West Coast Ski Resorts
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North America, it is more common for ski areas to exist well away from towns, so ski resorts usually are destination resorts, often purpose-built and self-contained, where skiing is the main activity.
Ski resorts are located on both northern and southern hemispheres on all continents except Antarctica. They typically are located on mountains, as they require a large slope. They also need to receive at least 50 cm (20 in) of snow (unless the resort uses dry ski slopes).
by Ryan Doherty
All resort info from wikipedia
Palisades at Tahoe
The resort is the largest skiing complex in the Lake Tahoe region, and is known for its challenging terrain. With a base elevation of 6,200 feet (1,890 m) and a skiable 6,000 acres (24 km2) across six peaks, employing 30 chairlifts (including a tramway and the only funitel in the U.S.). It tops out at 9,010 ft (2,750 m) at Granite Chief, and averages 400 inches (33.3 ft; 10.2 m) of annual snowfall. The resort attracts approximately 600,000 skiers a year and is also home to several annual summer events.
Alpine Meadows
Alpine Meadows is a ski resort in the western United States, located in Alpine Meadows, California. Near the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe, it offers 2,400 acres (9.7 km2) of skiable terrain, 13 different lifts, and a vertical drop of 1,802 feet.
Alpine Meadows opened 61 years ago in 1961. John Reily developed it initially as the Ward Peak Ski Resort, and had a vision to develop the terrain into a ski resort as an alternative to Squaw Valley.[5][6] With the help of Peter Klaussen and a number of families who pooled resources to develop the area, Alpine Meadows was founded in 1958 and opened in 1961. The idea for the resort was to focus more on the pleasure of skiing than business profit. It was thought that the idea for the resort came about after the resort’s founders visited Squaw Valley during the 1960 Olympics and noticed the potential of the adjacent terrain. Alpine Meadows opened for the 1961–62 season with three lifts.[6]
The resort made headlines 40 years ago in 1982 after an early spring avalanche hit its base area in the late afternoon of March 31 and killed seven. One survivor was buried for five days.
Mount Bachelor Ski Resort
Mount Bachelor ski resort (stylized as Mt. Bachelor) is a ski resort located in Central Oregon, approximately 22 miles (35 km) west of Bend, along Century Drive Highway. The ski area is on the northern side of Mount Bachelor, a stratovolcano rising atop a volcanic shield in the Cascade Range.
Since 2001, the ski area has been owned by Powdr Corporation of Park City, Utah. It is the largest ski resort (by area) by more than 1,000 acres (4.0 km2) in Oregon, the second largest single-mountain ski resort in the U.S., behind Vail, and the sixth largest of all ski resorts in the nation.
Mt Baker Ski Area
Mt. Baker Ski Area is a ski resort in the northwest United States, located in Whatcom County, Washington, at the end of State Route 542. The base elevation is at 3,500 feet (1,067 m), while the peak of the resort is at 5,089 feet (1,551 m). It is about ten miles (16 km) south of the 49th parallel, the international border with Canada. Despite its name, the Mt. Baker Ski Area is actually closer to Mount Shuksan than Mount Baker.
The ski area is home to the world's greatest recorded snowfall in one season, 1,140 inches (95.0 ft; 29.0 m), during the 1998–99 season. Mt. Baker also enjoys one of the highest average annual snowfall of any resort in the world, with 641 inches (53.4 ft; 16.3 m).
Northstar
Approximately 200 miles (320 km) from the San Francisco Bay Area, the 3,170-acre resort features 2,280 ft (690 m) vertical drop of alpine terrain accessed by 19 lifts, a snowmaking system, a cross-country center, a village, on-site lodging and summer activities including an 18-hole golf course and a lift-served mountain bike park.
Northstar features 3,170 acres of terrain, with 60% of trails designated for intermediate skiers. Grooming on trails is well-established and offers many "groomers" for resort visitors. In 2015, Ski Magazine listed the resort as the 24th best ski area in the western United States.
Heavenly Mountain Resort
Heavenly Mountain Resort is a ski resort located on the California–Nevada border in South Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It opened for business on December 15, 1955 and has 97 runs and 30 lifts that are spread between California and Nevada and four base facilities. The resort has 4,800 acres (1,900 ha) within its permit area, with approximately 33% currently developed for skiing, boasting the highest elevation of the Lake Tahoe area resorts with a peak elevation of 10,067 ft (3,068 m), and a peak lift-service elevation of 10,040 ft (3,060 m).
