Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Leslie Anthony
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Chasing Dream Runs at Sun Peaks

  • January 7, 2022
  • Sarah Bulford
Total
1
Shares
1
0
0
0
0
0
Total
1
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Words :: Leslie Anthony

200127sunpeaks skunkset2967
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

I have a recurring dream. In it, I’m skiing an endless fall-line screamer set at the perfect angle, with light, shin-deep powder billowing overhead as I sweep over berms and sidehills, dropping hundreds of leg-burning metres while a leitmotif of snow-clad forest flashes by. But here’s the weird part: instead of some backcountry idyll, this magical vignette is happening on a piste, as if my subconscious knows something I’m loathe to voice: that the solid, predictable base of a well-groomed run covered in new powder can be as good as skiing gets.

210104sunpeaks drone ski7919
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

Catching cruisers like this with powder atop them can indeed be life-changing—or at least dreamy. But “cruising” them when they’re freshly groomed corduroy devoid of new snow can also be transcendent to skiers at any level: for beginners a place to safely explore those pizza-wedges; for intermediates a wide-open space to gain confidence; and for experts a place to both warm-up and practice some physics. Indeed, the G-forces pulled while carving corduroy are enough to keep even a NASA scientist interested; there’s something about crossing the fall-line with your edges slicing those velvety parallel ridges, knowing that the quirky combo of speed, edging, and gravity will keep your body suspended only centimetres above them. By the time you reach bottom, you’re literally flying.

210105sunpeaks drone ski8091
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

While the ski world is full of superb cruisers, they’re often overlooked in the current craze for steep, deep and off-piste adventure. And while these might be short-lived mythical creatures elsewhere, they’re a daily reality at Sun Peaks ski area outside of Kamloops, B.C., whose reputation for carpets of perfection dates back to the days when it was known as Tod Mountain. Sun Peaks wins consistent praise for its grooming, a particular charm that draws skier’s back again and again. And there’s no better place to experience this art than off Sunburst Chair, the tireless workhorse that literally defines the resort.

Sun Peaks also stands proud as Canada’s second-largest ski area. Spread over the unique faces of Tod, Sundance and Morrisey mountains, it can feel like you’re in a totally different location depending which peak you’re on. “Some runs feel like secret-garden sort of glades—only you’re not dodging trees because they’re wide enough to do big, arcing GS turns on them,”  

0V4A6958
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Corry Hall

says Kelsey Serwa, Canada’s gold-medal winner in Skiercross at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. “Plus, all the main groomers are excellent and set on good terrain.”

As a frequently visiting young racer, her husband Stan Rey—erstwhile Skicross champ in his own right and these days a Canadian Freeski film icon—spent a fair amount of time skiing Sun Peaks with his teammates, enjoying the wide-open runs with their big rollers and gap jumps. “We skied all over the mountain before our races. We couldn’t get enough and always looked forward to going there.”

200127sunpeaks skunkset2923
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

If what’s underfoot is a big draw, then what lands atop is pure bonus. Snow here is dry, dependable and abundant, with frequent dumps of 10-15 cm—not only the perfect cruiser topper, but the preferred refresher for the resort’s gladed forests and off-piste terrain. Add these considerations to its uncrowded crown—with over 4,270 acres of terrain and seven chairlifts serving particularly spacious slopes, lines always remain small—and you’ve got perfect powder days.

While roomy, consistent skiing remains a central draw, Sun Peaks offers many other activities, from dog-sledding to horse-drawn sleigh rides, fat biking, guided ice fishing, heli-skiing, snowshoeing, and 37 km of fastidiously groomed and track-set Nordic trails. There’s also the chance to engage history by skiing with Canadian Olympic doyenne Nancy Greene Raine, who lives here year-round and can be found on the slopes most days.

  • DSC 2631 copy 1
  • DSC 2906 copy 1
  • Sun Peaks with Jessica MPutnam 1447 1
  • Sport School Kids 49
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Sun Peaks, Kelly Funk, Kyle James, Mary Putnam

Sun Peaks’ strollable base village has been likened to “a little bit of Europe” by more than one visitor, and that resonates when you see its boutique shops, streetside restaurants and abundant local art. Some 25 eating and drinking establishments feature a range from casual to fine-dining, intimate to family oriented, local to international cuisine. Facing west, day’s end at Sun Peaks is often awash in golden light, perfect for outdoor après since, as all skiers know, a good sunset is the best sendoff ever.

210106sunpeaks drone ski8663 1
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

But even as night falls you might already be thinking of sunrise. With the ever-changing nature of snow, corduroy is always at its best first thing in the morning. Which means that pretty much every day that dream run might be out there. You just have to find the right groomer in the right place in the right conditions then tip onto your edges and ride it for all it’s worth. Without a doubt, Sun Peaks is one of the best places in all of Canada to chase that dream.

