In a former life, Sun Peaks was known as Tod Mountain. You’ll still find some retro folks—Todies—sunning themselves in spring in their secret Sun Pit. Ask around for where to find it and take advantage of Sun Peaks’ average 2,000 hours of sunshine per year with the enlightened locals.
THE PROOF An average 102 cm of snow has been accumulating at Sun Peaks each March since records began to be kept in 1994.
THE STASH “A huge hit for the spring crowds is skiing down the FIS World Cup Speed Skiing track on the double-black-diamond Headwalls,” says Adam Earle, who’s been skiing Sun Peaks for 18 years. “I have heard many comment [that] it is the steepest groomed run they have ever skied, and it usually stays firm till closing day in April.”
THE DEALS Sun Peaks’ nightly accommodation dips (at selected properties) to $68 per person from March 6 to 26 (
sunpeaksresort.com).
THE PARTIES Insane speedsters in rubber suits rip the Headwalls in the Velocity Challenge—a World Cup speed skiing event—March 1 to 4. A grassroots slopestyle jam starts at 12:30 on March 24.
Big White
British Columbia
It’s big—very big—and it’s very, very white. Obvious moniker aside, the resort is also well-situated—mostly east- and south-facing—to take advantage of the warm spring sun.
THE PROOF March came to a close in 2006 after 86 cm of new snow had fallen and a whopping 307-cm base had accumulated.
THE STASH Look for soft spring bumps under the Black Forest Chair or at Gem Lake, says Kelowna local Steve Threndyle. Big White’s signature snow ghosts are fun too. “By April they’ve grown to gargantuan proportion. If they were any bigger they’d start to move, like in some B-Grade horror movie!”
THE DEALS WestJet ski-and-stay packages—including accommodation and lift passes—are priced from $107 from March 25 to April 8 (
bigwhite.com).
THE PARTIES If you’re feelin’ blue, Cruz the Blues at Big White March 20 to 21. If you’re fired up, try the Interior Savings Ski2Sea Race on April 8.
Panorama Mountain Village
British Columbia
Adrenaline-seekers who love to carve can really let ‘er rip on Panorama’s slopes. The B.C. ski area is so fast, two new World Cup ski races have been added for next November. For something more relaxing, try soaking in the nearby hot springs.
THE PROOF March’s average snowfall is 87 cm, plus another 34 cm in April.
THE STASH “Let the sun do some work before you get out on the mountain,” says Ryan Stimming, a longtime local. “Stick to the front side. Take Top of the World to Roller Coaster to Old Timer. Next, ski Champagne and Mile One Quads. Skyline to Cow’s Face to Powder Trail [the new terrain park location] is a sure thing.”
THE DEALS Panorama’s Ski & Stay package starting on March 18 offers three days’ slopeside accommodation, plus three days’ skiing and free access to the Panorama Springs Hot Pools from $323 per person (
panoramaresort.com).
THE PARTIES For freestylers and spectators, the slopestyle competition on March 24 and the Rail Jam on March 29 help alleviate the most chronic spring fever. Race groupies get a rush from Panorama’s Spring Series FIS races, from March 30 to April 2.
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
More glades have been added to Mount Washington’s Outback region in 2007—the perfect spring skiing terrain. The Vancouver Island resort’s proximity to golf and surf make for two-in-one—or three-in-one—spring adventure vacations.
THE PROOF More than 200 cm of fresh snow fell last March. An average 100 cm falls in April. The area reluctantly closed last year with a 450 cm base!
THE STASH “The frontside is mostly south-facing so the spring corn [snow] is unbelievable,” says Island boy Brent Curtain. True spring doesn’t hit ‘til April. For late-season powder, head into the Outback.
THE DEALS Mount Washington’s Ski & Surf Packages include two nights and two days of skiing, followed by two days’ surfing in Tofino—all from $279 per person (
mountwashington.ca).
THE PARTIES Spirit of the West performs March 15. The CH Spring SnoJam runs March 19 to 23. And the OSB After Dark Invitational promises cool beats and outrageous entertainment on March 24.
Lake Louise Mountain Resort
Alberta
From the easy deck life at Temple Lodge—a.k.a. Temple Beach—to the expert terrain at Whitehorn 2 Gullies, some would argue that Lake Louise was created to ski in springtime.
THE PROOF With an average of 80 cm of new snow falling in March, and another 61 cm in April, spring skiing at Lake Louise just keeps going and going.
THE STASH There’s sun, sun and more sun in spring on Boomerang, says longtime Lake Louise patroller Chris Moseley: “It’s a great way to get an alpine/back bowl skiing experience without the black diamonds.”
THE DEALS $104 buys your accommodation and a day’s skiing at The Lake in March. That deal drops to $99 in April (
skircr.com).
THE PARTIES Lake Louise gets just plain crazy March 17 with its Cardboard Box Downhill Derby. The real party, Spring Episode ’07, raucously closes the season with concerts, beer gardens and showdowns on April 28 and 29.
Sunshine Village
Alberta
Sunshine Village boasts the highest elevation of any ski resort in Canada. That means awesome, all-natural snow deep into April and even May. Bonus: Sunshine is the only ski stop in Banff National Park where you can sleep—and hot tub—directly on the mountain.
THE PROOF A 10-year average of 128 cm of snow has graced Sunshine’s slopes in the month of March. Another 81 cm falls in April, and 43 cm in May. The resort closes as late as May 4.
THE STASH Sunshine’s freeride zones—Wild West, Delirium Dive and Silver City—are best in spring, says Banff-area bootfitter, Dave Williams. With warm temperatures “you can find corn snow on the south-facing slopes and still winter powder on runs facing north.”