Mission Ridge Ski Area
Mission Ridge Ski Area is a ski area in the western United States, located near Wenatchee, Washington. On the leeward east slope of the Cascade Range, its base elevation is at 4,570 feet (1,393 m) above sea level with the peak at 6,820 feet (2,079 m), yielding a vertical drop of 2,250 feet (686 m). Mission Ridge receives an average snowfall of 200 inches (16.7 ft; 5.1 m) per year, with over 300 sunny days, and its slopes face primarily northeast.
The name "Mission Ridge" was selected in June 1964,[3] and it began operations 56 years ago in the fall of 1966 with two chairlifts in the Squilchuck Basin, where a Walla Walla-based B-24 Liberator bomber crashed on September 30, 1944. A wing section of the plane was removed from the mountain and taken down to the lodge in 1985; it was hauled back up the mountain in October 1992, and mounted on steel poles above "Bomber Bowl."
Mount Hood Meadows
Mount Hood Meadows is a ski resort on the southeastern face of Mount Hood in northern Oregon, and is the largest of the mountain's ski resorts. It is located about 67 miles (108 km) east of Portland, and 35 miles (56 km) from Hood River along Oregon Route 35. It has both Alpine and Nordic ski areas and offers night skiing, lessons and equipment rentals. There are no overnight accommodations at Mount Hood Meadows itself, but a number of hotels and motels nearby offer shuttle services to the resort. There are also condos in Government Camp.
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth has more than 3,500 acres (1,420 ha) of ski-able terrain, serviced by 28 lifts. The area has 3,100 ft (940 m) of vertical, rising to an elevation of 11,059 ft (3,371 m), and enjoys a long ski season. The resort was founded in 1953 by Dave McCoy and, from 2005 to 2017, was owned by the Starwood Capital Group.
The ski area is located on the north side of Mammoth Mountain in the volcanic Long Valley Caldera. Overnight guests stay in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California and occasionally in neighboring towns such as Bishop and June Lake. June Lake's ski area is also owned by Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. The top of the mountain has challenging chutes and groomed as well as mogul runs. There are eight Unbound terrain parks. Unbound Main, adjacent to Main Lodge, is highly praised by extreme snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts, and is one of the major attractions of the ski resort.
Mammoth Mountain also has one of the longest ski seasons in North America, which averages from the start of November to Memorial Day. The resort occasionally enjoys a longer season, as in 2016/2017, when it opened on November the 8th and did not close until the August the 6th. The 1994–95 season was Mammoth Mountain's longest, over ten months, with the resort operating from October 8 until August 13. The 2016–2017 season was the second snowiest on record, with 618 inches (2010-2011 with 668.5 inches is the resort record), and it stayed open until August 6, 2017. January 2017 was the snowiest month in Mammoth history, with 246 inches.
49 Degrees North
The base is at an elevation of 3,923 feet (1,196 m) above sea level with the summit at 5,774 feet (1,760 m) on Chewelah Mountain, yielding a vertical drop of 1,851 feet (564 m). Its slopes are primarily north-facing and are served by six chairlifts, one quad, one high-speed detachable quad, and four doubles.
The ski area first opened in late 1972 with three chairlifts. It is actually at 48.3° North, about fifty miles (80 km) south of the 49th parallel, the international border with Canada. Following two consecutive winters of poor weather, the ski area filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 1990.
Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl is a ski and snowboard area in northern Placer County near Norden, California along the Donner Pass of the Sierra Nevada, approximately 46 mi (74 km) west of Reno, Nevada on Interstate 80, that opened on December 15, 1939. Sugar Bowl is a medium-sized ski area in the Lake Tahoe region, and is well known for its long history, significant advanced terrain, high annual snowfall and being one of the closest ski areas to the San Francisco Bay Area. Sugar Bowl's terrain is 17% Beginner, 45% Intermediate and 38% Advanced.
Kirkwood
Kirkwood Mountain Resort is a year-round resort in Kirkwood, California south of Lake Tahoe that focuses on skiing and snowboarding in winter and hiking and mountain-biking in summer. Kirkwood is one of the region's larger resorts, and is well known for having one of the highest average snowfalls and a broad selection of advanced skiing terrain. The mountain is unique in that it has 2 mi (3.2 km) ridgeline at the top. This makes Kirkwood popular for cliff drops and cornices.
