Win the Ultimate Ski Getaway

True powderhounds know that waking up early for first tracks is a good idea. But waking up on the mountain? That’s genius—and it doesn’t get any better than at Sunshine Mountain Lodge inside Canada’s Banff National Park.

Actually it does get better: You could win the ultimate getaway to Sunshine Mountain Lodge and score three nights in a deluxe room plus next-day lift tickets for two. That’s what’s up for grabs in this exclusive giveaway.

Perched at 7,200 feet on the Continental Divide, the lodge is the only ski-in, ski-out hotel inside Banff National Park—and the only hotel in Canada you reach exclusively by gondola. After a gorgeous ride up, you arrive at a snowy island in the sky ringed by the sharp peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Here you’re just 15 minutes from charming Banff and 90 minutes from Calgary International Airport, but you might as well be a world away—it’s just you and the mountains.

And the snow. Sunshine Village gets 30 annual feet of light, dry, all-natural Champagne powder, and with consistently cold temps, the skiing lasts from mid-November into late May. (Heated seats on two chairlifts help take the edge off the chilliest days.)

But geography is the real luxury: Three mountains spill into 3,300 acres of wide-open bowls, pitched steeps, and playful tree zones where you can ski two provinces in one run. Families can zoom groomers on the abundant corduroy off Lookout and Goat’s Eye, while certified ski beasts can tackle the legendary off-piste challenge on Delirium Drive. Everywhere, views stretch deep into the Canadian Rockies: On a clear day, the imposing pyramid of 11,870-foot Mount Assiniboine punctuates the horizon.

But when day skiers funnel back toward Banff, it’s like the mountain exhales and Sunshine Mountain Lodge really shines.Legs tired from a day on the slopes? Slide into the sprawling outdoor hot tub to watch alpenglow fade across Goat’s Eye Mountain before enjoying intimate aprés at four different restaurants (don’t miss the AAA Alberta beef at the Eagle’s Nest). With only 84 rooms, the lodge guests quickly become a community sharing the spa, bar, gym, family room, or fireside while making s’mores. Step outside again before bed: With no traffic and no ambient light, the Milky Way can feel close enough to touch, and if you’re lucky you might catch ghostly green or purple northern lights weaving above the peaks.

The real reward comes in the morning, of course. Lodge guests get to roll out of bed and grab first chair the second ski patrol drops ropes. An untouched canvas of white spreads out before you, announcing the brief window when Sunshine is your mountain. That feeling alone will power you until last chair, when you stumble jelly-legged 50 steps back to your room, dreaming of the next morning—no commute required.

Banff Sunshine Village, located just 90 minutes west of Calgary International Airport in Banff National Park, is famous for Canada’s best snow, hottest chairs, longest season, and the only ski-in/ski-out hotel in a Canadian national park.