An Alpine Star is Re-born in British Columbia’s Okanagan
SilverStar ski resort combines challenging terrain and family-friendly activities
One of the skin runs are SilverStar Mountain Resort in Canada’s Okanagan region
By Mark Sissons
Earlier this month, POWDR, an American adventure lifestyle company, announced it had acquired British Columbia’s SilverStar Mountain Resort from Jane Cann, owner since 2002.
POWDR’s first Canadian mountain resort acquisition, SilverStar, joins the family-owned company’s portfolio of 10 mountain resorts in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Vermont, along with its adventure experiences that include heli-ski and river rafting outfitters. The sale marks a significant turning point for this mid-sized alpine playground conveniently located in the heart of the Okanagan Valley just 22 kilometres northeast of Vernon and less than a one-hour drive from Kelowna International Airport.
“With POWDR’s mission to deliver memorable experiences, enhance people’s lives and have fun doing it, it was a natural fit for SilverStar,” says sales and marketing director, Ian Jenkins. “There is plenty of opportunity here, but keeping it authentic and respecting everything that people love about the resort and community is key.”
According to Jenkins, POWDR empowers each of its destinations as community gems and is committed to SilverStar being the best version of itself. “POWDR’s scale and expertise will be beneficial in supporting our efforts to, over time and patiently, work towards fulfilling our newly approved Master Plan,” he says, adding that the benefits of being part of a larger company, with scale and pooled incremental resources, will help SilverStar mitigate risks and invest as needed over time.
Although POWDR and former owner Cann say they share a shared vision for the long-term success of SilverStar as a community-oriented destination for a year-round, authentic family adventure, it remains to be seen whether SilverStar will be able to retain that big mountain with a small-town feel that makes it such a joy to visit.
Mountain muse
Accommodation options at SilverStar appeal to a wide range of budgets
This middle-aged ski bum, for one, hopes Jenkins’ prediction proves prescient and being gobbled up by an American corporation doesn’t eventually mess up what has become my favourite BC hill.
After all, finding an ideal ski resort that checks all the boxes and also gives you a decent bang for your winter holiday buck can be about as challenging as finding an algorithmically suitable soulmate online.
The terrain needs to be varied enough to appeal to everyone in my family -- from double diamond desperados to bunny run babes in the woods. The snow should be ultra-dry, soft and plentiful, with piles of powder to play around in alongside immaculately groomed cruisers that last forever. The village cozy and quaint, but also lively and littered with tasty dining and drinking options. The accommodation plentiful but not too posh. And the vibe laid back, friendly and fun. Fortunately, I long ago found my mountain muse at SilverStar.
The province’s third-largest ski area after Whistler Blackcomb and nearby Sun Peaks, SilverStar features 132 marked trails over 33 hectares of skiable terrain served by 8 lifts and a new gondola, a 760-metre vertical drop and an enviable average annual snowfall of more than 700 centimetres of powder-dry white stuff, nearly all of it natural. With daytime temperatures on the mountain averaging -5 C, SilverStar is cold enough to keep the snow light and fluffy, yet perfect for skiing.
The Dark Side
SilverStar has runs for skiers of all levels, including the expert-only Dark Side
My favourite part of the mountain is its backside Putnam Creek Bowl, an uncrowded alpine paradise of over 760 hectares of steep and deep double-blacks boasting intimidating moguls, abrupt troughs and enough untracked powder stashes to satisfy even the snootiest of champagne snobs. Nicknamed the Dark Side, this experts-only area features chutes with ominous names like Gong Show, Free Fall, Holy Smokes and the most sphincter tightening of them all, Cowabunga.
While SilverStar’s Putnam Creek backside is cat-nip for downhill daredevils, its Vale Creek frontside offers enough varied and progressive terrain to appeal to just about anyone, from absolute beginners to groomer aficionados. And unlike Whistler Blackcomb - or Big White across the Okanagan Valley - the mountain is seldom crowded, even during the holiday season.
This relative tranquility extends more than 100 kilometres of Nordic trails that make up the combined Silver Star – Sovereign Lake cross-country ski area. A favourite of Canadian Olympic champions Chandra Crawford and Becky Scott, Canada’s largest daily groomed cross-country trail network regularly hosts national team athletes from around the world as they train and prepare for international competitions.
Family friendly
There are many food and beverage options available at SilverStar
Even SilverStar’s colourful mid-mountain village is refreshingly uncrowded. Designed to resemble the main strip of a 19th-century mountain mining town, its single, pedestrian-friendly street offers everything from rustic pub style après-ski bars and lounges to rowdier saloons and even a couple of fine dining restaurants. There’s even a recently opened full-service Aveda day spa called Elevate located in the heart of the village. Plus, plenty of ski-in, ski-out accommodation. Or you can choose to book the family into one of many nearby vacation rental condos and chalets that dot the resort.
If you’re looking for non-skiing or boarding winter fun, SilverStar also delivers. You can explore the forest on foot through 16 km of single-track snowshoe trails that weave around the mountain. Or on a fat bike, which has been modified to ride on soft unstable terrains like snow and sand. You can join an adrenaline-fuelled backcountry snowmobile or snow bike tour. Lace-up your skates and glide across Brewer's Pond on a 2.5-acre natural rink located right next to Pinheads, the world's only ski-in/ski-out bowling alley. Or dare to hit Tube Town with the kids to slide, spin and swerve your way down multiple lanes of perfectly packed snow. You can even take a horse-drawn sleigh ride deep into the forest for a hot chocolate or dinner at the Wild Horseman's cabin. Or ride the Paradise Express snow cat under moonlit skies to Paradise Camp, located at Putnam Creek, where a chef-prepared menu with an extensive selection of wine, cocktails and martinis awaits.
Give SilverStar a try for your next family winter vacation. You might, like me, discover that you’ve found your mountain match made in heaven. For more info, visit SkiSilverStar.com.