated Sunshine Mountain Lodge. By the way, why not consider booking the only on-mountain accommodation in any national park ski area? Canadian skiing’s finest hot tub awaits you, as does the Verde Day Spa.