Answer Jasper's call of the hill

The snow-covered peaks of Pyramid, Old Man, Whistlers and Edith Cavell surround the small mountain town of Jasper, a popular destination for Albertans, especially skiers and snowboarders looking for a winter weekend getaway.

I can understand the appeal:I have lived and worked in Jasper since May. What started as a summer job has evolved into a year-round occupation. I work at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in the Emerald Lounge and I look forward to spending my first winter in Jasper and exploring all it has to offer.

It may come as a surprise that a girl from Edmonton would give up the city life -- endless shopping, bars and restaurants to fulfil the dreams of any urban 19-year-old --for a small, touristy town where it is impossible not to see someone you know as you meander aimlessly through the streets, covering the entire town in less than a day.

Getting to know Jasper, however, is like getting to know someone who will undoubtedly become a good friend--once the relationship starts, it just keeps getting better.

Of course, Jasper's main winter attraction is Marmot Basin, about a 25-minute drive from the town. Snowfall since the hill's opening day on Nov. 11 has been excellent. In 24 hours from Sunday to Monday, Marmot got 30 centimetres of snow, and it's still coming down. November's snowfall has been a whopping 225 cm.

In fact, everyone who has been on the hill so far has raved about the incredible conditions and the waist-deep powder. They're also thrilled with the new quad chair.

The early snowfall couldn't have been more welcome to Marmot Basin's owners, as they debuted the new high-speed quad chairlift that takes you from the bottom of the hill to the top in a mere seven and a half minutes.

Richard Cooper, a food and beverage manager at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge who has lived in Jasper for more than six years, says the opening conditions were the best he has ever seen.

What does he love most about Marmot Basin? The hill always appeals, he says, because the skiers and snowboarders it attracts have no ego.

"It's a very unpretentious place, there's none of this 'coolest guy on the hill'...everyone is just there to have fun."

If you aren't as enthusiastic about skiing and snowboarding as everyone else, there are many other ways to enjoy Jasper. Fun experiences range from skating on Pyramid Lake or Jasper Park Lodge's Lac Beauvert to more extreme challenges such as ice climbing in Maligne Canyon.

Andrew Stevens, 23, is excited to spend his first winter in Jasper. Employed at the Wild Mountain clothing store, he regularly urges people he encounters to explore the park, a place full of clear, aquamarine lakes and endless expanses of forest.

"Just strap on a pair of snowshoes and explore," he says. "There's so much to see."

Finding an elk grazing outside your door is a daily occurrence, he notes. You could explore the area for days and never come close to seeing it all.

A few must-see sights, when Highway 93 (the Columbia Icefields Parkway) from Jasper to Banff is open to traffic: the Columbia Icefields and the Athabasca Falls. If driving up to Marmot Basin, stop to experience the Edge of the World, where you stand on a cliff and overlook pretty much all of the park.