Unseasonable Skiing in the Okanagan

When I arrived at Kamloops Airport on in late March 2019 to meet Ross, who’d spent the previous week in Alberta, much of Canada was experiencing unprecedented warm weather with temperatures creeping well into double figures during the day. Ideal for sunny spring skiing, not so ideal for conditions when resorts hadn’t received fresh snow for over a week and only around 20-30cm in the weeks before (compared to an average March in the Okanagan where the resorts typically receive two to three metres).

Our first stop was in Sun Peaks (45 minute drive from Kamloops) where, true to its name, the sun shone non-stop for two days. There was some terrain closure due to conditions but we still managed to cover a good amount of the resort, lapping the Sunburst and Sundance chairs in the mornings before moving over to the north-facing runs off Morrisey once the snow had softened up.

At times it felt like we had the resort entirely to ourselves, although the village still had a spring buzz about it. Ross literally did have the resort to himself on the second morning, using Fresh Tracks to get on the slopes before anyone else at 8am. We can only imagine how good that would be on a powder day!

The warming temperatures in the afternoon were the perfect excuse to call it a day early for patio beers and burgers at Masa’s and a spot of relaxation in the Sun Peaks Grand’s outdoor hot tubs, where we stayed for two nights. The 4* Sun Peaks Grand is excellently located in the centre of the village with ski-in ski-out access and the Elevation rental shop on-site.

I had the pleasure of staying in one of the Summit Club Rooms (recently remodelled as part of a renovation of all guest rooms) and could immediately see why so many guests choose to upgrade. For a small upgrade from a Deluxe Room (still a very nice option with the refurbishment), you get access to the Summit Club Lounge where complimentary buffet breakfast and afternoon hors d’oeuvres are included, as well as an honour bar throughout the day. The breakfast is fantastic with plenty of options - including hot items - while the hors d’oeuvres can work as a light evening meal if you want to save on eating out and cover the cost of the room upgrade.

Although I’d been well-catered for on my previous visit to Canada (Whistler and Vancouver in April 2016), I was slightly nervous about the food options for a vegan in some of Canada’s smaller resorts. I needn’t have worried! From a 12” pizza at Mountain High Pizza late on our arrival evening to poutine at Joe Poutine, plus a specially made meal at Mantles in the Sun Peaks Grand, I couldn’t have been happier. Thankfully this was a trend throughout the trip, so you'll be perfectly catered for if you have any dietary requirements.

On our second afternoon in Sun Peaks, we finished up skiing early and set off for Big White, an easy three and a half hour drive with no stops in perfect road trip weather. This was my first self-drive ski safari and I could immediately see the appeal.

We checked in at the great value, excellently located ski-in ski-out 3*+ Inn at Big White and enjoyed a pub dinner downstairs in the Blarney Stone - which also provided excellent views of the weekly fireworks display. Hearing that Big White was the best of the three resorts for après, we then went to check out Sessions Taphouse for a spot of pool and beers brewed on-site. It was very quiet that night (we picked the wrong bar apparently!) but that suited us perfectly after an afternoon of driving.

The next morning we picked up our lift passes and my rentals from the Village Centre Mall - a super straightforward process - before meeting up with Big White local Rick Dyer - a former Kelowna radio host who now spends his days showing guests around the resort.

While there was a bit more snow than Sun Peaks, the sun was nowhere to be seen and colder temperatures meant conditions were challenging - the resort had lost an unbelievable 150cm of its snow base in a week but the colder temperatures were a good sign of things to come. Rick gave us a whirlwind tour of the resort from the Powder Chair over to the Black Forest Express, where we could immediately see the potential on a powder day, with mellow glades providing excellent cover when the weather closed in. After lunch at the Black Forest Day Lodge the snow had softened up nicely for some laps of the Black Forest area and the Bullet Express.

Ross enjoying the mellow Black Forest glades 

We headed straight to the Black Forest the next morning as a much-needed 10cm of snow had fallen overnight. Where the day before we’d stuck mostly to the runs, we were now able to shoot straight through the trees - if you like glade skiing then Big White has to be top of your list.

Enjoying the fresh snow in Big White

We skied every lift except the Cliff Chair and got a much better feel for the resort. The difference a bit of snow can make!

