Route to a ski lover’s heaven
Snow Scene: Kootenays’ Powder Highway a gateway to eight mountain resorts
ROSSLAND — For many in the skiing world, the resorts of the Kootenay’s Powder Highway are secrets they’d rather not share with the public.
The circuit links eight mountain resorts and many times more nordic, heli- and cat-ski operations across 675 kilometres.
“There’s very little out there that can rival the quality and terrain in the Kootenays,” says Ian Johnston, a Vancouver transplant to Rossland, where he skis at Red Mountain.
“If you want powder, you go to the Kootenays,” he says. “If you go to party, you go to Whistler.”
Like most locals, Johnston grudgingly agrees that those along the Powder Highway need to share their light, airy powder bonanza with the world.
The laid-back resorts offer kilometres of trails, massive quantities of vertical metres, heli-skiing and communities where skiing is a passion passed from generation to generation by friendly locals.
The gems along the highway through the pristine valleys of the western slope of the Rockies and the Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges are, starting in the East Kootenay, Fernie Alpine Resort near the mining town of Fernie; Kicking Horse Mountain Resort west of the entrance to Yoho National Park; Kimberley Alpine Resort outside the picturesque city of Kimberley; Panorama Mountain Resort outside Invermere; and Revelstoke Mountain Resort west of Kicking Horse.
Moving into the West Kootenay region, Red Mountain Resort is minutes from the cities of Rossland and Trail; and Whitewater Ski sits above the trendy lakeside city of Nelson.
Fernie averages 11 metres of snow a year and boasts a season from December through April, as do most Kootenay mountains. With a vertical rise of 1,082 metres, it offers 142 runs including five alpine bowls and tree skiing.
At 1,260 metres, Kicking Horse boasts the fourth-highest vertical drop in North America. It boasts 120 runs, 60 per cent of which are rated at advanced or expert. Right at the edge of the Rockies, the resort offers some of the most stunning mountain views in North America.
For hardcore powder aficionados looking for rides through hefty powder fields, Kicking Horse — a.k.a. The Champagne Powder Capital of Canada — and Revelstoke are the destinations of choice. Located outside the charming alpine-themed former mining town from which it takes its name, Kimberley offers 751 vertical metres of skiing served by five lifts.
Panorama has 1,152 hectares of terrain, covering the spectrum from wide-open fall line cruisers to powder-filled tree lines. The area’s Taynton Bowl, once a heliskiing operation, is avalanche-controlled and no backcountry gear is needed. Get your ski legs warmed up first, though, as the bowl is all black runs, but a great place to find powder stashes days after a dump.
Revelstoke proclaims itself to be the only resort worldwide to offer lift, cat-, heli- and backcountry skiing from one village base, with a vertical drop of 1,712 metres. (Catskiing uses snowcats or snowmobiles to access off-trail areas.)
Powder Magazine calls Whitewater “one of the best powder mountains on the continent,” though some would say it’s a tossup between Whitewater and nearby Red Mountain. Whitewater offers 623 vertical metres of riding serviced by four lifts serving 81 alpine runs and 13 Nordic trails.
Nearby Nelson is a year-round tourist destination in itself. Its downtown streets are lined with art and alpine equipment stores and fantastic little eateries.
Red Mountain boasts 890 metres of vertical drop on 110 runs serviced by seven lifts. For the powder-seekers, look no farther than the aptly named Paradise section of Granite Mountain, where locals or the mountain’s Snow Hosts (look for their jackets) can direct skiers to the runs rich with the deep stuff.
“No crowds, good snow. Red Mountain has some of the best deep-tree skiing I have ever seen in my life,” said Johnston, who prefers the powder there to far-off U.S. offerings at Snowbird, Utah, and Sun Valley in Idaho.
Also on the Powder Highway: Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, which offers, in addition to winter skiing, natural hot springs that make it a draw year-round.
And, for the truly powder-crazy looking to shred the deep, there’s heli-skiing or cat-skiing to be found throughout the province but mainly on the Rockies’ eastern slope around Revelstoke and Golden. Cat-skiing is also run through a number of the mountains along the Powder Highway and is a great way to explore offpiste terrain.