Geoffrey Chu's idea of snow heaven is a place where he can
"hammer the slopes" all day without ever feeling crowded and a condo
so close to the ski area that "if you open the door, I could
snowboard right into the living room."
He'll take Big White over Vail or Aspen any day — and so will an
increasing number of others who love skiing, snowboarding and other
forms of snow play and are choosing the lesser known ski areas of
the rapidly developing Thompson Okanagan tourist region in
southeastern British Columbia.
Chu, 51, president of the Ski Association of Hawai'i, said not
everyone in the club shares his preference. Some members or their
friends and spouses consider amenities such as shops, restaurants,
nightlife and spa facilities just as important as powder snow. But
at least four of the eight Thompson Okanagan ski resorts — Apex, Big
White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks — boast a complete mountain resort
experience.
And this with smaller crowds and lower prices — a savings of as
much as 20 percent over Whistler, British Columbia, Islanders'
favorite ski area, according to Hans Allgeier, manager of Outrigger
Travel and a specialist in ski vacations.
Allgeier and others agree that the Thompson Okanagan is a coming
area. Obie Olson of PTB Inc., who organizes ski trips for groups,
says the area's location in the shadow of the Rockies creates highly
desirable drier, powder snow conditions. Said Allgeier: "It's always
champagne snow and lots and lots of it. It's got some of the best
skiing around."
And now's the time to enjoy it, say experts, noting that almost
all the smaller Okanagan resorts have big development plans on the
boards and the larger ones are beginning to be very much noticed by
snow players burned out on the crowds elsewhere.
One problem with the area has been access, Olson said: The area
is more than three hours by car from Vancouver, B.C., and flights to
the three key airports (Kamloops, Kelowna and Penticton) tend to
book up. But Allgeier noted that Harmony Airways has instituted a
weekly direct flight from Honolulu International in the wintertime,
leaving Sunday afternoon and returning late the following Sunday
night. The cost is about $600 with fare and fees. The service will
be offered Dec. 11 through March 26 this year.
The best room rates at ski areas tend to be available very early
and very late in the season (but, of course, you risk a lack of
snow). Slightly lesser rates are in January and February, and the
highest rates are over the holidays and at spring break time, said
Allgeier.
Travel agencies like Outrigger are locking in flights and hotel
packages now; Allgeier said the company's ski brochure will be out
soon. (Call 923-2377 or 800- 676-7740 to request a brochure when
they come out.)
The Ski Association of Hawaii traveled to Big White in 2003. Chu
remembers that excursion fondly: "That was an outstanding trip — it
was ski-in/ski-out, great snow, less people."
The group insists on ski-in/ski-out locations; that is, resorts
where you can literally schuss right over to the lifts or ski play
areas, or at least walk to them easily, without having to lug your
equipment a long distance or take a shuttle or other form of
transportation.
Chu said an assessment of a ski resort is a very personal thing
having to do with preferred activities, amenities and
cost.
For him, it's the slopes that matter. An Islander born and
raised, he didn't take up snowboarding until 1998 and never saw
falling snow until that year.
A friend was a member of the Ski Association and Chu thought he'd
join a trip and try snowboarding, assuming that his long background
as a surfer would help him pick up the sport.
"That was very, very humbling," he recalled. "The skills are very
different. I thought it shouldn't be that hard but I fell down maybe
100 times the first day, and to be honest it wasn't my butt that
hurt, it was my arms, from picking myself up so many
times."
Fortunately, after that first disastrous day, things looked up
fast and by the end of the week, he was on the intermediate
trails.
Chu recognizes, however, that for some in the ski club (which is
about 60 percent transplants, 40 percent locals), off-slope
amenities are just as important as good snow. At Big White three
years ago, he admitted, "those who wanted to shop, well, they were
deprived." (There have been some additions to Big White village
since.)
Allgeier said families appreciate some of the Thompson Okanagan
ski areas because they're smaller and less crowded.
Several of the ski areas — Harper Mountain and Mount Baldy among
them — specifically market themselves as
family-friendly.
Powder snow, smaller crowds and great value make British
Columbia's Thompson Okanagan resorts fun destinations for Islanders
looking for winter's perfect ride
THOMPSON OKANAGAN RESORTS’ SNOWBOARDING, SKIING
STATS
The Thompson Okanagan in the interior of British Columbia is a
tourist mecca offering not only snow play in winter but hiking,
water sports, wine-tasting and various visitor attractions
year-round (http://www.totabc.com/). The region is
agricultural (producing fresh fruits and vegetables, wine, cheese,
and more) also rich in parks, camping facilities, lakes, beaches and
golf courses.
There are 10 ski areas in the area; four
destination resorts and six smaller community areas.You can fly
directly into Kelowna International Airport from Honolulu
International, via Harmony Airways (winter only), or fly to Seattle
or Vancouver, British Columbia, and connect by local carriers to
Kelowna, Kamloops Airport or Penticton Regional Airport. The area is
about 200 miles east of Vancouver, British Columbia, more than a
three-hour drive.
