We took a brief break from wildlife spotting for a day up the slopes at Marmot Basin one Tuesday morning in April. Marmot Basin is a short drive from the Jasper township (pictured below) and you won't find any accommodation at the ski resort. When you do get here though, you will literally have the run of the mountain and the slopes all to yourself. The contrast between the Canadian and European ski hills is striking. In Europe, its all about queues, the sun and the apres-ski.....

In Canada, the mountains are altogether more wild (and quiet) but with much more interesting slopes. There is a lot more scope for un-groomed runs, off piste skiing, fresh tracks and unbelievable ski bowl action.

As you can see, no queues here! By the end of the day, we were absolutely the last ones up the mountain. Stu was sure not to forget to get a quick shot before being (subtly) escorted down the mountain.