Sunday, 26 January 2014

Spring Skiing in January
aka
The Big Inversion

"We could be at Whistler" my friend says, "skiing over rocks and slush.  The temperature there is 9 degrees today" she laughs as we stand on top of Silver Star Mountain dressed in our ski garb, our goggles on our faces to protect us from the bright sun.  We gaze across a landscape of snow and patches of tall skinny fir and spruce over to the eastern horizon, defined by the jagged line of the mighty Monashees.  The record for the heaviest snowfall in Canada is held by the Monashees: 24.47 metres (over 80 feet) fell on Mount Copeland in the winter of 1971-72. Below is a billowing white mass of cloud.  



The valleys below are encased in low cloud that has been entrenched there for over two weeks. Contrary to what a casual tourist may know about this corner of the world, the sunny Okanagan is a bit of a misnomer.  At this time of the year, statistically, in the valley, only about half the days will see any sun and this year I'm guessing there will be even less.  Interestingly, according to a web site, 'Current Results,Research, News and Facts,' Calgary is the sunniest city in Canada!




The first days of this most recent inversion, the phenomena when the valley is stuffed with low cloud and the mountain peaks bask in sunshine, the cloud crept down to the ground and even with the sophisticated aeronautical equipment at the Kelowna Airport, the 12th  busiest in Canada, flights in and out were postponed. Fortunately that was short lived as many locals flee to warm and sunny destinations.  There are daily flights to LA, and 11 other direct flights each week to various locations in the Southwestern States and Mexico.  Many of the snow birds leave their homes in the care of dozens of keen skiers who move into town and up to the mountain for ski season.  Many come from Ontario.  Others do home exchanges for the season, often exchanging with Australians.




Those of us who spend our days on the mountain get our share of vitamin D.  We've had two weeks of brilliant sun almost every day with hardly a flake of snow.  The dedicated grooming team have kept the runs in good shape.  No doubt the snow pack is shrinking but the runs are corduroy, safe and fast!





It's still winter up here but just barely.  Skiers on the lower slopes are in t-shirts, many pausing to watch boarders and skiers try out their flips and twists landing in the huge Katal airbag in the 'zone', an expanded beginner area.  
But the best show on the hill is  'valley gazing'.  Most skiers linger at the top before every run staring at this massive layer of cloud that some days boils up to the bottom of the resort and looks like a huge white sea.  One can imagine Lake Penticton, the result of the melting ice-age glaciers some 15,000 years ago, that extended along the whole valley for over 170 kms to  Shuswap Lake filling the valley to a level over 150 metres higher than today.



For many of us, when the sun slips behind the mountain we descend back down through the grayness. But there are options. 





 Last Friday night we joined friends for dinner at the Wild Horseman's Cabin.  The evening started with a 20 minute sleigh ride though the village and down a trail into the forest. 




Even though it was a warm winter night, the air had a wintry freshness, mixed with the smell of horses and the jingle of sleigh bells. 

 We tumbled out of the sleighs into the warmth of the cabin, its wood burning stove crackling and the light of gas lanterns dancing on the walls.  We enjoyed a great meal clustered along a wooden table then loaded ourselves back into the sleighs for the ride back to the village.  It was the quintessential Canadian winter experience!

Tuesday, 14 January 2014

The Choice is Yours

Here in  the Okanagan Valley there are three major ski resorts and several smaller ones.  Our winters are mild but the higher mountains catch several metres of dry powder starting in November and lasting until May (but the ski hills close in April because the skiers are golfing, biking, hiking or boating). This means we have a lot of good choices for skiing within a couple hours of our home.

Near Penticton, in the south of the valley, and a little over an hour from the Kelowna Airport, is Apex Mountain.  It has 4 lifts, 67 runs with some wicked mogels.  About an hour east of Kelowna is Big White Ski Resort with 16 lifts, a lot of on-the-hill accommodation and activities and 25 km of Nordic ski trails.



The most  northerly of the three main Okanagan ski resorts is Silver Star Mountain Resort, an hour from the Kelowna Airport and only 30 minutes from our door in Vernon. Silver Star has 12 lifts with a good mix of novice to double black runs and well groomed to powder/ tree skiing conditions. 







There are 105 kms of Nordic trails between the connected trails of Silver Star and Sovereign Lakes Nordic Ski Centre.







In addition, within a two and a half hour drive from our home, are two more outstanding ski resorts, Sun Peaks just north of Kamloops and Revelstoke Mountain known for its long runs and deep powder.  



To be honest, since moving here, we have not made it past Silver Star.  We love being able to sneak up to the mountain for a few hours  in the morning and then be home for other commitments later in the day.











Although we ski several days a week we never seem bored.  We cross country ski some days, downhill on others.







 Occasionally we get out our snow shoes and disappear into the thick forest feeling like winter adventurers, but always able to find our way back to the village as the trails are well marked.










So far we have not laced up our skates to glide around Brewer's pond, big enough to accommodate  some shinny hockey and plenty of recreational skaters.  We may even try out the tube park later in the season.






Silver Star Mountain made a decision at the beginning of last season that has encouraged pass holders, including us, and visitors to try out all the activities.  It was a simple but brilliant move. 
 Without increasing the cost of a season, multi-day or daily downhill pass, patrons can use all the facilities at no extra cost.  So if you get up to the mountain and, for some reason, decide not the downhill ski or, after a few hours you have had enough, you can simply change your equipment and go Nordic skiing, snow shoeing, skating or tubing. 
With the new passes, the hill is busier but we have yet waited in a lift line for more than about 10 minutes (that was over the Christmas break) and  we rarely  see more than a handful of other skiers on the Nordic trails.  There is a new vibrancy to the hill and we've heard early season numbers were up 20 percent this year.

Big White  offered a similar comprehensive season pass this season (but not a similar day pass). Although the price for a season pass is comparable on both mountains, Silver Star has a larger more developed Nordic and snowshoe trail system and a great working relationship and reciprocal use agreement with their  neighbour, Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, one of the best Nordic centres on the globe.  So there seems more to take advantage of.
With this new way to experience Silver Star, combined with the ambiance of the colourful Victorian themed village with its 16 restaurants and 5600 pillows, the resort has a bright future.




And we still have lots to  discover up at Silver Star/Sovereign Lake but when we at ready to venture further, our choices of other ski destinations are both close to home and well worth visiting.