Banff National Park

(Epic.)

One of the resounding epic photos that I will always remember seeing is a shot of Moraine Lake at Banff National Park. Just take a look at the photo below...there could not possible be a word to describe how unspeakably gorgeous that place is. Sublime? Picturesque? Those don't even do it a justice!

Anyways, Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada is home to some of the prettiest mountains and forest land Canada has to offer. It is also home to Lake Louise, a small hamlet where the famous ski resort of the same name is located.

(Lake Louise with the glacier in the background. I remember what it used to look like years ago but how much it has moved! Just kidding.)

Now that there are roads built throughout Banff National Park, a majority of this gorgeous place is now accessible to anyone willing to travel 80 miles west of Calgary, the capital of the central western Canadian province of Alberta. The 2,564 square miles of forest, lakes, rivers, mountains and wildlife are waiting to be explored and discovered by the adventurous type.

Wanaka

Located in the heart of New Zealand's South Island, Wanaka is a quaint resort town with an array of both summer and winter outdoor recreational activities available. Residing in the state of Otago, and 75 miles from Queenstown (one of the only bigger towns or cities in the greater area), Wanaka has a tremendous outdoorsy feel and a calming isolation from the hustle and bustle of everyday New Zealand life. I have a good friend from high school who attends college at the University of Otago in Dunedin which is over 100 miles away, but her family has a house in Wanaka and she spends a lot of her summer (and New Zealand's winter) skiing. There are four ski areas in the Wanaka region that are easily accessible including Treble Cone, Cardrona Alpine Resort, Snow Park and Snow Farm.

(Hiking to the summit of Treble Cone. Great looking snow shot. Imagine slaloming down that powder!)

Now I realize the last few posts have been solely about skiing but that is not completely what I am about. There is a ton of hiking, mountain biking and bungee jumping to be done in New Zealand and the South Island is where there is the heaviest concentration of outdoors. There is also a lot of geological attractions in New Zealand because of neighboring active volcanoes.

(A quaint cafe in Wanaka. Check out those sublime mountains dominating the background.)

The town of Wanaka is located at the south end of Lake Wanaka, New Zealand's fourth largest lake, and is completely surrounded by mountains. There is a lot of swimming, fishing and water sports available on the lake and through the various resorts located around the lake and in the town of Wanaka.

(Yup. That's about right. Epic.)

Sochi

This Russian resort city was selected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite a more mild climate than one would expect from a Russian city, Sochi, located on the Black Sea, is expected to be a prime location to host the Olympic Games. While temperatures hover above freezing in the city, the Caucasus Mountains looming in the background will provide the skiing and other outdoor ice sports venues. (Looks like a prime spot for the winter games, or just a nice cruise.)
Certainly a shocking selection by the IOC, the Sochi Games are expected to be a great success with construction already underway. The plans for Sochi's Olympic Park are to have all of the indoor arenas be within walking distance of one another to promote fan friendliness.

(Unfortunately they have snowboarders in Russia too...not that I wasn't expecting it from them.)

As for the skiing, the events will be held 37 miles away at Krasnaya Polyana, a posh ski resort offering a wide variety of chalets, hotels and restaurants. Krasnaya Polyana made its name in the 1990s because of the heli-skiing it offered. With a vertical drop of over 5,500 feet, there is a whole bundle of terrain to explore.

(Yea, I'd hit that. Notice the guy climbing up towards the bottom? What a boss.)