above: Dry powder for days at Big White. – Photograph: courtesy of Big White”
Ski You Later!
Although it seems like everyone is headed to Europe to ski this season, we direct our attention to our neighbors to the North. Canada may not sound as sexy as Courchevel, but the skiing can be better. The travel certainly is.
Here are some mountains that should be on your ski punch list.
BIG WHITE
OPENING: November 28
This resort is like that secret stash of powder you tell your best friends about, only it’s an entire mountain. The whole resort is ski-in/ski-out, and the powder is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Imagine cruising into a knee-deep pile, and instead of needing ACL surgery, you watch what they call “champagne powder” explode like the puff of a dandelion.
Big White has a lot going for it. It’s only 5,700 feet, so there’s no danger of altitude sickness. And it’s on the interior side of British Columbia, making the snow a dry powder, of which there is never a lack (average depth of 53 inches). Fun fact: there’s no snowmaking equipment since it’s not needed.
The mountain is also famous for “snow ghosts,” giant trees fully encased in ice. How does that happen, you ask? We’ll tell you. It’s often foggy and overcast, and when clouds touch snow, the water crystals stick and create massive ice trees.
If the lift line is more than 10 to 15 minutes, locals will complain about how busy it is. There are 12 lifts—10 chairlifts, a gondola and a T-bar. In addition, there are four magic carpets for new skiers/snowboarders. No matter which lift you choose, there is a green run to the bottom, making it the perfect resort for beginners. It’s also a snowboarder’s paradise. USA Today named Big White the best place to snowboard in Canada and the second-best place to snowboard in North America.
Stay anywhere you like; the lifts are only steps away. But don’t miss the world-famous gun barrel coffee at the Gun Barrel Grill. The waiter pulls up alongside your table with a shotgun heated over the fire and pours flaming Grand Marnier down the barrel into a glass prepared with brandy, cacao, coffee and whipped cream.
Lift tickets start at $119 per day if purchased online. There is also night skiing for only $30. Factor in the favorable exchange rate and a lift ticket is only $87 US. Compare that to $259 for a day in Park City (where you won’t find a flaming gun barrel drink).
WHISTLER BLACKCOMB
OPENING: November 22
This is the largest ski resort in North America and has a seven-mile top-to-bottom run. The resort has it all: ice skating, the longest gondola in existence spanning from peak to peak, ziplining through snow-covered trees, heli-skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, ice climbing, snowcat touring, Olympic bobsled riding, and the newest activity, Vallea Lumina, a magical light walk through the forest at night.
If heli-skiing is on your bucket list, this is the perfect place to try it. If you can handle any run on the mountain in all conditions, you’re ready to take your skiing to the next level, literally. You will be outfitted with proper powder skis, receive avalanche training and be paired with a professional guide. The terrain available for heli-skiers is 50 times the size of the Whistler Blackcomb resort. Imagine untracked powder, no lift lines and a season’s worth of vertical in just a few days. This is a skier’s heaven.
Whistler is on the Epic Pass, and passholders get 20 percent off heli-skiing. If you’re skiing without an Epic Pass, you can save significant money by purchasing your lift tickets before the season starts.
BATTLE OF THE GIANTS, EPIC VS. IKON
Two massive mountain companies are gobbling up resorts like the Hungry Hungry Hippo—the Epic pass by Vail Resorts, which is not just Vail, and the IKON pass by Alterra Mountain Company. Rare are the mountains that do not belong to one or the other. Big White is one of the few independent mountains, and in our opinion, worth skiing without a pass.
Epic passholders get unlimited ski days on most of the pass’s member mountains, including Vail and Whistler Blackcomb. Also, travelers will now be able to join My Epic Gear, a membership to rent premium equipment instead of traveling with it, slope-side pick-up and drop-off. Membership costs $50 for the 2024/2025 season, with a $55 daily use fee for adults and a $45 fee for kids aged three to 12.
While IKON passholders get seven days on most in-pass mountains, read the fine print. Some passes have blackout dates.
MONT-TREMBLANT
OPENING: November 23
Mont-Tremblant is the most European-feeling resort of our recommendations and the most convenient. Flights from any New York airport take under two hours, followed by a 90-minute drive from Montreal. We suggest hiring a car service since you won’t need a car once you’re at the mountain.Everything you need is within walking distance in the charming pedestrian village.
If you’ve skied Stowe, Mont- Tremblant will feel familiar. The resort sits at the highest point in the Laurentian Mountains (Stowe is the highest mountain in Vermont). Both mountains are cold, but Tremblant can be frigid, so pack plenty of toe warmers. Ironically, cold plunges are one of the cool new things to do (pun intended), and there are plenty of Nordic Spas to choose from.
Try the “thermal journey” at Spa Mont-Tremblant. For a more authentic experience, head to the Scandinave Spa, where hot-and- cold-plunge pools run along the Diable River. However, the frozen river itself is the ultimate cold plunge. If you want the kids to try a Nordic Spa (they aren’t welcome at Scandinave), stay at Hotel Quintessence, where they can try the hot/cold plunge pools. There are also some Nordic spas with kid hours depending on age in the area.
Tremblant is on the IKON Pass and is an excellent choice for families. There are plenty of off-piste activities and, of course, poutine. The mountain has four ski faces, so there are plenty of options. Kids (and beginner adults) can cruise for almost four miles on a green beginner run. If anyone has tired legs at the end of the day, there’s a free cabriolet (a gondola but not for skiers) that connects the village at both ends.