Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/754203
Sun Peaks Resort/Kelly Funk, Destination BC/Blake Jorgenson WINTER 2016 BCA A .COM 17 MEMBERS SAVE BCAA Members save 20% on a one-day Peaks Snow Card. Peaks Snow Card holders get discounts on subsequent ski days, and 25% off the best available rate at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel & Conference Centre when booking arrivals between Sunday and Thursday. bcaa.com/sunpeaks Stop 5: Sun Peaks Resort Spread over three mountains, Sun Peaks is the second largest ski area in Canada. Rarely crowded, the resort has room for everyone, particularly on the immaculate groomed runs – some of the smoothest in the West. While the terrain may be more rolling than gnarly, there are plenty of steeps, including a run used for an annual speed skiing competition. And there's just as much to explore off-slope in the busy ski-in, ski-out village, including more than 20 restaurants and dozens of shops. Getting there: From Vernon, take Hwy. 97 northwest to Kamloops. Continue on Hwy. 5 north to Heffley Louis Creek Road and eventually the Sun Peaks Road. 2 hours; 172 km Skiable terrain: 1,728 hectares and 135 runs (10% beginner, 58% intermediate, 32% advanced). What's new: An NHL-size outdoor skating rink opens this winter, a short walk from the village. Drop by for pickup hockey or open skating. Insider tip: Hunting for the best powder? Head to Gil's, former backcountry terrain that moved in-bounds two years ago. Side trip: Learn how the local Secwepemc First Nations survived the area's hard winters, and about their culture, at the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park. Walking trails lead to archaeological remains of a 2,000-year- old underground winter village, including a reconstructed pit house. ■