A fun, family experience, Big Whites Ski Resort 60 foot ice tower is located in Happy Valley Adventure Park and is constructed out of 4 telephone poles with 3 foot thick ice, with beginner to advanced options.
"It's not a ski vacation, it's a winter vacation!" might be the best way to describe a few days away at any B.C. winter holiday destination. Indeed, shopping, spas, dining, dancing and dozens of other activities – aside, of course, from skiing and riding down the best slopes in the world – are possible throughout B.C. Here's a list to get you started.
Get married at Kimberley Alpine Resort: Life experiences don't get much bigger than tying the knot, and at Kimberley your entire wedding party and guests are whisked up the high-speed Express Chairlift to the top of North Star Mountain for the big event. Exchange vows under the historic Maverick T-Bar arch – formerly the longest T-bar in North America.
Climb a frozen waterfall at Big White Ski Resort: You don't need to know a crampon from a crouton to climb Big White's ice tower. Four telephone poles are sprayed with water that freezes into ice, creating a mini-Mount Everest. Sharp and pointy tools (an ice hammer and ice axe) and crampons (spikes for your feet) are provided to gain purchase on the slippery surface.
Go to the dogs at Sun Peaks Resort: "Work like a dog" is what the sled dogs at Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures love to do. Learn about the lore and role of dog sled teams in Canadian history before heading out on your very own adventure. All sleds are guided, but you are encouraged to take the reins and drive the sled yourself.
Go to the wolves at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort: Visit a pack of grey wolves at the 1.25-acre Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Centre home. Not only will you see these magnificent creatures in their element, you will also learn everything you want to know, from how they live to why they howl and what they eat.
Snowmobile into the Panorama backcountry: With over 32,000 acres of terrain, Toby Creek Adventures offers the snowmobile tour of a lifetime – no previous experience needed. Their most popular day-long tour features breathtaking scenery with plenty of photo stops, an exploration of an abandoned silver mine, wildlife observation and "play time" to free-ride in a high-elevation powder bowl.
Zip like an eagle in Whistler: Ziptrek Ecotours pioneered North America's first zipline adventures way back in 2002, and since then has sent over a million guests out into thin air. Ziptrek's Eagle tour features five different ziplines, including a monster 730-metre-long zipline with a 30-storey descent.
Ride a fat bike at Silver Star Mountain Resort: Fat bikes are the newest fad in outdoor recreation. Equipped with over-sized "fat" tire, mounted on wide rims, these bikes are specifically designed to ride on snow and sand. Silver Star offers fat bikes for rent on packed trails adjacent to the resort.
So much more: These adventures are some of the more esoteric activities happening at B.C. winter resorts. Almost every resort in the province offers outdoor skating and hockey, swimming pools/hot tubs, tubing parks, snowshoe trails and cross-country trails. You'll have so much fun you might even forget to go skiing!
|
This content was produced by Randall Anthony Communications, in partnership with The Globe and Mail's advertising department. The Globe's editorial department was not involved in its creation.