A TALE OF THREE SKI RESORTS
Red Mountain, Revelstoke and Sun Peaks make family of four beginners feel at home
For first-timers, few sports intimidate like skiing.
However, I’m told learning to ski has become easier than ever. Manufacturers have introduced snowboard-inspired technology to make skis more stable and forgiving, while modern boots are comfortable and warm.
As a South African immigrant, skiing doesn’t come naturally, but I tell my Brazilian wife I think this is what real Canadians do: this is what we should do.
Where does a family of four begin? Is it possible to go from zero to blue in just six days? And with so many options, what mountain do we choose? RED MOUNTAIN
Let’s start small, although with 3,850 acres of ski terrain, Rossland’s Red Mountain Resort is no trifle. Laid-back, Red might not have a village stroll or internationally renowned restaurants, but it has two incredible assets for first-timers: the fantastic new Josie Hotel, and guest supervisor Robin Hethey.
No sooner had our van pulled up than we were swept up by both: welcomed warmly with smiles and games in the stylish lobby, and directed to the Josie’s easy-as-pie ski concierge. Within an hour we were geared up at Red Rentals, with Hethey arranging our lessons and organizing fun tents for the kids in our spaciously modern suite.
You cannot stay any closer to Red’s main ski chair than the boutique Josie, a logistical joy for us, people unaccustomed to all the layers and equipment.
Within our first hour of lessons, we graduate from the magic carpet to the ski chair for a green (easiest) run. My daughter quickly proceeds to bomb down the mountain, but she’s always enjoyed french fries over pizza. These two food groups double for beginning ski instruction: straight skis to go, a wedge to stop. Even our three-year-old figured that out pretty quick. By the second hour, we are actually skiing: unbalanced like a newborn foal, but skiing nonetheless.
I have a swell of pride watching them, and the view. Being surrounded by stunning Kootenay winter wilderness is magical.
Although known for its more challenging terrain, Red turned out to be a perfect place to learn: easy to access, no lineups, friendly locals, no worrying someone with our skill level was going to plow into our back.
Returning to the Josie, the ski concierge makes off-loading a cinch. They take care of our boots, skis and poles, and sort out tomorrow’s lift tickets, too.
This small resort has plenty of advantages, especially for families: our kids quickly have the run of the place, we get to know the staff personally, and everything is contained. What’s more, Hethey and her team could drop off and fetch our kids from the convenient Kindercare, granting my wife and I time to tackle runs on our own.
“Parallel will come naturally, you just need to put the hours in,” explains a guide on one of the chairs. As with everyone we meet on Red — and in the town of Rossland a few minutes’ drive down the road — he is in love with the three mountains that make up the resort.
History is on full display in the adjacent Rafters pub, with sepia photos of old school ski teams, various trophies, and boards honouring local Olympic heroes like Nancy Greene Raine, Derek Mayer and Kerrin Lee-gartner. Skiing is a culture as much as a sport. Red proved to be an inspiring introduction to both. REVELSTOKE
After a four-hour snow-packed drive from Rossland, we arrived in Revelstoke, which Outside Magazine recently named as one of North America’s Next Great Ski Towns. American media are a little behind on B.C.’S wonders: Revelstoke has been a great ski town for over a decade.
Located about a 10-minute drive out of town, Revelstoke Mountain Resort is served by the on-site Sutton Place Hotel, several decent restaurants, a few stores, and 3,100 acres of terrain with the longest lift-accessed vertical in North America.
More relevant to beginners is the 15-km-long Last Spike, the continent’s longest ski run. We’d access this green, zigzag track from the new Stellar Chair, a welcome addition for newbies on a mountain known for its deep powder and steep hills.
We lined up with excited locals and a surprisingly high number of Australian, U.K. and American tourists to get fitted for rentals. 20 cm of fresh snow had fallen overnight, and the early morning lineup at the Revelation Gondola was noticeable. However, Revelstoke’s handy RFID lift card system quickly sped things along.