Here’s a look at the largest and best equipped
of the Thompson Okanagan ski areas:
1. APEX MOUNTAIN RESORT
Penticton
Rated “Best Small Destination Resort” by Ski Canada
magazine, this area includes 1,112 acres of fall-line skiing and
snowboarding. Ski runs are for all levels of expertise. The resort
includes three lodge-type hotels plus a less expensive hostel, a ski
school and children’s club, restaurants and skier services nearby.
Amenities include a terrain park, half-pipe, aerial site,
night-skiing, tube park, outdoor hockey/skating rink and ice skating
loop.
Runs/trails: 67
Longest run: 3 miles
Lifts:
5
Annual snowfall: 19 feet
Season opens: Not yet
determined
On the Web: http://www.apexresort.com/
2. BIG WHITE SKI RESORT
Kelowna
Perhaps best known of the Thompson Okanagan ski areas,
Big White, Canada’s largest ski-in/ski-out resort village continues
to increase its capacity with ambitious upgrading and maintenance
programs to allow more early season snow-making and skiing, new
parking lots, trails and and trail lighting between the resorts and
the ski areas. The range of accommodations in the village is from
luxury town homes to mountain chalets, log cabins to hostels with
more than 15,000 on-mountain beds. The area was awarded “Best
Weather” by Ski Canada magazine for its mild daytime temperatures
and has also been recognized for the variety of terrains. The resort
has all-age appeal with fancy restaurants and shopping as well as a
teen center and a weekly torchlight parade and kids’ carnival night
in winter. Big White’s sister resort, Silver Star, is connected via
an inter-mountain shuttle service and dual-mountain ski packages are
offered.
Runs/trails: 118 designated, 27 unnamed
Longest run:
4.5 miles
Lifts: 15
Annual snowfall: 24.5 feet
Season
opens: Nov. 24
On the Web: http://www.bigwhite.com/
3. CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN
Ski Resort
Westbank, 20 miles from Kelowna
This 30-year-old
ski area began as a small family-owned lodge, but now it’s part of
the Crystal Mountain group and is expanding to become a year-round
resort with added hotel rooms, spas, sporting activities. It’s known
now as a family-oriented regional favorite for skiing, snowboarding,
cross-country skiing in a scenic, peaceful, sunny and forested
setting.
Runs: 21
Longest run: 1 mile
Lifts: 3
Average
Snowfall: 10.2 feet
Season opens: Tentatively, Dec. 4
On the
Web: www.crystalresort .com
4. HARPER MOUNTAIN
Ski Hill
Near Kamloops
A very affordable family-friendly
ski area, Harper Mountain offers skiing, snow-boarding, half-pipe,
cross-country, a day lodge, skating rink, tube and terrain parks.
Accommodations are in Kamloops, a medium-size city 10 miles to the
east.
Runs: 15
Longest run: 1,200 feet
Lifts: 3
Average
snowfall: 21.5 feet
Season opens: December
On the Web:
www.harpermountain.com
5. MOUNT BALDY
Family Ski Area
Osoyoos,just north of the border
Mount
Baldy’s Web site compares the spot to a micro-brew, estate wine, or
specialty coffee — meaning small, special and back to basics.
Located a short distance from Penticton, the area is in the midst of
“desert wine country,” so there’s wine-tasting on offer as well as
skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, frisbee
golf. The village is equipped with cabin-style rooms. Expansion
plans are in the works, so the smallness and simplicity won’t last
for long.
Runs: 17
Longest run: Not available
Lifts:
2
Average snowfall: 21.5 feet
Season opens: Dec. 3, weather
permitting
On the Web: http://www.skibaldy.com/
6. SILVER STAR
Mountain Resort
Vernon, near Kelowna
Silver Star
encompasses more than 2.725 acres on and around two mountain faces —
Vance Creek and Putnam Creek. High-speed, large lifts serve both
areas, and the region is known for deep powder snow, diverse terrain
and some extremely challenging runs. The village is all tricked out
in Victorian-inspired decor and includes all the boutiques and
bistros the non-skiier could desire. Amenities include all the usual
snow play plus night skiing, snowmobile touring, sleigh rides,
helicopter tours, free evening events such as movie nights and
fireworks, bonfires and ice hockey games. There’s a respected ski
and board school and a children’s center. Silver Star’s sister
resort, Big White, is connected via an inter-mountain shuttle
service, and dual-mountain ski packages are offered.
Runs: 107
Longest run: 5 miles
Lifts: 11
Annual snowfall: 23
feet
Season opens: October
On the Web: www.skisilverstar.com
7. SUN PEAKS RESORT
Near Kamloops
This year-round resort has so much diversity
that its Web site has summer and winter faces. The runs are long,
there’s a slope-style course and lots of alpine bowls, the vertical
drop is the steepest in B.C.’s interior, and there are 3,678 acres
of skiable terrain. Three mountains serve every level of skiing
ability. As with all Thompson Okanagan resorts, a big selling point
is whisper-light powder and sunny and relatively warm conditions.
Runs: 117, plus 12 gladed areas
Longest run: 5
miles
Lifts: 11
Annual snowfall: 220 inches
Season opens:
November 25
On the Web: www.sunpeaksresort.com
