Each November, it calls to powder hounds like a siren. It’s Canadian snow, dumping on steep glades, tree runs and broad alpine bowls that seem to go on forever when you point the tips downhill and push off. We know it’s up there, in quantity. Many ski-in-ski-out British Columbia resorts reliably receive up to seven metres (23 ft) of wintery bliss in a given season on some of the most spectacular terrain in North America.
Here’s a sampling of what’s on offer at a few of Canada’s top mountain properties. Many operations open in mid-November and close in May; shoulder-season rates typically apply before Christmas and after April. Early-bird discounts, kids ski free, extended-stay deals and gear-rental incentives are all designed to reward those who reserve early. To get the best deal, be sure to book through your preferred travel specialist or a reputable ski-tour professional. And no pushing and shoving at the airport, please. Rest assured, there’s enough snow up there for all of us.
Whistler Blackcomb, BC
It’s consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in the world for a reason: Whistler Blackcomb is the whole package. Multiple terrain parks and half-pipes, heli-skiing and -boarding, and a mind-boggling 3,307 ha (8,172 ac) of terrain in total. With more than 200 trails to explore, you’ll only scratch the surface of what’s on offer here. Brave the dizzying 4.4-km (2.7 mi) PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola that links the two mountains of this resort that millions admired during the 2010 Winter Games. Whistler’s pedestrian-only village has a European flavor, with world-class restaurants, shopping, nightlife and activities. It’s just two hours north of Vancouver on an almost totally rebuilt highway. Typical ski-and-stay packages offer a third night free. Plan to head up for the TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival—North America’s biggest celebration of mountain culture held every spring.
Marmot Basin, Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, AB
Nestled in the great national parks of the Canadian Rockies, these three Alberta ski areas showcase great snow, incredible historic properties like The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and The Fairmont Banff Springs, and the pure blue-sky majesty of the Canadian winter. Lake Louise and Sunshine Village offer excellent snow and jaw-dropping panoramas of glacier-carved alpine lakes, cirques and bowls. Marmot Basin offers the longest high-speed quad on the Alberta-side of the Rocky Mountains, whisking guests up almost 600 m (1,969 ft) of elevation gain in less than 10 minutes. This part of the country is best enjoyed by more independent adventurers who can rent a car and make their way between the ski areas over a week-and-a-half along the famed Icefields Parkway, with a stop to visit the Athabasca Glacier along the Continental Divide.
Sun Peaks Resort, BC
With 1,488 skiable ha (3,677 ac) of terrain—the third-largest in Canada—plus 882 m (2,894 ft) of vertical and 122 runs (including 12 glade areas), it’s no surprise that Condé Nast Traveller magazine recently rated Sun Peaks “the second best resort in Canada, next to Whistler.” The resort was designed as ski-in/ski-out, so you’ll find a ski-through village of hotels, restaurants, spas, shops and great nightspots. Typical offers include kids 12 and under ski free (when booked through a tour operator), extra nights free and early-bird discounts. Early each January, the Sun Peaks Family Cup means five days of on-snow fun for the whole clan.
Silver Star Mountain Resort, BC
If you’re going to the trouble of crossing an ocean, the snow better be worth it when you get there. More than seven metres (23 ft) of the stuff reliably lands on Silver Star Mountain Resort’s 1,240 ha (3,064 ac) of terrain each year and—like most of the snow in British Columbia’s interior region—it falls as light, dry “champagne” powder. There’s 760 m (2,493 ft) of descent from the top of the mountain, with everything from groomed cruisers to glades and steeps, plus comfortable daytime temperatures that average -5º C (23º F). In other words, conditions are perfect. The resort is surrounded by literally millions of hectares of snowy wilderness that Canadians call “the backcountry,” and there are many opportunities to enjoy it beyond the lifts, including guided tours where you strap on lightweight snowshoes to walk safely atop powder that you would otherwise sink in to your waist.
Big White Ski Resort, BC
Named one of the top five family ski resorts in the world by UK’s The Times, Big White—in British Columbia’s Okanagan wine-growing region—boasts 118 runs, 1,000-plus ha (over 2,470 ac) and a huge selection of activities for tots to teens and beyond, including a big terrain park, ice skating, snowshoeing, bonfire nights and more. This is one destination that has it all. Like Silver Star Mountain Resort, this is a self-contained ski-in-and-ski-out resort village, where skiing and riding is accessible from your doorstep. The sister properties share something else, too: fluff. From mid-November to mid-April, more than 700 cm (276 in) of champagne powder falls here, virtually guaranteeing incredible skiing and snowboarding. The fluff creates world-famous “snow ghosts”—powder-caked trees that take on a “ghostly” appearance. There’s really nothing else like ‘em anywhere in the world.
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, BC
Located 14 km (8.7 mi) above the town of Golden, BC, two-and-a-half hours west of Calgary, AB, Kicking Horse Resort is the first four-season mountain resort to open in the Rockies region in 25 years. Surrounded by six national parks, and boasting 1,112 ha (2,748 ac) of terrain and a vertical drop of 1,260 m (4,134 ft)—the second highest in Canada—Kicking Horse is a raw and rugged “big mountain” Canadian ski experience. The resort’s got massive alpine bowls and ridges, well suited for advanced skiers, and optional heli-skiing.
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