Lake Louise is big and great for everyone, but not everyone makes the most of their visit.

The front runs are long. If it's not crowded and there is fresh snow and it hasn't been too warm these are legendary, with beautiful pitch and fantastic views. Unfortunately, a lot of the time they are crowded and icy, especially on weekends, or if the spring sun has been beating them down.

The Larch area can also be fantastic, but the last several times I've been to Lake Louise Larch has been scrapy moguls, same problem as the front side: too many people and too much sun.

So, stay high. And if you can handle the steep back bowls stay on them as much as possible. When the winds are right they deposit snow into the bowls. If you can't handle the black runs, there are intermediate runs on the back that should work for you.

Go high, stay high if it's warm, focus on the backside if it's been windy, and you'll have a great time.

Any tourist visiting Alberta should ski Sunshine Village one day and Lake Louise another day. They are two quite different experiences. Ask for advice from a local, or take a free tour, so you don't end up in the icy moguls at Lake Louise or on the flat boring bits at Sunshine Village.