Kirkwood received 804 in (2,040 cm) of snow during the 2005-2006 ski season. Average seasonal snow fall is 472 in (1,200 cm) second only to Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in the Sierra Nevada. Kirkwood is approximately 33 mi (53 km) south of South Lake Tahoe, California on State Route 88 and is contained within the Eldorado National Forest. Most of the region's resorts are at the northern end of the lake, near Truckee, California. Kirkwood, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Heavenly are located on the southern side of the lake.
Mt Hood Ski Bowl
Mount Hood Skibowl is a recreation area on Mount Hood located near Government Camp, Oregon. It is the largest night ski area in the United States, and the total skiable area encompasses an area of 960 acres (388 ha) (about two thirds of this is lit). The resort is the closest ski venue to Portland, with an elevation of 3,600 feet (1,097 m) at the lodge, rising to just over 5,000 feet (1,524 m) at the summit. The average snowfall at the area is 300 inches (762 cm), with an average consolidated base around 100 inches (254 cm) and 65 marked trails. The area is also popular for summer recreation with mountain biking. An adventure park in the area includes alpine slides, zip-line, and bungee jumping. As well as other outdoor activities. Just across the highway is Government Camp, the focal point of Mount Hood.
Alyeska
Alyeska Resort is a ski resort in the Girdwood area of Anchorage, Alaska, approximately 30 miles (44 km) from downtown Anchorage. Mount Alyeska is part of the Chugach mountain range and the Alyeska Resort is the largest ski area in the state. It includes the mountaintop Mt. Alyeska Roundhouse, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Alyeska Ski Corporation was founded in 1954, and the first chairlift and day lodge were opened in 1959. The Roundhouse ski lodge and ski patrol station at the top of the mountain began construction in 1960. It is an octagonal building. Still standing, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "Mt. Alyeska Roundhouse" in 2003, and now houses a museum to local ski history.
Currently, Alyeska has five chairlifts, one high-speed tram, and two Magic Carpets. Of the five chairlifts, one is co-owned by Alyeska and the Tanaka Foundation (Chair 5). Chairs 6 and 4 are high-speed detachable quads, while Chairs 7 and 3 are normal quads. Chair 4 was updated to a high speed quad in 2012. A sixth chairlift, Chair 1, was removed from service in the summer of 2017.
China Peak
China Peak is a ski area in Central California. It opened in 1958, named after the mountain, Chinese Peak. The original owner was Knut Flint who had been part of a worldwide helicopter services company. Mr. Flint had had his eye on this area for a number of years. He recognized the skiers in the San Joaquin Valley would have to drive to Lake Tahoe or Badger Pass. There were no other resorts on the southwest side of the Sierras. He recruited Herbert Schwarz, an Austrian immigrant with ski industry experience to be the general manager. He coordinated the permitting, construction, start-up and operations. During this time the Forest Service was quite receptive to development in the Sierras. Even Walt Disney was looking at developing Onion Valley.
Stevens Pass
The Stevens Pass Ski Area is a ski area in the northwest United States, located at the crest of Stevens Pass in the Cascade Range of Washington. The base elevation is at 4,061 feet (1,238 m) above sea level with the peak at 5,845 feet (1,782 m). The Mill Valley "backside" of the resort drops to a minimum elevation of 3,821 feet (1,165 m). Total skiable terrain includes 37 major runs covering 1,125 acres (4.55 km2).
Stevens Pass offers a variety of alpine ski runs ranging from beginner to advanced. Without lodging at its base, Stevens is a day resort, drawing heavily from the Seattle-Everett metropolitan area, via U.S. Route 2. Night skiing is offered until 10 pm most days (except Mondays and Tuesdays)[1] during mid-season.
The area is divided into front (north and east facing) and back (south facing) sides.
Timberline Lodge Ski Area
Timberline Lodge ski area is the ski and snowboarding area of Timberline Lodge, a National Historic Landmark in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is one of a few ski areas in the United States with most of the skiable terrain below the main lodge. It is located on the south face of Mount Hood, about 60 miles (95 km) east of Portland, accessible via the Mount Hood Scenic Byway.