THE DEALS Sunshine Inn’s springtime special offers two days’ skiing and one night’s accommodation for $149, down from $289 in regular season (
skibanff.com).
THE PARTIES Skiers join snowboarders in the annual, charitable Dash for Cash on March 17. Win a prize for the craziest costume, or for finishing first… or last.
Tremblant
Québec
Tremblant knows how to throw a spring party. From the live daily action in its village square, Place St. Bernard, to après at Le Shack and the late nighters at Le P’tit Caribou, there’s truly no rest for the wicked.
THE PROOF Snow continues to fall on Tremblant in March, with an average of 52 cm. April tapers off to 23 cm.
THE STASH Eric Gagne grew up skiing Tremblant—his uncle has a trail named after him. “Spring is mogul time,” says Gagne. “The north side’s Expo is the place to go.” For fast, spring cruising, Gagne recommends Haut Ryan. “Its all-natural snow feels different than the man-made stuff.”
THE DEALS Tremblant’s spring lift pass—The Spin Pass—is only $99. Ski-and-stay packages from March 24 to April 15 start at $99 per person. Or ski two days from April 2 to 15 and ski the third day free (
tremblant.ca).
THE PARTIES Skiercross, boardercross, an urban jib, plus free outdoor concerts in Place St. Bernard—it’s all part of Tremblant’s Telus Spin ‘07, running from March 30 to April 8.
Sutton, My Mountain Resort!
Québec
Well-spaced glades and mostly natural snow make Québec’s Sutton a groovy, retro spot to ski. An unprecedented 40 per cent of its terrain is sous-bois (treed runs)—nirvana for any spring-loving, tree-hugging skier.
THE PROOF 96.5 cm of snow falls on the Eastern Townships’ Sutton in March, followed by 17.5 cm in April.
THE STASH Sutton skier Pierre-Yves Leblanc, past winner of the Canadian Free Skiing Championship, prefers the Bou-Bou trail. “In spring it gets bumpy,” he says, “but the snow is slow and sticky—very forgiving.”
THE DEALS A night’s stay plus a 1.5-day ski pass starts at just $69 per person in springtime (
montsutton.com).
THE PARTIES Big-air, slopestyle and best-trick competitions liven up Sutton during the rowdy Rodeo Fest, March 16 to 18. The Rodeo gets even more rowdy at the after-party.
Le Massif
Québec
This little-visited gem in the province’s stunning Charlevoix region is known for its bumps, steeps and on-slope, springtime cuisine. Chefs serve up fresh delicacies slopeside March 10 for Charlevoix’s annual Great Horned Owl Event.
THE PROOF Snow continues to fall on Le Massif in March and April—44 cm on average for March and another 37 cm the next month.
THE STASH The ski area’s new training centre, Le Charlevoix, is for racers only during the season, but finally opens to the masses in spring. For soft spring bumps, local Vincent Lajoie says to “head for La Cabaret and La 42.”
THE DEALS Season-end pricing drops by 25 per cent on March 26 to 30 and April 2 to 5 for two-day stays, including lodging and lift tickets (
lemassif.com).
THE PARTIES Le Massif’s Reggae Bash on March 17 is a mix of Marley and moguls. Reggae band La loi des Cactus plays the base at noon. Kaliroots rocks the summit during lively après events.
Bored of your Boards?
Then get your mitts on these sliding alternatives. They reinvent the mountain for experienced riders
green runs suddenly feel black
—
and add to our après-ski war stories. That is, if our local resort even allows them.
HangBoard
Headfirst, a foot off the snow and suspended above a snowboard with handlebars and Flintstones-style braking, HangBoarding is as intense as it looks (
hangboard.ca).
Airboard
The Ferrari of toboggans, these inflated mattresses-on-steroids can turn, carve powder and clear gap jumps. One resort is even racing them boardercross style (
airboard.com).
Ski-MX Ski Bike Kit
Take any bike and make it snow-worthy with this easy-to-use conversion kit. Pedalling not required (
winterxbike.com).
Kite skiing and boarding
Leave gravity
—
and vertical
—
out of sliding, and harness the wind to add a third dimension to a day in the snow (
kitesurfingschool.org).
—
Ryan Stuart
LIGHTEN UP
Spring skiing conditions change fast
—
from rock hard and -10oC in the morning to slushy and +7oC mid-afternoon. To keep up, your gear needs to be multifunctional, like the
Columbia Straightline Parka (
$399; columbia.com). The breathable waterproof jacket has a removable fleece liner and plenty of other climate-control features.
Underneath, wear the lightweight
CW-X’s Stabilyx tights (
$139.95; cw-x.com), built with a unique fabric that supports muscles for better power and endurance, two musts for longer spring days.
The sun is intense at this time of year, so eyewear like the
Julbo Explorer (
from $150; julboinc.com) is essential. Designed by mountaineers, these shades protect from spring’s harmful rays, but look more Shakira than Shackleton.
For another modern twist on an old concept, check out 180’s
ExoLite Heat Ear Warmers (
US$25; 180s.com)
—
lightweight, fold-flat and just right for keeping ears toasty.
Keep fingers warm in the morning and dry in the afternoon in a pair of
Dakine Cobra gloves (
$100; dakine.com), combining Gore-Tex, neoprene and insulation for optimal dexterity and comfort.
Equally versatile, the adjustable
Rossignol Mutix skis (
$1,050; rossignol.com) use two swappable stabilizing arms to transform the sticks from GS carvers to bump masters.
For a turn-by-turn soundtrack, hydration and storage the
Camelbak Hellion SC (
US$249.95; camelbak.com) fits the bill. With built-in audio and two speakers on the shoulder strap, it keeps you rocking in the freeride.
—
Ryan Stuart
