PUTTING SUMMER ON ICE
Adventure calls at mountain resorts
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
The ski season opens Nov. 28 at Whistler Blackcomb, considered North America’s premier mountain resort.
From its expanse of high-alpine basins studded with ridgelines, couloirs, and glaciers to its mid-mountain trees and lower mountain cruisers, this mountain playground has runs for every level of skier and snowboarder. Recognized for their staggering size, the two mountains offer more than 200 marked ski runs, 3,307 hectares of terrain, 16 alpine bowls, and three glaciers.
You could ski at Whistler for weeks without riding the same line.
Don’t ski but want to sightsee? Whistler Blackcomb’s new 360 Experience is the longest continuous lift system in the world. Skiers, hikers and those just there for the views are now able to travel up one mountain across to the other and down to the valley floor, with only a few steps from cabin to cabin, on the Whistler Village Gondola, Peak 2 Peak, and Blackcomb Gondola. All in, the trip takes roughly one hour and provides spectacular views.
B.C.’S best-known slopeside village is Whistler, where four out of five guest rooms are located within a stone’s throw of the ski lifts.
Fat biking, Nordic, and snowshoe trails are nearby, and hot spots include a cultural centre, art museums, and Merlin’s for iconic shot-ski après.
Post-ski options in the Village range from $4 cans of beer in a pub to fresh oysters and rarefied vodkas in a swanky ice bar.
On average, Whistler Blackcomb receives more than 11 metres of snow per year, and boasts one of the longest ski seasons in North America.
New and Notable: Nov. 24 is the last day to purchase the Epic Pass, and the entire suite of Epic Pass options for the 2019-20 winter season. The new Epic Day Pass offers discounts up to 50 per cent off compared to lift ticket window prices, allowing guests to ski from as low as $95 per day. Three new lifts opened on Whistler Blackcomb for the winter 2018-19. The upgrades included the new 10-seat Blackcomb Gondola,
a new six-passenger, highspeed lift to replace the Emerald Chair, in Whistler’s Family Zone, and a new four-passenger, highspeed Catskinner chair on Blackcomb. Launched last season, Epic Schoolkids Whistler Blackcomb Pack provides five days of free skiing for Canadian and Washington state kindergartners through to Grade 5 students — plus a free lesson and rental for first-time skiers and snowboarders.
SUN PEAKS RESORT
Sun Peaks Resort’s Alps-style village isn’t just ski-in, ski-out but ski-thru. Located at the juncture of the Cariboo and Monashee ranges of the Columbia Mountains, the resort’s variety of hotels and condos sit slopeside, including the majestic Sun Peaks Grand, the European-inspired Lookout Ridge Chalet, and The Burfield, a hostel and boutique hotel in one.
Beyond lodging and restaurants, there’s a healthy mix of activities like a bungee trampoline park, horse-drawn sleigh rides, dog sled tours, slides at the tube park, Nordic skiing, and more, all in easy reach.
The best part? Every bit of it stands within walking or gliding distance of the lifts at the second-largest ski area in Canada.
Located 45 minutes north of Kamloops, Sun Peaks has 1,728 hectares of skiable area, two alpine bowls, 137 runs, and 13 lifts.
New and Notable: Sun Peaks Alpine season pass holders get two free days of skiing at Silverstar Mountain Resort. Sun Peaks Mountain Wine Festival, a partnership between Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country and Sun Peaks, returns Dec. 5-8. Savour rare finds and terroir expressive wines from some of the region’s most celebrated winemakers. Celebrate B.C.’S award-winning wineries at the Sun Peaks Wine and Food Festival, March 5-8, 2020. Two new restaurants open in December: The Magic Cattleguard Taps & Takeout will combine tasty breakfast, lunch, and dinner options with a full bar; while Ohana Deli Market & Meals To-go aims to provide healthy, high quality deli style food.
BIG WHITE SKI RESORT
Known for its even temperatures and dry, light snow as much as its ski-in/ski-out convenience, Big White is a family-first mountain, with 20 on-mountain cafés, delis, pubs and bars, live music, babyand pet-sitters, and more.
Skiers and snowboarders can enjoy 119 designated runs, serviced by 15 lifts, for a total of 1,118 hectares of skiable terrain. Big White has added eight new cabins to Lara’s Gondola, increasing capacity by 50 per cent, making the connection between Happy Valley and the main Village quick and easy.