The lodge was constructed between 1936 and 1938 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression. That year, Timberline opened as Oregon's first destination ski resort with a portable rope tow. The next year, the Magic Mile chairlift opened, as well as Silcox Hut, which sits about one thousand vertical feet (300 m) and a mile (1.6 km) above the main lodge, and was the original unloading and warming hut.
Summer skiing and summer race camps began at Timberline in 1956.[2] Before the Palmer chairlift was constructed in 1983 (which provides access above the 7,000-foot (2,100 m) level), the conditions at Timberline allowed skiing from the Mile November through July or August. With the Palmer, a skiable surface is available year-round. Timberline is the only ski area in the states with lift accessed skiing and snowboarding all twelve months of the year. Ski and snowboard camps draw thousands of people to the slopes during the months of June, July and August.
White Pass Ski Area
The White Pass Ski Area is a ski area in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, in the Cascade Range at White Pass in the state of Washington. Located 53 miles (90 km) west of Yakima on US-12, and 54 miles (90 km) east of Morton. As the crow flies, the pass is 25 miles (40 km) southeast of the summit of Mount Rainier and 30 miles (50 km) north of Mount Adams.
The base elevation of White Pass is at 4,500 feet (1,370 m) above sea level, with a lift-served summit at 6,500 feet (1,980 m), yielding a vertical drop of 2,000 feet (610 m). Located on the south side of the east-west highway, the slopes primarily face north.
The mountain has six chairlifts: two high speed quads, a fixed-grip quad, a triple, and two doubles. It also includes two surface lifts: a platter lift and a magic carpet for beginning skiers.
Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park
Mount Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park is a ski resort in the western United States, located inside Mount Spokane State Park in Spokane County, Washington, about 23 miles (37 km) northeast of Spokane via State Route 206. The base elevation is at 3,818 feet (1,164 m) with the peak at 5,889 feet (1,795 m), yielding a vertical drop of 2,071 feet (631 m). Its slopes are primarily east-facing, and are served by six chairlifts.
The ski area was originally on the west side of the mountain with rope tows and operated the world's first double chairlift in 1947, converted from a mine tramway from Wallace, Idaho, with a lodge built by the CCC the late 1930s. A one-fatality fire in the nearly-completed lodge addition in January 1952 began the move to the east slopes. A new day lodge (#1) was built by the state on the east side and a Riblet double chair was installed in the summer of 1956. A second was added five years later, and a third in 1970. The fourth chair was added a few years later, the fifth in 1977 and the sixth in 2018. Night skiing on Mount Spokane began 54 years ago in December 1967.
Willamette Pass Resort
Willamette Pass Resort is a ski area in the western United States, located at Willamette Pass in west central Oregon, in Klamath and Lane counties. In the Cascade Range between Oakridge and La Pine and accessed by Highway 58, it operates on federal land under special use permit on the Willamette and Deschutes National Forests. Founded in 1941, the ski area has been locally-owned and operated by the Wiper family of Eugene since 1982, the year its first chairlift was installed.
The Summit at Snoqualmie
The Summit at Snoqualmie, is a winter resort in the northwest United States, located on Snoqualmie Pass, Washington. It provides alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing, and winter tubing. Owned and managed by Boyne Resorts, it is 52 miles (80 km) east of downtown Seattle on Interstate 90.
The Summit consists of four base areas that used to be individually owned and operated resorts. Alpental, Summit West (formerly Snoqualmie Summit), Summit Central (formerly Ski Acres), and Summit East (formerly Hyak and PacWest), border Lake Keechelus on the East and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness on the West/North. The Summit at Snoqualmie is the closest ski area to Seattle, about an hour away.
Ski Lifts, Inc., the operator of what became Summit West, acquired the other three resorts. Booth Creek Ski acquired the properties in 1997. Booth Creek sold The Summit to CNL Lifestyle in 2006, but continued to operate the resort under a lease. Booth Creek sold The Summit lease to Boyne Resorts in 2007. CNL Lifestyle sold Booth Creek in a batch of resorts to Och-Ziff Capital Management in 2016. Boyne purchased the ski resort in March 2018.
The vertical drop ranges from 2,280 ft (690 m) at Alpental, to 765 ft (233 m) at Summit West. Combined, the four base areas have 19 chairlifts and 6 surface lifts. The resort is open seven days and six nights per week.
