WEATHER ALERT: Record snowfall in the Okanagan in early January makes for excellent conditions!
A B.C. ski trip creates lasting memories and connections
Whether it's a daytrip or a multi-week vacation, time spent at B.C.'s ski resorts connects skiers, snowboarders and winter enthusiasts on many different levels.
First and foremost is the connection with nature – from the craggy Rocky Mountain summits near Panorama Mountain Resort, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Fernie Alpine Resort and Kimberley Alpine Resort to the spectacular glaciers in the Selkirks near Revelstoke Mountain Resort and its many cat and heli-ski operators. Don't forget the powder-blessed Kootenays at Whitewater Ski Resort, and the fragrant, forested Okanagan Highlands of Big White Ski Resort, Silver Star Mountain Resort, Apex Mountain Resort, and Sun Peaks Resort. And there's a deep connection to nature at Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, where the entire village has been master-planned to capture magical light and Coast Range mountain vistas.
Skiing and snowboarding are tactile, sensation-driven experiences. Skiers and boarders connect to almost every type of snow imaginable, through the magic of human movement and high-technology skis and snowboards. On some days, our connection is entirely a result of the natural environment – driving our skis and boards effortlessly through a foot of fresh snow. Feeling connected with earth on part of the turn, then floating weightless – flying, really – and connecting on a higher plane in a sensation closer to avian flight.
Other days, Mother Nature's bountiful snow is augmented by an armada of grooming and slope maintenance machines that mulch and churn icy slopes into immaculate grooves of corduroy. As winter morphs into spring, the sun stays higher in the sky. We connect with its warmth like wildflowers poking through melting snow – while in the alpine, snow conditions range from grippy chalk on north-facing slopes to sublime corn on slopes warmed by rising temperatures. Ski powder in the morning and ball-bearing-like "hero snow" in the afternoon; how perfect is that?
Perhaps the most important connection, though, is with the people you're skiing and boarding with, and the people you meet along the way. That former Olympian you skied with at Whistler. That guy in the black vest who concocted the Gunbarrel coffee in the Okanagan. The barista from Fernie, Kicking Horse or Revelstoke who had you whooping through a snow-filled glade that you never would have found on your own. That instructor who in a patient, almost Zen-like manner, connected with your kids as they took the first lesson that would ignite within them a lifelong passion for sliding on snow. That cute girl you Snapchatted with as you rode the terrain park together, and who posted a heart on your Instagram picture.
Those connections begin and end with our family and our friends. The buddies we haven't seen since university but who were game for an extremely Canadian adventure. Skiing "on a leash" with your three-year-old, and then watching in joy as you unclip the tether and see her giggle her way through those first snowplow turns. The neighbour in your yoga class who hired a private instructor so that she could finally beat her kids down the mountain. Backslapping and high-fiving after floating through Taynton Bowl at Panorama, Currie Bowl in Fernie, Diamond Bowl at Blackcomb or North Bowl in Revelstoke. What a great connection – man, nature, spirit and friendship all uniting in a single, perfect moment.
Finally, there's the connection with tradition – spending Family Day or Spring Break or even a Closing Weekend celebrating our shared love of sliding on snow. From mid-January to the beginning of April, B.C. ski resorts offer many opportunities to share and shred in some unique ways. The connections made go well beyond who you meet on the slopes. Winemakers, craft brewers, filmmakers, even cocktail shakers host their very own special events.
British Columbia is a huge province – the third-largest in Canada – with by far the most mountains. Yet its many ski resorts are surprisingly easy to get to. International air connections in Vancouver, Kelowna, Kamloops and Cranbrook mean that in some cases, you can even fly from Toronto and "beat the sun" in order to ski in the Okanagan.
Provincial highways safely and efficiently transport skiers and riders from airport to resort, or resort to resort, along routes like the aptly named Powder Highway. Comprehensive resort, weather and highway websites and smartphone apps keep skiers and riders up to date about the latest conditions. Where's the snow falling, and when? How long will it take to drive there? All of that information is just a click away.
There's not much that compares to the exhilarating feeling of being up in the mountains with friends and family. Wherever you choose to ski in B.C., you'll return home with unforgettable memories and a desire to start planning your next getaway.
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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.