Zoom

photo: Courtesy Emerald Lake Lodge

Insider’s Luxury Guide to Banff: Cabins, Etc.

Clicking into a pair of randonée bindings on touring skis for a three-hour trip to a backcountry lodge may be a daunting prospect, but the payoff is enormous: a pristine winter wonderland of snow-draped mountains and valleys, and an intimate getaway where the food is delicious, the wine abundant, and the company delightful.

Lake O’Hara Lodge (250/343-6418 or 403/678-4110, off-season)
In winter, the lodge locks up its cabins and opens only the eight rooms of the handsome main building, built in the 1920s as an Alpine Club camp. A seven-mile ski-in (or snowshoe-in) on a groomed track rewards the intrepid with a 1,500-vertical-foot gain. The loyal clientele loves the remarkable setting, delicious meals, fine Okanagan wines, and good companionship, as well as treks into the wilds led by a resident guide.

Skoki Lodge (877/822-7669)
Access to rustic Skoki Lodge is via a seven-mile trail from Lake Louise Mountain Resort, making the journey an ideal excursion into the Rockies backcountry — and its scenic high-mountain ridges and frozen lakes — for a confident skier. (Ski-touring gear can be rented at the ski area.) Built in 1930 by members of the Ski Club of the Canadian Rockies, the recently renovated lodge boasts cozy rooms, delectable meals that invite amiable conversation, an outdoor sauna, and remarkable views of clear, star-studded skies.

Emerald Lake Lodge (800/663-6336)
Nestled on the shore of Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park, 25 minutes west of Lake Louise along the Trans-Canada Highway, Emerald Lake Lodge has the advantage of accessibility by car and the disadvantage of being busier and more crowded than the true backcountry lodges. Activities include snowshoeing, ski touring, ice climbing, cross-country skiing, and ice skating on the lake. The restaurant is known locally for its excellent, hearty food, especially the bison, elk, and caribou it raises on its Calgary-area ranch.