B.C.’s best ski resorts

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In many ways, British Columbia is where the modern-day fantasy began, the wild western spiritual home of skiing at its most amazingly beautiful, diverse and audacious. The place where you can rip steep-and-deep couloirs while your four-year-old nephew toodles up a magic carpet lift and then down his first cat track – and you're both on the same mountain.

In fact, if you want pretty much anything to do with sliding on the snow, B.C. is the place. We've all heard the province's impressive checklist: Revelstoke Mountain's giant verticals, Big White Resort's friendly glades and Whistler Blackcomb's wide open bowls that so exquisitely emulate the backcountry that  the words "skiing within bounds" take on fresh meaning. On that note, 90 per cent of the world's heli-skiing is done right here in its birthplace, though that doesn't negate plentiful opportunity for beginners to get stoked, or for the brave to tackle terrain parks or boarder and ski cross tracks at places like Panorama Mountain. And don't mistake a visual shortage of other skiers for a lack of amazing adventure: B.C.'s vast mountains can simply absorb the crowds in a way that other places cannot.

Now add some precipitation. When B.C. talks snowfall, it's often in world record-breaking numbers. We're talking about 1200 to 1400 centimetres of snow on good snow years. The interior of the province dumps champagne powder at Kicking Horse Resort and Whitewater as reliably as the Pacific Ocean serves up a dense coastal snow pack that sticks to steep lines as unwaveringly as a GoPro to a helmet.

As ski hounds know, the fun doesn't stop when the planks are off. Outdoor winter adventure is a lifestyle here. Go ice skating, tobogganing or even climb an ice tower. Play ice hockey on a regulation-sized rink at Apex. Or, do as so many have done before you and hit après.

From Whistler's famous Garibaldi Lift Co. to Silverstar Resort's Long John's and Big White's famous Snowshoe Sam's, après joints out here are jovial and lively destinations where sing-along tunes are pumped loudly over the speakers to complement the hoots of celebration from patrons still in their sweaty gear. Table and bar staff represent all corners of the globe, bringing colourful accents, stories and an infectious enthusiasm for skiing with them – not to mention poutine, nachos, hot wings and other such quintessentially Canadian delights that stick satisfyingly to the ribs after a long day on the hill.

For those who want to take it up a culinary notch, award-winning menus can be found in every corner of the province. Whistler's Rimrock Café has wowed for almost three decades thanks to a killer wine list, memorable menu and impeccable service, while the view doesn't get any better than from Kicking Horse's Eagle's Eye Restaurant at 2,350 metres up.

As anywhere, locals are your passport to the real goods. They like to tell you that they came to B.C. to ski for a year – and that was two decades ago. They'll happily share tales of a time on the mountain before high-speed quad lifts, recommend their favourite craft beer (in Revelstoke, a pint of Mt. Begbie's Bob's Your Dunkel will get you through a cold snowy night) and chat about their walk-on role in Hot Tub Time Machine. Put back enough pints in Fernie and by the end of the night they might even tell you about Griz, the legendary powder king.

When you have to sleep, mountainside is the place to be and nowhere in the world can trump B.C.'s ski-in, ski-out accommodations. From self-service condominiums in a charming rainbow-painted valley like you'll find at Silver Star to luxury hotel suites, the decision about where to stay really comes down to the skier. Whether you're travelling on a budget with friends or on a family holiday, value and quality in accommodation is tantamount to what you find on the hill.

With each morning comes the opportunity to create entirely new memories. Will it be lap after lap of cruise-style runs admiring the spectacular scenery or testing your mettle in the deepest powder of your life? Will it be après shooters with friends or taking your kids on a horse-drawn sleigh ride? Will you wind down in the hotel hot tub or at the oyster bar?

If your answer to all of the above is "yes," then B.C. is your place to ski.

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.