Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/207624
B.C. winter ever WINTER DRIVES COOL ROADTRIPS The marketing folks at Kootenay Rockies Tourism call the drive through the snowy Purcell, Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges the Powder Highway, but they could easily call it the Powder Doughnut because the circular route is like a sweet dessert sprinkled with more ski resorts and backcountry tour operators than any other cold-weather playground on Earth. This craggy 1,000-km circle route is also a strong contender for best B.C. winter drive. powderhighway.com (here) RED Mountain Resort has expanded to become Canada's eighth-largest ski area; (opposite bottom) snowshoeing is just one winter-fun option at Cypress Mountain; (below) catching air at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. new Crystal lift speeds up Blackcomb glacier laps and extends the cruisers and tree skiing in the Crystal Zone by 150 metres. To ensure the lift will be ready for riding, a sizable investment has been made on top-to-bottom snowmaking. whistlerblackcomb.com Sun Peaks Resort They say the family that skis together stays together. Sun Peaks is doing what it can to keep families (top) Eric Simard/SCC/TOTA, Ryan Creary/All Canada Photos p14-18_Fresh_Tracks.indd 15 For less vigorous winter pursuits, the Okanagan wine country is the place to chill. With no crowds in the off-season, sip-and-swishers are almost always served by the winery owner and/or winemaker. See the Thompson-Okanagan section of hellobc.com for winery hours. Also, if imbibing, be sure to hire a tour guide or shuttle to facilitate your wine crawl. To turn your wine-country visit into a luxury winter break, relax at the Swarovski crystal-infused Sparkling Hill Resort near Vernon (sparklinghill. com), where BCAA Members save 20% on room rates. Special wintertime events in the Okanagan include together, starting with access. Just in time for ski season, WestJet has added a daily flight from Vancouver to Kamloops, the closest city to the resort (from $125 one way). On the hills, families can learn together with two new ski camps. The corduroy lovers can tackle the two-day Family Race Camp ($259-$299/ person), while the more free-minded can develop allmountain chops in the three-day Off-Piste Camps ($329-$399/person). For non-skiers, the new guided backcountry snowshoeing trip treks from the village through forest and meadow to McGillivray Lake and back, a five-hour, 12-km hike ($80/person). sunpeaksresort.com Kicking Horse Mountain Resort Already well known for its plentiful chutes and Summerland's Festival of Lights Summerland's Festival of Lights, November 29; the Kettle Valley Steam Railway Christmas Train, December 14, 15, 20, 21, 22; and Sun Peaks Winter Okanagan Wine Festival, January 11-19, 2014. As with any B.C. winter foray, check drivebc.ca for road closures and cautions before hitting the road. – Rob Howatson steeps, Kicking Horse in Golden opened two new runs off Redemption Ridge and improved access to the dozen chutes already on the trail map with work on the Redemption Ridge Traverse. Experts will also appreciate improved snowcat access to Terminator, allowing the fall-line black diamond run to be groomed to perfection. At the other end of the ability spectrum, Kicking Horse has a new separate family zone. Big deals are available on five-day Ski Safari lift-and-stay packages that include sister resorts Kicking Horse, Fernie and Kimberley (from $459/person). skircr.com Cypress Mountain For winter family fun, revisit an oldie but a goodie on Vancouver's North Shore. Until January 31, 2014, Members save 25% on full-day lift tickets – only when purchased at a BCAA Service Location. bcaa.com/cypress – Ryan Stuart WESTWORLD >> W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 15 13-11-07 9:04 AM