My Banff ski holiday: bluebird spring days, unreal powder, and lots to love off the slopes

Eagle Creek on Goat's Eye Mountain at Banff Sunshine Village. The magic starts before you even clip in: riding the Goat's Eye lift gives you some of the most breathtaking views in the Canadian Rockies. But the run itself is just pure fun, a gorgeous, tree-lined creek bed packed with natural play features and soft bumps shaped by the roots beneath the snow. Because it stays blissfully quiet, you often get to carve through the trees feeling like you have the entire mountain to yourself.

We stayed at the Mount Royal Hotel. If you want to be right in the action on Banff Avenue, this is the spot. The hotel feels new, with comfortable, generous rooms and fantastic rooftop hot tubs overlooking the peaks. The ski bus stops outside, which makes getting to Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Mt. Norquay easy. It's a bit light on communal hangout space indoors, but being surrounded by the town's top spots easily makes up for that.

What I love about Banff is that après can be whatever you want it to be. It covers everything from relaxed local pubs to high-end cocktails.

For an authentic local feel, Tommy's and Elk & Oarsman are brilliant spots for darts and chatting with seasonaires, while The Rose & Crown does half-price wine on Wednesdays. If you're looking for a party, High Rollers is iconic for Sunday Funday DJs (and bowling on weeknights), and Dancing Sasquatch is the go-to nightclub. For something elevated, I'd recommend grabbing a cocktail at The Fairmont Banff Springs and wandering around the castle that reminds most people of Hogwarts.

Food-wise, the town caters to every budget and cuisine imaginable. Block Kitchen + Bar and Bear Street Tavern are personal standouts. And for morning coffee, I'd always choose Wild Flour Bakery, Whitebark Cafe or Good Earth.

Literally everyone! I started my snowboarding journey on these slopes as a total beginner and progressed to double black diamonds, so I can safely say the terrain progression is second to none.

Absolutely, I'll always go back. Having lived in Banff for two winter seasons and then gone back for a holiday, it still gives me that instant 'I'm home' feeling the second I arrive. At first, I thought that deep attachment was just because I'd lived there, but without fail, every single person I've ever spoken to who has visited Banff feels the exact same pull. Once Banff gets under your skin, you're hooked for life.

Stepping off the shuttle bus and arriving back in Banff for the first time in five years. Looking up at the iconic view of Cascade Mountain towering over the town at the end of Banff Avenue, and feeling that immediate sense of being back home, was pure magic. No matter how many years pass, that view never loses its magic!