Mount Shasta Ski Park
Mount Shasta Ski Park is a ski resort located in northern California which has winter and summer operations. Winter operations include skiing & snowboarding, tubing, a backcountry cabin program, lessons, rentals, and events. In the summer they offer Scenic Chairlift Rides, Mountain Biking, and Disc Golf. They are located east of Interstate 5 along SR 89 between the city of Mount Shasta and the town of McCloud. The ski area lies about 6 mi (9.7 km) south of the summit of 14,179 ft (4,322 m) Mount Shasta, the second highest volcano in the Cascade Range behind Mount Rainier. It straddles several small volcanic buttes on the lower southern flanks of the massive stratovolcano, with 3 triple chairlifts running to the top of Coyote Butte- 6,880 ft (2,100 m), Douglas Butte- 6,600 ft (2,000 m), and Marmot Ridge- 6,150 ft (1,870 m). Along with 2 magic carpets, one for tubing and one for learning to ski and snowboard. With a total skiable area of 425 acres and 32 conventional trails. The total skiable vertical is 1,435 ft (437 m), with 20% of the terrain rated beginner, 55% intermediate, and 25% advanced.
Alpental
Alpental, named after the German word for alpine valley, is both a valley in eastern King County, Washington, United States and a ski area in the valley. The valley is about 50 miles (80 km) east of Seattle, Washington and is north of Snoqualmie Pass, in the Washington Cascades. It is a popular outdoor recreation destination in both the summer and winter. The ski area is one of four areas which make up The Summit at Snoqualmie.
The valley runs north to northwest from Snoqualmie Pass for about 3 miles (5 km). Geologically, it is a three-sided canyon. Along the west side of the valley a ridge runs between Denny Mountain, The Tooth, Bryant Peak, and Chair Peak. Source Lake occupies the upper valley area at the north side of the valley. This lake is the source of the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River, which meets the other forks of the Snoqualmie River prior to Snoqualmie Falls near North Bend, Washington. On the east side of the valley lies Guye Peak, Cave Ridge, and Snoqualmie Mountain.
The valley is about 50 miles (80 km) east of Seattle, Washington. The Alpental Road (Forest Service Road No. 9040) begins at I-90 Exit 52 at Snoqualmie Pass and runs into the valley. The Alpental Road may also be reached by taking the Denny Creek Road (Forest Service Road No. 58) in the summer months.
Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area
The Hurricane Ridge Ski and Snowboard Area is a small ski area in the northwest United States, located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. It is within Olympic National Park, seventeen miles (27 km) south of Port Angeles.
Hurricane Ridge is one of only three lift-serviced ski areas operating in a U.S. National Park (Badger Pass in Yosemite National Park, and Boston Mills/Brandywine Ski Resort in Cuyahoga Valley National Park are the others). It is the westernmost ski area in the continental United States.
Crystal Mountain
Crystal Mountain is a mountain and alpine ski area in the northwestern United States, located in the Cascade Range of Washington, southeast of Seattle.
In the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Crystal is the largest ski resort in the state and is readily accessible from the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, through Enumclaw via Highway 410. Primarily a day-use area, it has nine chairlifts, various dining locations, and multiple hotels. Crystal is home to the Mt. Rainier Gondola; installed in 2010, it provides year-round access to the resort's summit and is the state's only high-speed gondola.
The ski resort is located in the valley of the Silver Creek, a tributary of the White River, and on the east and north east slopes of Crystal Mountain. The main summit of Crystal, also called Silver King, is 7,002 ft (2,134 m) (NAVD88 elevation) and is the highest land in a 5-mile (8 km) radius.[3] Subsidiary peaks on the north ridge of Silver King are The Throne (6,861 ft (2,091 m)), Silver Queen (ca. 6,990 ft (2,130 m)), Grubstake Point (ca. 6,875 ft (2,095 m)) and North Way Peak (6,780 ft (2,065 m)). The latter three can be reached by ski lifts, and the resort has a Summit House on a shoulder just south of Grubstake. The summits offer an unobstructed view of Mount Rainier, which is less than 13 miles (20 km) west-south-west.
Cypress Mountain
Cypress Mountain is a ski area in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located in the southern section of Cypress Provincial Park, operated under a BC Parks Park Use Permit.
