David & Karen's Hiking Page

The Place to Ski is BC!

As much as we like hiking, in terms of fun & excitement you can't beat downhill skiing. Although far from experts we have enjoyed the slopes at a number of fine resorts. (Including a trip to Lake Tahoe). Here are our thoughts on the places we have been with some fast facts.

I find the statistics to most ski resorts misleading so I have 'translated' them. Chairs mean actual chairlifts and not total lifts (gondolas, rope tows) because it's a more accurate reflection of the facilities available. It is also important to note the amount of skiable terrain, as it is more accurate than runs because of the inconsistency over what consists of a separate 'run'. Finally the vertical drop will give you an idea of how long you can ski before you must queue for the lift again.

Local Ski Resorts

Whistler Mountain, Whistler
Primary (Upper) Lifts: 3 (high speed quads) plus a T-Bar connector
Mid Mountain Lifts: 3 (high speed quads) plus two fixed doubles and a triple
Lower Lifts: 3 (two gondolas and a high speed quad)
Terrain: 4757 acres with a vertical drop of 5020ft
Note: The creekside gondola is much more comfortable and has closer (underground) parking
Blackcomb Peak , Whistler
Primary (Upper) Lifts: 2 (both quads) plus a quad & t-bar as connectors, and a t-bar to the glacier
Mid Mountain Lifts: 2 (both quads) plus two additional triple chairs
Lower Lifts: 2 (a gondola and a high speed quad)
Terrain: 3414 acres with a vertical drop of 5280ft
Note: A t-bar and a little hiking will bring you to the glacier, a unique run with a long (and flat) run out

Comments: Its really unfair to compare Whistler/Blackcomb to other Canadian resorts. With over 8k of terrain & a mile of vert it is in a class by itself. In fairness however it is really two distinct mountains that were always marketed together and are now owned by the same company. Presently a magnet for foreign tourists expect big crowds and line-ups at the most popular lifts (Harmony & 7th Heaven). Fortunately all the major lifts are detachable quads so they keep moving. It is the most expensive resort in BC but its cheaper than similar American resorts and it is second to none in quality. The variety of terrain is also worth noting as it makes the hill virtually weather proof, if conditions are poor in one area chances are they will be better somewhere else. A dual mountain pass is standard although its practically impossible to explore all the available terrain the in the same day. The only negative thing you could say about Whistler is that IntraWest seems to be solely concerned with wealthy customers. You will find lots of signs in German and Japanese but it is nearly impossible to find a spot to have a brown bag lunch.

Cypress Mountain, West Vancouver
Primary Lifts: 4 (three quads & a double) - plus two additional chairs that service the bunny hill.
Terrain: 1482 acres with a vertical drop of 2010ft
Comments: No longer just the best local ski hill, expansion and infrastructure improvements have transformed Cypress into one of the better ski resorts in the province. Two of the new lifts are high speed quads and the third nearly doubles the skiable terrain.

Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver
Primary Lifts: 2 (two high speed quads)
Terrain: 212 acres with a vertical drop of 1260ft
Comments: Grouse Mountain features a gondola that picks up passengers from within the realm of public transit and thus is great if you don't happen to have a car. This also means loads of teenagers. Grouse is the only local hill that dedicates itself to snow making (they are the only ones that really need it) and they specialise in many non-ski related attractions (skating ring, sleigh rides, movie theatre, etc.)

Mount Seymour, North Vancouver
Primary Lifts: 3 (all fixed doubles)
Terrain: 600 acres with a vertical drop of 1115ft
Comments: As the smallest of the local Vancouver ski hills Seymour is also the most affordable and its gentle terrain is ideal for beginner skiers. However lots of hiking is needed to get between its really old and extremely slow lifts which, especially on weekends, have endless line-ups.

Hemlock Valley, Mission
Primary Lifts: 2 (a triple & a double - both fixed) plus a fixed double on the bunny hill
Terrain: 300 acres with a vertical drop of 1200ft
Comments: A local hill to those living in the Fraser Valley, skiing area is basically a broad clearcut along one side of the hill with a slow lift at either end. A nice inexpensive resort but be prepared to spend a lot of time waiting in line and not just for the lifts. From the road to the cafeteria this place is in desperate need of infrastructure improvements and better management. The mountain & the snow itself however are fine. Under new management, we'll see...

Mt. Baker, Glacier - Washington State
Primary Lifts: 7 (all quads)
Terrain: 1000 acres with a vertical drop of 1500ft
Comments: Few places on earth get as much snow as Mt. Baker (world record 98/99). Nice sized resort with lots of terrain to explore and few crowds.

Resorts in the BC Interior

Manning Park, Manning Provincial Park
Primary Lifts: 2 (two fixed doubles plus beginner lifts)
Terrain: 190 acres with a vertical drop of 1417ft.
Comments: Comparable in size & facilities to a local resort but without the crowds. The three hour drive to this resort may have something to do with that.

Big White, Kelowna
Primary Lifts: 7 chairs (4 quads, a double, triple & T-Bar) plus gondola and beginner lifts
Terrain: 2765 acres with a vertical drop of 2550ft.
Comments: No longer the 'second largest resort in BC' - Big White recently purchased nearby Silverstar and is offering dual mountain passes. Unfortunately there is more than an hours worth of driving between the two resorts (although helicopter transportation is available). Much like Whistler this resort depends on outside tourists for most of its revenue however the ones that come here tend to be in a lower tax bracket. Once the undisputed king of the interior recent developments at both Sun Peaks & Silverstar have stolen a little of its luster. However the resort is nearly flawless with the only real knock against it being the weather, at times this place is fog central.

Sun Peaks, Kamloops
Primary Lifts: 6 (4 quads plus a triple and a t-bar) plus a couple platter lifts
Terrain: 3491 acres with a vertical drop of 2891ft.
Comments: Formerly named Tod Mountain the resort now boasts about how many sunny days they get a year (a slight against Big White). They have also just added a new mountain and with it another thousand acres of excellent terrain and now lay claim to the title of second largest resort in BC.

Silverstar, Vernon
Primary Lifts: 3 chairs (a quad, a six pack & a double) plus another quad, two doubles & a pair of rope tows
Terrain: 3065 acres with a vertical drop of 2500ft
Comments: Recently purchased by Big White the resort is still growing. Most of the improvements are for the ski in/ski out condos but two new qual lifts are promised. One to replace the Summit Double and another that should open new terrain.

Apex Mountain, Penticton
Pimary Lifts: 2 chairs (a triple & a quad)
Terrain: 1112 acres with a vertical drop of 2000ft
Comments: An affordable way to sample that famous Okanogan powder.

Powder Springs, Revelstoke
Primary Lifts: 1 (2 person chair)
Terrain: 45 acres with a vertical drop of 1100ft
Comments: Has since been transformed into Revelstoke Mountain Resort with 1500 acres and a 4735ft vertical drop.

Why we ski in BC

Martock, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Primary Lifts: 1 quad chair (with a pair of T-bars & rope tows)
Terrain: 6 'runs' with a vertical drop of 600ft
Comments: This is where Karen learned to ski back in the 80's. Similar in scope to Powder Springs but with half the vertical, huge crowds and none of that great BC snow.

Q
18 Resorts 47+ days on the slopes