The runs might be steep, but so is the learning curve. My six-year-old and I were already itching for blue intermediate runs, but I couldn’t keep up to her. While my wife perfected her parallel turning technique, I discovered the joys of speed — and what happens when one pushes beyond their talent level. A spectacular wipeout reminded me, rather painfully, that I’m not six years old, flexible as Playdoh, and with the healing powers of Wolverine. Take your time, go at your own pace, and find the joy of simply gliding down the mountain, enjoying the scenery, breathing air so fresh it should be bottled.
Given the number of kids about, Revelstoke is certainly an all-ages affair. Our kids loved their instructors, who work with the Roc Kids Centre and Mountain Childcare. Much like an all-inclusive vacation, we could simply drop off the kids in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. As for lessons, the benefit is obvious and there was little doubt my kids did much better when we weren’t around.
“Everyone has a different level of challenges,” explains our very patient instructor, Matt. Originally from Adelaide, he relocated to Revelstoke a dozen years ago, discovering a mountain community so ideal he never left. “Our job is to help you achieve your goals, from simply getting up in a chair to conquering a black run.”
Matt and his colleagues were certainly helping us achieve ours: before we left Vancouver, I dreamed of being able to see my family on skis, together, enjoying an adventure. On a lovely green run called Big Bend, that dream came true faster, and more clearly, than I could have hoped for.
SUN PEAKS
In less than a week, our confidence on skis appears to have grown with the size of the resort.
If Red is a community mountain, and Revelstoke a full-service resort, Sun Peaks represents a more traditional ski getaway. Located 45 minutes’ drive from Kamloops, the resort has grown from a single mountain in the early ’90s into Canada’s second largest ski area, bursting with energy, a charming village, and a growing all-year community.
We may not be tackling any wild blue or black runs yet, but we have started to zip between trees and explore Sun Peak’s sprawling powder.
We holed up in a comfortable suite at the Coast Sundance Lodge, just steps away from the mountain base lifts which shoot off in different directions. By now, layering up had become easier, and having had the opportunity to try various styles of boots and skis, the rental equipment we picked up at the Elevation store slipped on without much effort.
Comprised of three mountains, Sun Peaks offers the full village apres/shopping/dining experience. I met several Australian families on their summer holidays, and all believed the extra effort to get to Sun Peaks was worth it.
Ski veterans tell me Sun Peaks is the perfect family mountain, with gorgeous runs for all levels. Our instructor, Kate, guides us to a run off the Morrisey Express called In the Sticks, allowing us to slalom between patches of wonderland forest. Above the Sunburst Express, the whole family skis down a green run called Cahilty, and once again I’m struck by how obvious a delight skiing is, and how it will only get better as our skills improve, and the kids get older. For now, they’re happy to escape the chill and be dropped off at the Sundance Kids Centre, making friends from around the world.
The climax of our journey takes place at night. My wife and I sign up for the Alpine Fondue and Starlight Descent, which takes place in the mid-mountain Sunburst Bar + Eatery. She’s nervous we don’t yet possess the skill to descend the freshly groomed 5 Mile trail by flashlight, but we’re in the safe hands of volunteer Sun Peaks veterans, and a belly full of wine, cheese and chocolate goes a long way.
Buoyed by fine company — including two Antipodean families with independent teenage kids to give us hope — we group up for the nighttime adventure.
Throughout our journey, the B.C. interior had been hit by snowstorms and an unseasonal cold snap. Temperatures at the base of Revelstoke and Sun Peaks had fallen to -25C, and low clouds had boxed us in. Tonight, on cue, the temperature warms and the stars sparkle. Halfway down the hill, after carving a series of figure-eights, we stop to switch off our headlamps and admire the sweeping galaxies above. Surely this is as good as it gets.
We spent just six days learning to ski on a two-week road trip. It has fundamentally changed the way we look at winter, and already we’re eyeing Vancouver’s mountains with a new-found interest. At last I understand why skiers are so excited each winter.
If you ski already, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you don’t, perhaps it’s time for your family to hit the hills.