Epic West Kootenay Alpine Skiing

What’s White and Red and ready to shred? The West Kootenays heavyweight hills — Red Mountain, Whitewater Ski Resort, Summit Lake and Salmo Ski Hill too.

For decades, the word legendary has loomed large over the mind-bending peaks and true down-home ski towns of the West Kootenays. Since the ‘60s many of Canada’s top ski racers were born from the enormous vertical of Red Mountain’s 360-degree fall lines. Today, the planet’s top tier of freeskiers hail from Nelson’s Whitewater and its radical realm of steepness and deepness. 

And smack dab in between them both — at the confluence of the two colossal rivers that carry our mountains’ waters to the Pacific — the authentic Kootenay anchor of Castlegar provides the ideal venue to hunker down and hang for multi-day trips to both of the region’s heralded resorts, with, what the heck, a day or two more spent touring to the little cosmos of backcountry cabins, cat or heli-ski hot spots that hide amongst this winter wild land. 

Get Ready to Experience Perfect Alpine Skiing Conditions

Snowfall and sublime winter climates are the West Kootenay’s first claim to fame. 

Red gets eight metres of snow or more — over 26 feet. That’s three stories of snow. The mercury generally hovers around -4 degree celsius, or 25 fahrenheit. Whitewater, with a sky-high base plopped teetering at 1,646 metres (5,400 feet) above sea level, gets even more snow and chillier temps.

Even the Media Can’t Get Enough

As for the ski and snowboard experiences themselves… just check the headlines for these two heavyweights. You’ll be booking your next trip here and waxing up those skis and boards. 

Powder magazine crowned Red and White North America’s Number One Ski Towns. Skiing picked Red the mountain as the world’s Most Underrated Resort. Vancouver Magazine tapped Whitewater as The Greatest Ski Resort You’ve Never Been To. And Nelson ripper Sam Kuch was named Powder’s Skier of The Year in 2020.

The Two Mountain’s Tales of the Tape Tell It Like It Is

Talk about going toe-to-toe. RED Resort offers 119 runs, ranging from perfect groomers to dizzying secret stashes in world-calibre glades, 887 metres (2,910 feet) of vertical, eight lifts — including the intermediate-friendly Grey Mountain quad — and 3,500 skiable acres over four peaks. Mount Kirkup is serviced by — wait for it — a 10-buck-a-run snowcat that laps it up all day.

Whitewater’s 85 runs are accessed by three four chairs, and coming in 2023/2, a fifth monster that’ll bolster the mountain’s 623-metre vertical (2044 feet) over three mountain faces.

Nelson’ hometown hill has something extra thanks to something missing: there’s no cell service, wifi, or snowmaking. The fact you can’t log on, means you can truly check out and dive in, all day long. The lodge is alive with conversations, rather than heads down looking at screens. It is a refreshing, healthy environment. 

Access to Exemplary Backcountry Terrain

Both Red and Whitewater boast a huge amount of backcountry. Without doubt, some of the best slack country and lift-serviced touring in the North America. But, be sure to be prepared. Check-in at the lodge, have your peeps, shovels and probes ready, and check back in end of day, for perhaps some drinks and food. You’ll have earned it.

Après Ski, Anyone?

As for accommodations and après, downtown Rossland is conveniently only minutes from RED Resort. Nelson and Castlegar — only 30 minutes from both resorts — trumpet all the dining, sleepin’, retailing and sight-seeing trimmings anyone’d want. Quality watering holes await on both hills — Red’s Rafters Bar is ranked as North America’s Best Ski Area pub. Amongst a bevy of ski-in-n-out venues, the Josie Hotel is a boutique beauty. Whitewater’s fare is literally world famous — the four-book Whitewater Cooks series has sold a quarter million copies. That glorious grub has its gastronomical roots in the Fresh Tracks Café and Coal Oil Johnny’s Pub serving up cuisine unlike any other ski resort: Glory Bowls, salads, wraps, big fancy pants burgers, local beer on tap, and more. 

Small but Mighty

The region’s best kept shredding secrets?

The little Salmo Ski Hill. One T-bar, night skiing and newly reno-ed-but-still retro lodge. The place is cool enough to have attracted some of the world’s best snowboarders — including the legend himself, Travis Rice, for the annual Turning Man banked slalom festival. So wax ‘em up. And get ready to get on down. 

The Summit Lake Ski Hill is the West Kootenay’s other one T-bar ski hill wonder. Hit it up Friday nights for the local’s favourite evening of night skiing. But don’t let the single T-bar fool you, there are some steepness in these runs. Why else would the runs have names like ‘Suicide’ or Widow-maker’? Don’t worry, there is something for everyone with family friendly ski runs that the little ones will love.

When you’re done playing outside for the day, you’ll find our legendary ski town vibe going on at independent pubs, breweries, and restaurants. From modern smokehouses to historic taverns, trendy restaurants to top-notch alehouses, mouthwatering meals meet delicious craft drafts. With perhaps the finest powder skiing in North America, it’s easy to fill your cup with all the outdoor adventure you can handle on a Kootenay Road Trip.

Want to learn more about alpine skiing in the area? Visit the local tourism websites.

Enjoy the #WestKootRoute