Silver Star Shines

 

 

Since we moved to Vernon three years ago we have heard that Silver Star Mountain Resort  is a great place to be for New Year's Eve.  It is also the busiest time of the year on the mountain.. Knowing that the heads of happy skiers and party goers would be resting on all of the 5600 pillows on the mountain, in the hotels and lodges, chalets and condos later that night  and the parking lots would be full, we wanted to take in festivities but did not relish the crowds.  We were charmed by the winter ambience and surprised to find ourselves not at all bothered with crowds.

Brewer's Pond

Brewer's Pond, 2.5 acres of skating surface, has ample room for a vigorous shinny game and also recreational skaters who circle around the treed island.  At 3pm  we joined the skaters and had plenty of room to find our glide.  The sun was still bright but the air was nippy and so were our toes so we crowded into the Tube Town Cantina where skaters were warming up with cups of steaming hot chocolate.  Just outside others were also warming up around a roaring fire, some roasting wieners.
As the day darkened into a winter night and the moon moved above the tall narrow spruce trees on the island, multicoloured lights began to shine onto the snow and ice. It was a winter wonderland.

Beer Board from the Final Run Bistro

Wanting a light supper, we decided to try out one of the newer eateries on the mountain located just beside Brewers Pond, the Final Run Bar and Bistro which is attached to Pinheads Bowling.  Decked out in lime green and florescent blue décor there is a feel of both comfort and chic.
We nestled into a booth, ordered some pints and the Beer Board, a wooden platter loaded with cheeses, hot bratwurst sausage, Italian cold cuts, gigantic olives, yummy balsamic pickled onions and lots of grainy crackers and bread.  It was a satisfying, relaxed feast for the three of us.
Then we headed back out into the night, with our cross country skies on our shoulders to the Village XC Trail Head to try our the lighted Night Loop.  The Nordic trail was crisp and fast.  We were alone except for a row of snow shoers, looking like a wiggling centipede with the lights of their head lamps, that crossed our trail and disappeared into the woods.  Only the rub of our skis and the rhythmic squeak of our pole plants filled the cold, shaded quiet until we rounded the Knoll and could see the lights of the Summit Chair Lift, Brewer's Pond  and the chalets along the alpine meadows.

View of Brewer's Pond, Tube Town and the Summit Chair Lift

 

We loaded our skis back into the car and headed to the Village. We paused to take pictures of the lighted trees, one at 125 feet, the tallest Christmas tree in the Okanagan. Three horse-drawn sleighs waited as people, bundled up for a night time sleigh ride, climbed aboard. The shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes were full of people sharing holiday greetings.

As 8 pm drew near, a large crowd gathered at the bottom of the Summit Chair Lift where loud speakers were pouring out funky music. The lights were turned off; the sky above the mountain had a distinct red glow.  And then the traditional torch parade began.  From the summit little red lights began bobbing down the slopes followed by brighter lights.  Soon it looked like a stream of red lava making its way down the mountain.  The 300 plus skiers who created this effect lined up at the bottom, extinguished their torches and all eyes then rose to witness a 20 minute show of fireworks against the back drop of snow covered forest.  It was a very festive way to herald in the New Year.

Now, a week later, the Okanagan has been blanketed with a couple feet of snow.  Usually our snow stays up on the mountain but this time the whole valley is digging out from a record snow fall.  School was to have resumed yesterday after the Christmas break but all classes were cancelled yesterday and again today.  The city doesn't seem to know what to do with all the snow.

Waiting for spring

 

Those of us from other parts of Canada are somewhat amused as this would just be ordinary circumstances and life would continue in other places.  But we've enjoyed the hibernation and know, with 339 cms of cumulative snow and an alpine base of 174 cms, that skiing will be great for quite a while.  We'll be up there tomorrow to check it out.