A Note From Skiing Unlocked:
I wrote this blog post sometime in June 2024, and split it into two parts with this half scheduled a couple of weeks in advance to publish on 25 July 2024. That very same day, Jasper and Marmot Basin were wiped off the map by wildfires in one of the worst incidents in recent Canadian memory. I sincerely hope that the town and neighbouring resort will return from this tragedy better and stronger than before, and can continue to show off their amazing corner of the world to others.
The West, The Best, And The Rest
How do you unlock Canadian Skiing? In part one, available here, we discussed why Canadian skiing is so good and so different from the Alps, and explored Tremblant, the best if not the only ski resort worth its salt on the East Coast.
In this part, we travel west along Highway 1, passing over the Great Prairies to land in the Rockies, BC Interior, the Coastal Ranges, and Vancouver Island. All these regions have their own reasons to visit and enjoy, boasting phenomenal snow records, stunning vistas, and endless opportunities for road trips.
So, strap in, gear up, and get ready for part II of a beginner's guide to unlocking Canadian skiing: The West, The Best, and the Rest.
The West
Much like East, this section could well start and end with Whistler Blackcomb. An absolute behemoth of a resort, it stands head and shoulders above almost every other resort in North America, and nearly the world, too.
It is, quite simply, endless. The peak to creek run, hemming the southern edge of Whistler Mountain, runs for mile after thigh burning mile, putting the stern test of Les Lanches (one of my favourite lung busting reds in Tignes) to absolute shame.
And alongside the endless length of the terrain is the endless variety, with huge bowls of endless powder and miles of trees and glades all within the roped off resort area.
It's not all sunshine and roses with Whistler, however. It is one of the first resorts to draw criticism for some of the changes that have taking place in the last few years. Lift ticket prices can kick up to $200CAD a day (around £110) in peak periods, and high prices and a reliance on migrant seasonal workers from the UK, Australia and New Zealand has squeezed out the locals to leave the resort lacking a fair bit of character off the slopes. This doesn't take away from the on-snow experience, however, and Whistler remains an incredible destination well worth visiting.
But there is more to west coast skiing than Whistler.
Head West from Vancouver and you'll find Vancouver Island. A thin slither of land runs nearly 300 miles north to south and features a spine of mountains running the entire length of the island. The southern half is generally too warm to feature much skiing, but at the half way point is the beautiful town of Courtenay and the locals resort of Mount Washington (not to be confused with Mount Washington in the US state of New Hampshire).
Mount Washington is firmly a locals' resort, not featuring a huge amount of on-snow amenities other than pisting and lifts. The reason to ski Mount Washington? Its North America's cheapest skiing. In a land where day passes can push $200 a day, you and your wallet can relax with tickets at Mount Washington coming in closer to $50CAD.
The local area is stunningly beautiful, and Courtenay is a great place to stay with a brilliant selection of local breweries to relax in after a day on the slopes. All the time, you will be watched over by Kwénis, the name the local indigenous population, the Ko'moks, give the the Comox Glacier, standing high above the town and resort; to them, it is a great white whale, left stranded on the mountain top when the great flood of creation receded, who now watches over them and guards them.
Keep driving north, just beyond where the paved roads end and you'll eventually reach Mt Cain. Featuring a gravel car park and a single drag lift, Mt Cain firmly earns its status as the La Grave of BC thanks to bottomless powder. Think of every backcountry film you've seen set in BC, mainland or island. It could have been set here. Oh, I nearly forgot. Mt. Cain sucks. Don't tell your friends 😉
From the endless of miles of Whistler to the powder and beauty of Vancouver Island, this is a place to come and get lost. Completely and utterly lost. Turn off the work email, tell the family not to call, and get lost on Canada's wild West coast.
The Middle a.k.a. The Best
Between East and west? Well, thousands of miles of flat-as-a-pancake prairies, for starters. But emerging from the mist, quite literally from nothing, are the indomitable Rockies.
Running thousands of miles from Arizona and New Mexico in the South to Yukon and Alaska in the North, the Rockies are massive, the sheer size and scale of the range putting the Alps to shame.
This is the land that skiing dreams are made of. From Calgary in the east to nearly-Vancouver in the west, the Canadian Rockies feature turquoise blue rivers, impenetrable forest, indomitable mining towns and, hidden down winding valleys, mind blowingly good skiing.
On the Great Divide, the main alpine ridge splitting where rainfall ultimately ends up, either Atlantic or Pacific oceans, are the four superb resorts of Lake Louise, Mt Norquay, and Sunshine Village (focused around the town of Banff) and Marmot Basin near Jasper.
Lake Louise is still family owned, and you might even run into Charlie, the owner, on the slopes or lift, maybe exploring their brand new sector that opened last year. Marmot Basin lies in Jasper National Park, probably the most picturesque location you can ever ski in during your lifetime.
Keep going deeper into the mountains, and you'll have to navigate Roger's Pass. This narrow strip is home to perhaps the best ski touring anywhere in the world. Leave your car in the valley, strap in, and away you go. But be warned, this isn't your Grandpappy's ski touring. Rogers features a complex avalanche ecosystem that can cause issues, so pay attention to the forecast before you go.
As if that wasn't enough, bookending the pass are two icons of Canadian skiing: Revelstoke and Kicking Horse, two resorts that make the most of the incredible terrain they are located in to provide brilliant off piste skiing and plenty to explore on piste, too. Oh, and snowfall? Don't worry about snowfall. There's a reason the road through Roger's is nicknamed the Powder Highway, with metres upon metres of dry, continental powder coming down season after season.
And if that still isn't enough, you can go still deeper into the mountains, and find even more brilliant skiing. Red Mountain, Whitewater, Big Sky, Fernie, and Panorama, all key players in the southern loop of the Powder Highway. At the foot of each of these is a true ski town. Seasonnaires and ski bums hang out and swap stories with locals and tourists, sharing a love and a passion of skiing almost unmatched anywhere else. Some of these are historic mining towns, built by those trying to scratch a living out of the mountains we now enjoy, lending a unique character to each and every town.
The best way to explore these resorts? Grab a car and take the path well travelled. Go in the footsteps and tyre tracks of those that have gone before, and create your own stories to share in the bars or on the skin track. These resorts are great for a reason, as so many have enjoyed before, so explore why this is the perfect place for a skiing road trip.
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