Snow
Drought? Not in B.C.!
by Steven
Threndyle
British Columbia's sheer size and geographic diversity means that
there’s always snow falling somewhere in abundance. Skiing in BC
occurs in four mountain regions – some of which are bigger than entire
states. From west to east, there's the Coast Range, Thompson-Okanagan,
the Interior Ranges, and the Rocky Mountains – the latter is 'shared'
along the Continental Divide with the province of Alberta to the east.
Literally thousands of sub-ranges fall within this vast area, and
variations in mountain microclimates mean that mountains a few
kilometres from each other can have vastly different snowfall
accumulation.
COAST RANGE – The Ph.D (Piled High
and Deeper) of BC Skiing
Canada's largest and most famous
winter destination, Whistler, is located smack-dab in the north
Pacific storm track. When the weather clears, rugged, majestic peaks
thrust skyward and endless glacier-carved valleys flow to the horizon.
The panorama of skiable terrain truly boggles the mind.
Whistler's huge, wet flakes bond
particularly well to rocks, cliffs, alpine meadows, trees – making a
forgiving base. The terrain matches the snow conditions perfectly, by
offering up a combination of country-mile wide open glacier skiing and
near-vertiginous chutes and gullies that remain packed with
storm-driven snow all year-round. For this reason, Whistler has
attracted the crème de la crème of ski and snowboard talent from all
over the world.
Combined
with the services and amenities provided by a superbly-planned village
and state of the art lift system, Whistler has moved to the forefront
of North American skiing in the last decade – an aesthetic and
financial success, based on two fabulous mountains and solid, reliable
snow conditions.
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – A Great Place
to Earn Your Powder Stripes
Set in an arid, semi-desert climate
that couldn't be more different than the Coast Range, BC’s Thompson/Okanagan
tourism region is known more for its verdant vineyards and shimmering
freshwater lakes. Here, the major cities of Penticton, Kelowna,
Vernon, and Kamloops receive over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually.
Lift operators at Apex Resort, Big White, Silver Star Mountain Resort,
and Sun Peaks often sport raccoon-tans in mid-January. Still, snowfall
is incredibly reliable and you can still ski first tracks for days
after a major snowfall. There are just enough people staying at each
of the three mountains to make the après-ski scene interesting, yet
not enough to ever feel like you’re skiing in an urbanized resort.
At the south end of the valley, Apex
Resort (40km west of Penticton) is a mountain that never has a lift
line and boasts more double-black diamond runs than other resorts
three times its size. Locally-owned and operated, the skiing here
offers incredible value, especially if you love racking up thousands
of feet of vertical on steep, mogul-studded slopes.
Head for either Big White Resort
(55km east of Kelowna), or Silver Star Mountain Resort (22km east of
Vernon). Both mountains are under the same ownership and offer joint
ski-week packages which enable you to conveniently ski at both
mountains. Silver Star’s Vance Creek side and any of the lifts
accessed from Big White’s village offer easy cruising on blue-square
slopes – some are wide-open bowls, others sweetly-spaced glades, or
superbly groomed trails. With a foot of powder – a frequent occurrence
at both mountains – Big White and Silver Star offer the perfect
opportunity to experience powder skiing in an unintimidating
environment.
Sun Peaks Resort (50km northeast of
Kamloops) is a serious contender when it comes to terrain, snowfall,
and abundance of ski-in/ski-out lodging. For 2002-03, Sun Peaks has
opened up an entirely new north-facing mountain that will serve up
talcum-dry Interior powder on a regular basis. While skiing at Sun
Peaks, don’t miss the opportunity to ski a few turns (if you can keep
up) with Nancy Greene-Raine, Gold Medallist in the 1968 Grenoble
Olympic Games and proprietor of Nancy Greene’s Cahilty Lodge, a superb
slopeside condo hotel. Whether skiing in fresh powder or on groomed
corduroy, Nancy’s infectious spirit will improve your skiing enjoyment
in no time.
BC Rockies – Big New Resorts on
the Cutting Edge of Skiing and Snowboarding
Perhaps the most exciting skiing and
snowboarding in BC right now is happening at four resorts located on
the west side of the Continental Divide in the BC Rockies. The
mountain ranges here enjoy bountiful, deep snow and yet seldom
experience the bone-rattling chill found in other parts of the
Rockies.
Now in its third season, Kicking
Horse Mountain Resort is ready to deliver on the promise of being the
first major destination resort to open in over two decades. Located in
a fabulously scenic mountain range just outside of historic Golden,
Kicking Horse receives over 700 cm of snow each winter, and the
quality is second to none. In fact, Kicking Horse calls itself the
"Champagne Powder Capital of the World" – no idle boast in a province
that gets as much snowfall as BC does.
Kicking Horse also has the most
unique "first tracks" program offered anywhere. Ski groups can stay
overnight at the summit of the mountain in the luxurious Eagle’s Eye
Suites, and, snowfall permitting, get a head start on the paying
public by skiing several early morning runs with their own private
guide. Only two of these plush suites are offered, making this one of
the most exclusive experiences. Kicking Horse offers over 2,500
skiable acres (including the new Feuz Bowl, opening this season). On
many days, skiers number in the hundreds, making this a vast powder
paradise that you can truly get lost in.
South of Kicking Horse, Panorama
Mountain Resort recently opened some of the most ambitious powder
territory. For years, Taynton Bowl lay tantalizingly just beyond the
area boundary, a steep, gladed basin with true big-league vertical. As
a resort that cemented its reputation on serving families with long,
easy cruising terrain, Panorama’s new expansion puts it on a footing
with Whistler-Blackcomb – no coincidence, really, since Whistler and
Panorama are both owned by Intrawest Corporation, the most successful
mountain resort developer in North America.
Another plus to skiing at Panorama is
the opportunity to go day heli-skiing with R.K. Heli Ski. Their
landing pad is a short walk from the Panorama Village, and offers the
easiest way to try skiing’s ultimate experience in an easy,
non-threatening environment. First-time heli-skiers are their
specialty.
Fernie Alpine Resort gets a whopping
875 centimetres of snow each winter – over 28 feet, for folks who
haven’t converted to metric, yet. The spine-like profile of the Lizard
Range gives Fernie Alpine Resort one of the most picturesque backdrops
in all of Canada.
Skiing families might want to check
out Kimberley Resort, which lies an hour or so west of Fernie. The
mountain serves up a superb mix of beginner, intermediate, and expert
terrain. Like Fernie, Kimberley Resort is owned by Resorts of the
Canadian Rockies and features an abundance of on-slope accommodation.
