After a year-long restoration project, the oldest backcountry ski lodge in the Rockies has re-opened.

Assiniboine Lodge, about 45 kilometres southwest of Canmore, has been closed since May of last year for the project which included the rebuild of its rotting foundation.

The family of Olympic skier Sara Renner has run the lodge for more than 30 years; they tell The Calgary Herald it was an enormous undertaking but didn’t change the character of the building.

The remote lodge is only accessible by hiking, skiing or helicopter and attracts guests from around the world to enjoy a little bit of comfort and luxury in the middle of the wilderness.