The ski resort is a 30-minute drive north of downtown Vancouver, and has 53 named alpine ski runs (many accessible for night skiing) and 19 km of cross country trails. Snowshoeing tours are also popular. Snow schools and rentals, Cypress Creek Grill, Gold Medal Cafe and Crazy Raven Bar and Grill and a Big Bear Sports retail shop are also located on the premises in the Cypress Creek Lodge.
Cypress Mountain hosted the Freestyle Skiing and Snowboarding events of the 2010 Winter Olympics, including SkiCross as a demonstration sport, and the first running of Snowboardcross as a Medal sport.
Mount Washington Alpine Resort
Mount Washington Alpine Resort, is a year-round recreation destination located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Adjacent to Strathcona Provincial Park, BC's oldest provincial park, Mt. Washington is the Island’s only full-service ski and summer resort hosting approximately 300,000 visits per year. Situated more than 1 km above sea level, the resort overlooks the Comox Valley, the Strait of Georgia, the Coast Mountains, and the Beaufort Range.
In the winter, guests access over 688 ha (1,700 acres) and 507 vertical metres (1,663 ft) of alpine terrain, 55 km (34 mi) of cross-country skiing and 25 km (16 mi) of snowshoeing trails along with a dedicated Nordic lodge, Tube Park and Fat Bike trails. The resort receives some of the biggest snowfalls in North America: over 11 metres (36 ft) annually on average.
Whistler Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is a ski resort located in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. By many measures it is the largest ski resort in North America and has the greatest uphill lift capacity. It features the Peak 2 Peak Gondola for moving between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains at the top. With all of this capacity, Whistler Blackcomb is also often the busiest ski resort, often surpassing 2 million visitors a year.
Whistler was originally conceived as part of a bid to win the 1968 Winter Olympics. Although the bid failed, construction started anyway and the resort opened for the first time in January 1966. Blackcomb mountain, originally a separate entity, opened for business in December 1980. The two resorts underwent a period of intense rivalry through the 1980s and 90s, with constant upgrades and improvements that were unseen at other resorts. By the mid-1990s the area was repeatedly named the best resort in many skiing magazines. Intrawest, the BC real estate firm that developed Blackcomb, purchased Whistler in 1997 and fully merged their operations in 2003.
Eaglecrest Ski Area
Eaglecrest Ski Area is a public ski area on Douglas Island in the U.S. state of Alaska, across Gastineau Channel from Juneau. The area is owned and operated by Juneau's municipal government. Eaglecrest has 4 double chairlifts accessing 640 acres, with 36 marked alpine runs, two Nordic skiing loops, and access to world class backcountry. Vertical drop is 1,620 ft (490 m) with an average snowfall of 320" and a record snowfall of 640" in 2011.
Southeast Alaska's only ski area, Eaglecrest's season generally runs from the first weekend of December through mid-April.
Revelstoke
Revelstoke Mountain Resort (RMR) is a ski resort on Mount Mackenzie, just outside Revelstoke, British Columbia in Canada. It is owned by Northland Properties.
Currently, the resort has a 1,710 metres (5,620 ft) vertical drop, the longest vertical descent of any ski resort in North America. In terms of size, it is about the same as other major resorts, such as Breckenridge and Panorama, and about a third the size of Whistler-Blackcomb. When completed, it will have 10,000 acres (40 km2), which will make it the largest in North America.
Big White
Big White Ski Resort, or simply Big White, is a ski resort located 56 km (35 mi) southeast of Kelowna in the Southern Interior of British Columbia. Located on Big White Mountain, the highest summit in the Okanagan Highland, an upland area between the Monashee Mountains and the Okanagan Valley. Big White is also the third-largest resort in British Columbia, after Whistler-Blackcomb and Sun Peaks. Furthermore, in 2019 Big White was nominated as the third-best ski resort in the nation by Snowpak.
The mountain summit is at 2,319 m (7,608 ft) with a vertical drop of 777 m (2,549 ft), serviced by 16 lifts. The mountain receives 750 cm of annual snowfall. It has 2,765 acres (11 km2) of overall skiable terrain.[1] With 38 acres (150,000 m2) of night skiing, Big White has western Canada's largest resort night skiing area. It has a central village classified as a designated place by Statistics Canada, which comprises accommodation, eateries, bars and shops. The village is 1,755 m (5,758 ft) above sea level.