There’s 25 kilometres of combined Nordic and wilderness trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing lovers, while dogsledding, snowmobiling, sleigh rides, tubing, and skating on Canada’s highest elevation skating rink are sure to entertain.
When the sun goes down, visitors will enjoy the largest night skiing terrain in Western Canada, with 15 hectares of runs lit up Tuesday through Saturday nights
Big White Ski Resort is located 56 kilometres from Kelowna. New and Notable: For anyone who may visit eight or more days this season, adult pre-season season passes are now $769 — after opening day on Nov. 28, they’ll go up to $1,049. B.C. residents can use Big White’s Biggie Cards to save $30 on their first day hitting the slopes, and up to $59 on subsequent days if they reload online. These lift passes give you direct to lift access, meaning there’s no need to wait in the ticket line. Biggie Cards are available in select ski and snowboard shops throughout Kelowna but they are not available on the mountain. The resort grooms all of its green runs, around 50 per cent of its blues, and a handful of blacks — depending on conditions.
MANNING PARK RESORT
Manning Park is a recreational paradise with alpine and Nordic skiing, skating, a tube park, and snowshoeing. Located on the Hope-princeton Highway (Hwy. 3), Manning Park Resort is in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range.
Not only has it got a new chairlift (a new Doppelmayr quad chairlift replaces the iconic Orange Chair) but the whole village of the ski area has had major changes. Manning Park has moved and removed buildings, and is building a new Alpine Guest Services building, which will house the ticket office, rentals and lessons.
Down at the resort level, Manning Park is building more premium cabins. Last winter, the resort built five and is now in the process of building another eight premium cabins to be completed this winter.
New and Notable: Opening weekend is Dec. 7-8, then open seven days a week starting Dec. 13. For Nordic operations, the resort is anticipating opening Nov. 30-Dec. 1, then seven days a week starting Dec. 7 for the Nordic Centre. With a Manning Park season pass, you get reciprocal savings with more than 20 other mountains and two free days at Apex, Mt. Seymour, Mt. Washington and Baldy Mountain Resort.
SILVERSTAR MOUNTAIN RESORT
Think of it as the big mountain with a small-town feel. It offers heaps of champagne powder, a lively mid-mountain ski village with ski-in/ski-out access, and Canada’s first all-inclusive lift ticket.
Its colourful Victorian-inspired village is located at 1,609 metres, with nine on-mountain hotels where guests can ski to and from the door. The village also has 18 food and beverage options, 132 runs, four distinct mountain faces, and a backside with 769 hectares of black and double black diamond runs.
Silverstar is also a prime destination for cross-country skiers, with 105 kilometres of trails that include neighbouring Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, and features a four-kilometre lit track for night skiing, and two certified biathlon ranges.
Silverstar is located 22 kilometres from Vernon and less than an hour from Kelowna’s airport. New and Notable: Seasons passes start from $84 a day. A reciprocal program allows season pass holders two free days skiing or snowboarding at Sun Peaks Resort, Mt. Seymour, and Apex Mountain Resort. Silverstar will host SEISMIC Spring Mountain Festival from March 13 to 22.
APEX MOUNTAIN RESORT
Only 30 minutes from Penticton, Apex Mountain Resort is one of British Columbia’s gems.
This Okanagan Valley resort offers 450 skiable hectares, four lifts, 79 trails, and a variety of bowls, glades and terrain parks to explore, along with a cosy village setting with ski-in/ski-out access and après ski fun.
The website boasts that the nightlife and après ski activities include: bonfires, night skiing, skating, tubing, live music, the famous “Gunbarrel Shots,” an artfully clad moose, a snow-cat DJ booth, shot-skis and gourmet restaurants.
Ski Canada Magazine has rated the Gunbarrel Saloon the best après ski bar in the country.
New and Notable: Cross-country ski along the 56 kilometres worldclass trails at Nickel Plate Nordic Centre. Accommodation options run the gamut with hotels, condos, and even cabins — and all are a snowball’s throw from the action.
KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT
Kicking Horse has undergone Canada’s biggest expansion in skiable terrain — opening up 267 hectares for this ski adventures.
The new terrain includes the legendary Ozone South face (the competition venue for the Freeride World Tour) and Middle Ridge, offering fantastic turns into both Feuz Bowl and Rudi’s Bowl.
To access Ozone, skiers and riders will hike up to Whitewall, ski/ ride down to the saddle and hike up to the top of the face.