Of the three resorts we visited, Big White was my favourite for both food and après. Highlights included lunch at The Woods (formerly the resort owner’s house!) and dinner at the Kettle Valley Steakhouse. Service and food was excellent in both, and we even enjoyed some local BC wine at Kettle Valley, made especially for Big White! Snowshoe Sam’s was the top-spot for après - a good and well-priced beer selection, lively atmosphere (clearly the top spot for locals) and a wide selection of bar games both traditional (pool and darts) and modern (wall-mounted TVs with Nintendo Wiis). We visited on games night when everything was free!

It was very difficult leaving Big White as we woke up in the midst of a snowstorm - at least 20cm had fallen overnight and more was falling every minute. The temptation to put off the next part of our trip and hit the slopes was high, but we wanted to make it to Silver Star for an afternoon ski and hoped similar conditions awaited us there.

The resort actively clears the roads, but we were thankful for our 4WD SUV (recommended for this road trip) which made getting out of the resort easy in the continuous snowfall. As we descended in altitude the snow disappeared but we were treated to some spectacular frozen lakes and valley views. The drive is less than two hours and we were soon back in wintry conditions on the way up to Silver Star, although we arrived in bright sunshine in stark contrast to the storm we left behind in Big White. It was clear that Silver Star had also received a good top up of snow but not quite at the same level.

We checked in at the 4* Snowbird Lodge, our accommodation for two nights, then headed straight out onto the slopes. We’d heard that a lot of the more advanced terrain was closed due to risky snow conditions but with only a couple of hours to ski, it didn’t affect our afternoon and once again the slopes were empty! We spent most of the time lapping the Comet Express with a couple of runs down to the Silver Woods Express where the glades looked fantastic. Unfortunately, by the afternoon the snow below mid-mountain (where the village is) was a bit too slushy due to rising temperatures.

The next day we had more time to explore the resort so we ventured over to the back side where the more advanced terrain off the Powder Gulch Express is found. Unfortunately, almost all of it was closed so we only took one run before moving back over to the front side. Skiing along Aunt Gladys and then taking the chair back up we were able to get a good look at the black and double-black diamond terrain, in pristine condition due to no skiers (much to our dismay as we couldn’t ski it either!). The terrain did reopen the following week after another good helping of snow and more consistent cold temperatures. The short glimpse from the Powder Gulch chair put Silver Star high on the list for a return visit.

The Comet Express continued to delight, with 20+ named runs off the lift plus plenty of opportunities to dip in and out of the trees and the snow staying in great shape as long as you didn’t venture right to the bottom of the resort.

A running theme of our trip, our accommodation at the Snowbird Lodge was also ski-in ski-out and in an enviable position in the village. In all three resorts, you’d struggle to find accommodation that isn’t ski-in ski-out and walkable to the bars and restaurants! This is due to the compact nature of each resort and makes for an easy stay.

Our two bedroom suite had a private outdoor hot tub overlooking the return run to the village and we took full advantage of it in the sunshine. The village supermarket makes it easy to self-cater if you don’t fancy heading out in the evening, but there are plenty of options if you do. The Den was our favourite place for dinner (huge bowls of nachos recommended!) but it was the smaller cafes that were the highlight for me, including homemade soup a Bugaboo’s Cafe and both breakfast and lunch (because breakfast was so good!) at Out of Bounds.

On our final morning we left early for the easy two hour drive to Kamloops and a short internal flight to Vancouver. We flew in and out of Kamloops, but depending on the order of resorts you visit it’s also possible to fly in or out of Kelowna which reduces the overall driving time.

We were incredibly unlucky with conditions in all three resorts on our visit, with views from the locals ranging from ‘worst winter in 25 years’ to ‘worst winter ever’ depending on who you asked. I’m happy to report that conditions are back to normal this winter with over four metres of snow so far in the Okanagan. Check out the conditions right now for an idea of what you’d normally expect:

From our experience, we couldn’t recommend the Okanagan Ski Safari more. The three resorts feature a wide range of terrain for all abilities, a welcoming and lively atmosphere with restaurants and facilities for groups, couples and families alike. It’s one of our easiest self-drive ski safaris with mostly wide, quiet roads, the longest drive less than four hours and all the accommodation ski-in ski-out with easy access to rental shops and ski school - so minimal faffing once you’ve arrived in resort, ideal for a family ski safari.

The resorts are bigger than you might think (Sun Peaks is Canada’s second-largest resort) with easily enough skiing for a week in each - although we’d recommend 4-5 days on a ski safari - and you'll never find it too busy. We were there during Canada's spring break and while there was a bit of a party atmosphere, we didn't queue for a single lift.