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.