Let it Snow

Even a bad day’s skiing at Big White Ski Resort is simply stunning.

BY RIGHTS, WE should have been sobbing into our ski mittens. The region’s legendary powder was mounting nicely until freakishly warm conditions delivered unheard-of rain to western Canada’s Big White Resort, near Kelowna. Consequently, the locals were howling, apologising to visitors for the state of their snow.
These were, according to Big White sales manager Jim Lloyd, the most dire ski conditions since he started barrelling down these slopes more than 50 years ago. While no self-respecting local would deign to don boots or a board until the white stuff was thigh deep – annual snowfall is 750mm – we were beaming.Their worst days were among our best thanks to relentlessly blue skies and impossibly long, wide, empty ski runs. True to its name, Big White boasts Canada’s largest ski-in, ski-out village and its 16 lifts service 118 runs, including one that stretches 7.2km.An absence of crowds, queues and waiting times, together with abundant snow-dusted spruce trees, reminded us how far we were from home.
Sure, it was a little icy underfoot but North Island Kiwi skiers are accustomed to the distinctive slicing sound of a ski edge on packed snow. Almost everything else was a novelty, starting with sleeping in a luxurious apartment whose back door opened onto the slopes. Temporarily living in an alpine village was as foreign to us as the resort’s bewilderingly long list of off-piste activities that included snow shoeing, ice climbing, dog sledding behind huskies and sleigh riding accompanied by the requisite sleigh bells.Big White regularly scoops international awards for its family-friendly activities and attitude but it also picks up “best powder” and “best tree-skiing” and “best resort” awards and proved a decidedly appealing place for grown-ups, especially outside peak school-holiday season. Of course, anyone wanting to indulge their inner child could make maple syrup candy in the snow and shriek down icy chutes on an inner tube into a pile of straw. In fact, the icy conditions made the tubing wilder, faster and more fun (hint for newbies: stop screaming before the run ends or risk a mouth full of straw).
I felt like a cartoon character as I strapped on snowshoes – I distinctly recall Bugs Bunny wearing an earlier, tennis racquet-shaped version of these things—and hiked through hushed woods. Our guide identified local plant species, pointed out animal tracks and relayed wonderful avalanche tales.
On fireworks night, the steakhouse afforded us ringside seats to the weekly shooting, whirling, spiralling spectacle of sparks and light, while we tucked into baby octopus niçoise salad. Outside the eatery, starlitice-skating was pure romance and we glided hand-in-hand round the frozen pond, our breath like clouds.A complimentary shuttle bus circulates the resort into the night but we opted to trudge cheerfully home on foot, following a white, moonlit path uphill to the door of our condominium.
Before breakfast each day, we would smugly step outdoors, click into our skis and point tips downhill to cut onto the Highway 33 ski run. The chair lifts were fast, the staff relaxed and chirpy and new electronic passes kept people moving to maximise ski time. During the day, we would ski back to our doorstep to grab snacks or shed layers and revel in the freedom of speeding downhill with nothing but a credit card and a ski pass in our pockets.
Once lifts closed, we would encase ourselves in layers and snow boots to clomp down that same ski highway for dinner. One night, inside a small, candlelit bistro, ebullient host John Mooney delivered truffle-infused hors d’ouvres while regaling us with yarns of grizzly bears and alpine living. He also had plenty to say about the pleasures of drinking fine pinot noir produced just down the hill, in British Columbia’s Okanagan region. Mooney owns several culinary businesses in the resort and is among its 100-plus permanent residents; his charming house is tucked among the apartment and pain-free for the first time in months. He was unexpectedly impressed with his newly smooth epidermis too.
Back on the snow, our instructor Blake Crocker refused to complain about the ski conditions. Like plenty of resort staff, he holds down several jobs and his work in the property department had kept him off the slopes for weeks. He was as thrilled as we were to click boots into skis and inhale the blue and white vistas, and he’d seen enough seasons to know the snow would eventually come. In the meantime, we could only grin at each other and agree that a condominium buildings that collectively sleep up to 17,000 people.
These numbers sustain a real village, complete with year-round primary school – John’s daughter spent her formative years here – and a fire hall. During the ski season, shops sport the expectedarray of ski gear, tourist knick-knacks and distinctive Big White pom pom-topped hats. But we found some surprises too, like the boutique store selling quirky, Canadian-made giftware and stylish jewellery. Or the baker who conjured up a dairy-free birthday cake overnight.
With some reluctance, my husband even agreed to check into the spa for a couples massage and a salt exfoliation that miraculously sloughed off dehydrated winter skin. The massage itself was eons away from those wimpy, resort-style treatments that merely knead the skin. Both therapists held an impressive stack of qualifications and were, like many fellow resort workers, Australian imports. They worked in tandem to relentlessly pursue and unravel every knotted, ski-weary muscle until my partner was converted, declaring his back rotten day on Big White is still superb.

EAT
Thanks to the significant size of the winter population, theresort offers everything from grab-it-and-go Thai food at the grocery store to well-established fine dining. Given the seasonality of the place, eateries change from year to year but expect about two dozen choices. These include Six Degrees Bistro, known for its excellent cellar and leisurely degustation dinners (sixdegreesbistro.com). Further downhill, Kettle Valley Steakhouse is a barn of a place that offers much finer fare than the steakhouse moniker suggests. We loved the duck.kettlevalleysteakhouse.com Globe Cafe & Tapas is a justifiably popular hangout locals with some attractive, healthy dining options.

globedining.com

STAY
Although there are some independently owned and operated accommodation options on the hill, Big White Central Reservations (bigwhite.com) provides the lion’s share. They'll fetch skiers from Kelowna Airport, 45 minutes away, deliver you to the door; stock the cupboards; and will even let your dog stay with you. A Copper Kettle Lodge premium plus suite offers three bedrooms, generous living areas, a steam shower in the ensuite, and the requisite hot tub on the deck facing the Monashee Mountains. Stonebridge Lodge units are smaller, but they’re a stone's throw from the village centre. It's worth noting that January 4 to February 15 is low season, and prices are sharp then.