200129sunpeaks skunkrise3682 3
Photo Courtesy of Sun Peaks: Reuben Krabbe

Total
1
Shares
Share 1
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Sarah Bulford

Previous Article
Simcoe-County-Tourism-winter-Ontario-snowshoe-women
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding
  • Stay & Play

Five Reasons to Visit Simcoe County this Winter

  • January 6, 2022
  • Mountain Life Media
View Post
Next Article
Sporting-Life-Collingwood-Kristin-Schnelten-jackets-exterior-snow
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Sporting Life 2.0

  • January 9, 2022
  • Mountain Life Media
View Post
You May Also Like
Powder-Highway-BC-ski
View Post
  • Rockies
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Powder Highway Revisited

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 21, 2023
natural-selection-Redbull
View Post
  • Snowboarding
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Natural Selection Tour Highlights

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 17, 2023
rope-tow-Vancouver-Island
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Trips & Expeditions

Poached Winter

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 7, 2023
Ryan-Osman-ontario-splitboarding
View Post
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Off-Piste ON

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 6, 2023
Skiis-and-Biikes
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario
  • Skiing
  • Snowboarding

Skiis & Biikes Looks to the Future

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 6, 2023
Baker-Boyd-Rossignol-Discordance
View Post
  • Skiing
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Discordance with Baker Boyd

  • Ned Morgan
  • March 3, 2023
Jake-Burton-Carpenter-late-Seventies
View Post
  • Snowboarding

Remembering Jake Burton Carpenter with the Third Annual ‘Day for Jake’

  • Ned Morgan
  • February 27, 2023
Bruhns-Antarctica-splitboard
View Post
  • Snowboarding
  • Trips & Expeditions

Blowin’ in the Wind: Field Reports from Sea/Shred Adventure to Antarctica

  • Mountain Life Media
  • February 24, 2023
Featured Posts
  • natural-selection-Redbull 1
    Friday Flick: Natural Selection Tour Highlights
    • March 17, 2023
  • Powder-Highway-BC-ski 2
    Powder Highway Revisited
    • March 21, 2023
  • AleTrailsSouthernInterior_Vernon_MikeGamble_LookoutTrail_BenHaggarPhoto 3
    Ale Trails: Southern Interior Part 1, Vernon + Shuswap
    • March 20, 2023
  • Bora-Boreal-Quebec-winter-cabin-stars 4
    Bora Boréal: Frozen in Time and Ice
    • March 14, 2023
  • Uncertainty-mountains-Rockies 5
    Facing Uncertainty: The Role of Chance in Mountain Adventures
    • March 13, 2023
RECENT POSTS
  • Elements-Outfitters-Filson-cabin
    Elements Outfitters Partners with SALTS to Protect Alberta’s Incredible Landscapes
    • March 16, 2023
  • The-High-Route-Kaytlyn-Gerbin-Jenny-Abegg-North-Cascades-High-Route-glacier-hiking
    Friday Flick: Alpine Ultra-Run Sufferfest
    • March 10, 2023
  • Lynx-OGT-Flashlight-standing-up
    Gear Shed: Top Picks for Shredding, Snacking + Seeing in the Dark
    • March 9, 2023
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn 0
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
Live It Up EP 24 is out now!
The Southern Interior region of BC holds an ecological cross-section of the province with alpine meadows, arid Douglas fir grasslands, damp cedar and hemlock forests of the Columbia Mountains and the warm expanse of Shuswap Lake.
Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL April 13-16 @woodwardtahoe 😱 $40,000 cash prize purse and a whole lotta spotlight on a group of riders whose time has finally come!! Presented by @jess.kimura and @thenorthface and supported by @yeti @capitasupercorp @slushthemagazine @unionbindingco @smithoptics @sunbum @coalheadwear @fattire 🫡 watch the finals in person Saturday April 15 and join the crew + @btbounds for a public ride day Sunday April 16 @borealmtn. Time to make some history!!! #linkinbio to learn more!
Close your eyes and, for a moment, imagine yourself deep in the polar regions aboard an expedition ship stuck in the ice. The white pack-ice is dazzling, and the immobile vessel seems frozen in time and space. That experience piques your curiosity, doesn't it? Without having to go all the way to Antarctica, you can experience these icy sensations 30 minutes from Quebec City in one of Bora Boréal 's two floating cottages.
@acmg.ca /IFMGA Mountain Guide and  @parks.canada Visitor Safety Specialist Steve Holeczi discusses the role of chance in mountain adventures and how to assess the unknown.
Slopes in the morning, peddles in the afternoon = balance. #mountainlifer
That’s one way to kick off the weekend 🤿❄️
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

Live It Up EP 24 is out now!
The Southern Interior region of BC holds an ecological cross-section of the province with alpine meadows, arid Douglas fir grasslands, damp cedar and hemlock forests of the Columbia Mountains and the warm expanse of Shuswap Lake.
Do Not Disturb mode activated ✅ #mountainlifer
Conceived by superhuman snowboarder @travisrice, the @naturalselection Tour highlights earth’s premier riders, from big-mountain mavens to Olympians, all competing on the most stoketastic—and unpredictable—terrain known to humankind.
Built upon a shared desire to enjoy, respect, and advocate for Alberta’s incredible landscapes, it was a natural fit for @elementsoutfitters to work with a local conservation organization @saltslandtrust to highlight the province’s rugged beauty and outdoor apparel to match.
THE UNINVITED INVITATIONAL April 13-16 @woodwardtahoe 😱 $40,000 cash prize purse and a whole lotta spotlight on a group of riders whose time has finally come!! Presented by @jess.kimura and @thenorthface and supported by @yeti @capitasupercorp @slushthemagazine @unionbindingco @smithoptics @sunbum @coalheadwear @fattire 🫡 watch the finals in person Saturday April 15 and join the crew + @btbounds for a public ride day Sunday April 16 @borealmtn. Time to make some history!!! #linkinbio to learn more!
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.