A Slopeside Epiphany in the Okanagan Valley. Words :: Glen Harris
I still remember my first time out west in the mountains riding the chairlift up, up, up and into the clouds. Then an offload, another on-load, then up some more. For me it was Whistler, and it changed my life. The next decade brought an override: Skiing in the mountains, youthful freedom and opportunity for adventure-themed travel overrode all practical decisions. I entered the mountain culture and wasn’t looking back. Ski bohemia. Friendships. Travel.
Although life brought me back to Ontario, the mountain mentality never left. My friends and I started glading, venturing into the valleys between the lifts, scouting parks and clubs for access to a few powder turns in the sidecountry.
Eventually I watched the process start all over again. Teenagers now, my two kids had put in the work: years of ski lessons, dabbling with racing, free skiing with friends, a few Quebec road trips and Ontario glades (the tightest out there!). It was time. My daughter stepped up: “Dad? Can we ski out west this winter?”
We did some research and chose SilverStar. In all my years out west I never made it to the Okanagan Valley resorts and really didn’t know what to expect. There were three of us, my daughter Noa and one of her best friends, Brooklyn.
The day came. We piled into the car and headed down Airport Road.
The girls are quickly approaching an age where they start looking past high school with excitement and trepidation. This chatter carried on throughout the day’s commute. What schools are they applying to? What programs did the schools offer? How big is the school, what are the extracurricular activities and where is it located? McGill? Dal? UBC? Perhaps a school overseas?
All very important considerations. Big, life-altering decisions really.
We battled through YYZ, figured out how to attach our bag tags and landed in Kelowna Airport—the most chill and relaxing airport I’ve been to. A total contrast to Toronto. The travel stress I seem to have acquired in recent years dissipated as we got our skis from oversize baggage and jumped into the shuttle.
Just under an hour from Kelowna, SilverStar consists of four mountain faces of the Monashee Range. With 132 runs, it’s a big place with the heart of a small town. The mid-mountain village offers true ski-in/ski-out access to the slopes. With loads of progressive terrain, SilverStar is family-friendly but the 1,328-hectare back side throws down big-league gauntlets of steep and deep.
Our shuttle driver was a Whistler expat, so we bonded over that. He then began touting everything the Okanagan Valley had to offer: the trail systems, climbing, beaches, fishing and kiting spots—and mostly the relaxed environment—is what keeps him here.
With loads of progressive terrain, SilverStar is family-friendly but the 1,328-hectare back side throws down big-league gauntlets of steep and deep.
He points over at certain ranges and talks about the cat and heli operators. The sun bounces off the deep lakes and the hillside is spotted with the vineyards and orchards of the Okanagan. Eventually we start ascending in elevation as the snow banks grow, and we can see ski runs heading up into the clouds. We quickly settle into our oversize slopeside two-bedroom walk-out with our own hot tub and ski lockers next door.
Heading up the gondola the next morning the girls are stoked, their excitement palpable. Over the next few days we explore the resort and get our bearings, make it out for fresh groomers and take in some night skiing, which is not that common out west.
And then, just as we were really comfortable and feeling at home, the trip was done. But it was obvious looking at the ridges and the sidecountry that SilverStar had plenty more to offer. The girls’ stoke kept rising. Let’s get back here. They spotted the downhill mountain bike features and made summer plans.
Heading home I couldn’t help but listen to the girls chat away. Notably the conversation had shifted. Maybe do a gap year or two? Come back for a season to SilverStar? Resort options across Canada were now being weighed with excitement and trepidation. What were the towns like? Staff accommodations? Perhaps a resort in Europe?
All very important considerations. Big, life-altering decisions really.
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