CALGARY -- It’s an annual tradition during the holidays for many families, who flock to the mountains to enjoy fresh powder and snake their way down the slopes.

Calgary and area ski hills were busy on Monday as ski bums took in the fresh mountain air, following last week’s massive snowfall.

“Skiing and snowboarding is bringing a simple joy,” said Matt Mosteller, spokesperson for Nakiska Ski Area.

“Certainly there are a lot of people interested in getting outside, in fact more than ever, we’ve seen the interest in skiing and snowboarding.”

Mosteller says Nakiska has been booking up fast, and for anyone looking to head out to mountain, they should check online for any available slots for the slopes.

Mosteller says weekends and the days leading up to weekends have been extremely busy, adding that people have been turned away.

He suggests taking a drive mid-week, and planning ahead.

Sunshine Mountain ski lift

Long lines at Sunshine

The same can be said for Sunshine Village. That resort saw long lines of people last month, that snaked through the parking lot.

But with a mandatory mask policy in place for all places at the resort, including outside, staff there hope to continue serving as many ski enthusiast as possible.

“Safety comes first,” said Kendra Scurfield, a spokesperson for Banff/Sunshine Village.

“And this year it’s more about staying open and staying safe, than it is about accommodating everyone at the same point in time.”

Scurfield says that they have had to turn people away at the bottom of the mountain, but recommends for anyone looking to catch some fresh powder to plan ahead and possibly make a booking days or weeks in advance.

“With the reductions in our capacity, our gondola was designed to carry eight people up the mountain at a time,” said Scurfield.

“This year we are only loading our gondola with members of the same carpool or family.”

 Scurfield says a new afternoon lift ticket has been offered this year, due to demand for access to the hill.

During the holidays it's available for $79 in an effort to attract more people.