From little hill to big mountain
Transitioning the family from Ontario’s bunny hills to B.C.’s biggest and best
I remember feeling overwhelmed the first time I skied Whistler-Blackcomb — as an adult — so I was apprehensive about how my kids, then 7 and 5, would handle Panorama Mountain Village, a large ski resort in B.C.’s Purcell Mountains.
They both learned how to ski at Canada Olympic Park, a small hill covered with (mostly) man-made snow, on the outskirts of Calgary. Our daughter and her little brother mastered their snowplows and learned how to stop on its groomed, gently sloped runs. If we got separated at the top, a minute later we reunited at the base of the chairlift. It felt safe. Our goal as a skiing family, however, was to journey farther west to the big resorts in the Rockies and beyond, into the vast whiteout of British Columbia. But truthfully, though my husband and I love the challenge of varied terrain and endless acres of snow, we worried our children would get run down by speeding snowboarders, become lost in the woods or simply go on strike mid-mountain, necessitating a search or rescue response.
In reality, while there were some mishaps during that Panorama weekend — our son lost control on the bunny hill and crashed into a padded pylon, and our daughter got us hopelessly lost in the Secret Forest kid zone — we loved the freedom, big-mountain views and variety on offer, from hot pools to EuroBungy.
Now the kids are 10 and 8, we head west nearly every winter weekend to chase powder in Fernie, B.C. We’ve yet to call in ski patrol, so it’s fair to say I’ve got the whole resort thing dialed. You, too, can transition your family from the local hill to B.C.’s big mountains by following these tips.
Take advantage of resort programming Sign up the kids for lessons on the first day, so they can brush up on their skills and meet some ski buddies, while you suss out the best runs and rest stops. A great way to do this is through a free mountain tour (available at most resorts) led by volunteer Mountain Hosts who ski the terrain daily and can tailor tours to your ability.
“You don’t want to go the wrong way and get lost,” says Kyle Taylor with Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops. “Mountain tours are a great way to get the lay of the land.”
Better yet, opt for a private family lesson at Whistler Blackcomb. This new offering pairs families with an instructor who acts as a personal guide, providing skiing tips and lift line priority while showing you the powder stashes.
Seek out the family zone My husband and I love to sip coffee by the outdoor fire and watch our daughter ski laps off of the platter lift in Fernie’s family zone, or pop in to the adjacent café for a hot chocolate when our son needs a break from the beginner runs.
“Family learning areas are great places to hang out,” says Matt Mosteller with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, which owns Fernie, Kicking Horse and Kimberley in B.C.
“It’s a sharing environment where you can meet other families and find out information about the resort — the best runs to ski for your family’s ability.”
The extensive Discovery Zone at Panorama includes multiples lifts that access-easy family runs, as well as a new kid-themed Canadian Discovery Trail designed to engage children. And at Whistler Blackcomb, a “Family Certified” icon is displayed on family runs, and flags and additional signage indicate child- and beginner-friendly terrain.
Stay slopeside There’s nothing more stressful than loading up a rental car with gear every morning, driving to the resort and then trying to find parking while the kids complain (already!) about tight boots and itchy neck warmers.
Cut the daily drive from your itinerary by choosing a resort with a range of ski-in, ski-out accommodations. We’ve stayed at on-mountain hotels in family-friendly Big White and Silver Star and simply walked outside for first tracks. We’ve also enjoyed a slopeside condo with full kitchen at Lizard Creek Lodge in Fernie, where we can pop in for ski breaks or lunch and where our skis are helpfully stored in a locker room close to the chairlift.
Opt for a smaller big resort “Go big or go home” is an adage that need not apply to your family ski trip west. There are plenty of B.C. resorts that offer a big mountain experience in a more contained environment.
At 1,000 skiable acres and just over 1,000 metres of vertical, Fernie Alpine Resort is small by B.C. standards, but still nearly 10 times as big as Ontario’s Blue Mountain. You can downsize to a resort such as Kimberley, with its more manageable 720 hectares, five lifts and beginner and intermediate runs that funnel down to the base. Or even upsize to Sun Peaks, which is huge but feels like your own private mountain thanks to the lack of people on-piste.
“You’re never waiting in line and you’re never shoulder-checking for other skiers,” says Taylor.
Hit a smaller Vancouver-area resort such as Cypress Mountain (240 hectares/610 vertical metres) as a warm up on the way to Whistler, or seek out a unique ski holiday by tackling the powder at Whitewater (474 hectares/623 vertical metres) near funky Nelson, B.C. No matter which mountain you choose, there’s one universal factor you’ll have an easy time adjusting to: B.C.’s soft, powdery snow — it makes those inevitable wipeouts infinitely more forgiving.