The mountain is surrounded by sharp peaks and national parks in nearly all directions, steep canyons with rushing rivers, and high-alpine chutes.
The resort offers 1,359 metres of vertical descent — the fifth biggest vertical in North America.
Tucked between the Purcell and Rocky mountain ranges near Golden, Kicking Horse has more than 1,416 hectares of skiable terrain, 121 runs, four alpine bowls, 85 chutes, and five lifts.
New and notable: Purcell Heli Skiing will be offering its tours right from the heli-pad at the base of
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Purcell has partnered with the Copper Horse and Winston Lodges, allowing for guests to more easily combine resort skiing and a heli-ski experience in one vacation. Wellknown events include the Snow King Mask Parade in February.
REVELSTOKE MOUNTAIN RESORT
Although the town of Revelstoke has more than a century of skiing history, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, with its luxurious ski-in/ ski-out Sutton Place Hotel, only opened in 2007. Its 1,712 vertical metres make it the tallest liftserved ski area in North America.
Top-to-bottom grooming (and the brand new Stellar Chair) give mid-level and on-piste skiers plenty of action (and leg burn), but Revelstoke’s true strength is off-piste.
Glading throughout the mountain’s temperate rainforest has created expanses of tree skiing for different skill levels.
The area, located between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges, has 1,263 hectares of varying terrain with two alpine bowls, and 69 named runs.
New and Notable: Stellar Chair, a new quad chair accessing six new beginner and intermediate runs, is in operation for the 2019-20 season. The Stellar Chair has an upload capacity of 1,800 people per hour with a travel time of just over three minutes.
You can fly directly into Revelstoke. Pacific Coastal Airlines runs flights from Vancouver to Revelstoke two to three times a week from December through to the end of March.
KIMBERLEY ALPINE RESORT
Kimberley Alpine Resort is the first in Canada to have a dedicated track for skinning. Skinning — uphill skiing, up tracking, ski touring, whatever you like to call it — Kimberley’s got a track for you to do it on.
This quaint resort is known for its great skiing, quiet atmosphere and minimal lift lines. The resort is spread out over 728 hectares of skiable area with 80 runs and North America’s largest gladed terrain.
Nordic skiers can head over to the Kimberley Nordic Centre, where a 3.3-kilometre loop is lit up every night of the week.
Kimberley offers a variety of skiin/ski-out accommodation, with a half-dozen hotels in walking distance of the lifts; 33 kilometres of cross-country trails, one of North America’s longest-illuminated night-skiing runs, and a skating rink.
New and Notable: The Kimberley North Star Ski Mo Race in March is their most popular annual event. Start off in the plaza area, skin up the mountain to Kootenay Haus (located at the top of our Easter Chairlift), strap into your downhill skis and descend through the gates to the plaza. Prizes are up for grabs including the grand prize of a heli-skiing trip. For families, Kimberley has a new skating rink and Kidz Korner, where little ones can join dance parties, Wii nights, helmet-decorating events, scavenger hunts, and live entertainment.
FERNIE ALPINE RESORT
Fernie is celebrating 10 years of
Hot Tub Time Machine, as 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the cult ski movie. This film is near and dear to those in Fernie because much of it was filmed at Fernie Alpine Resort and the town of Fernie.
Up to 11 metres of snow blankets this resort each year, ranking it among the snowiest ski and snowboard destinations in Canada.
Fernie Alpine Resort is best known for its light, fluffy powder and vast terrain. It has entire runs through old-growth cedars, great views across the river valley of the Rockies, and a massive rock headwall that acts as a backdrop behind the five alpine bowls.
Fernie’s 142 marked runs will ensure days are spent cruising nonstop fresh fall lines.
With a ride up the Polar Peak chairlift, skiers can launch off the summit of one the highest peaks in the Lizard Range at 1,082 metres. New and Notable: Check out the Snowdreams event in January, Retro Weekend in March (this is when the Hot Tub Time Machine spirit really comes alive) as well as the year-end party Fernival — a free, live outdoor concert for all ages. Take the Hot Tub Time Machine tour — check out filming locations like the plaza area and daylodge at Fernie Alpine Resort as well as in town locations of Main Street (2nd Ave.) and The Brickhouse, located on Main street.
Fernie RV Resort will be offering a glamping experience in its new yurts, available for nightly use year round. The yurts can accommodate families up to six or two sets of couples.