Ski & Ride Smithers, located less than five hours west of Prince George on the Yellowhead Highway, has new Ski and Stay packages. The ski area, near the town of Smithers, features 300 acres of skiable terrain and 34 runs with a vertical drop of nearly 2,000 feet. Ski & Ride packages include two nights' accommodations, two days of skiing or riding and drink vouchers.
Snow reports for Thompson Okanagan resorts
Enviro BC is providing a new weather service for Sun Peaks, Big White and Silver Star. Weather reports include high and low temperatures, snowfall and wind conditions and a three- to five-day forecast.
A new centralized booking service, Heliski Holiday, represents more than 25 heli-ski and heli-snowboarding operators, including Mica Heli Skiing, TLH Heli Skiing, Great Canadian Heliskiing, and Last Frontier at Bell II. Heliski Holiday customizes private heliskiing trips for families and friends in remote mountain lodges, mountain towns and resorts like Whistler.
Ski resort restaurants with mountaintop views
At Sun Peaks Resort, Sunburst Lodge on top Sunburst Express offers morning breakfasts and pasta bar lunches with panoramic views across the valley. Every week, during the winter, visitors can enjoy the First Trax Breakfast and Torchlight Ski and Fondue.
At Whistler, Horstman Hut on top Blackcomb's 7th Heaven Express, at 7,494 feet, has a menu with chili, stews and macaroni and cheese. Paradise Camp at Silver Star Mountain Resort offers table-service meals below the summit of Powder Gulch Express during the day. On specified nights, the Paradise Express heated snow coach brings skiers to the restaurant for first-class dining.
In Apex Resort's cozy Billy Goat Cabin, at the top of Quickdraw Quad, skiers can snack on homemade chili and soup. The 7,800-foot-high Summit Hut at Panorama Resort serves après-ski fondue with views of the Valley of a Thousand Peaks. The Lost Boys Café, reached by the Timber Express Quad Chair at Fernie Alpine Resort, serves hot drinks, soups and views of White Pass, Elk Valley and the town of Fernie from the wraparound deck.
Non-skiers can ride the gondola to the 7,700-foot (2,346-meter-high) Eagle's Eye at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort for the view and French cuisine. In warm weather, skiers can eat on Dogtooth Patio.
On Grouse Mountain, diners at Altitudes Bistro and The Observatory Fine Dining Restaurant can enjoy views of Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean.
New Chairlift at Red Mountain
Red Mountain, in Rossland BC, has 1,585 acres of skiable terrain and a 2,909-foot vertical drop. When the ski resort opened its Doppelmayr CTEC quad chairlift, skiers gained access to 100 new acres of novice ski runs. Located in southeast British Columbia, Red Mountain Resort is a 2.5-hour drive from Spokane, Washington, a 3.5-hour drive from Kelowna and a five-minute drive from Rossland.
