Silver Star Resort, BC

It is winter, and from your hotel room you see the sun break over the Monashee Mountains, casting gold beams across perfectly groomed runs. The air is full of floating crystals, blown from tree limbs, and lifted from powdery slopes. Your stomach is soon full of European chocolate and croissant, or bacon and eggs, and gourmet coffee. The snow, rung of all moisture as it travels across the Coast Range and over the interior plateau, squeaks under your boots as you walk. You click into your binding and with a few poles strokes, begin an effortless glide, and in seconds are shooting through the crisp air down a short run and straight onto the chair lift. From the blue morning shadows at the base of the mountain, you rise quickly into the full sun and gaze at winter’s wonder. The sugar-coated mountain stands out against a blue sky; the trees at the top, buried by winter storms, look like white elves. Your biggest decision in life comes down to one simple thing: which one of the 115 runs than span out beneath you should you do first?

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It is summer, and from your hotel room, you see a mother black bear and two cubs, digging and wandering slowly through a field of lupines and Indian paintbrush. The mid-summer cool night air, fragrant with forest smells, is mixing with warm drafts of wind that have started to rise from the earth and the desert valley below.

The mountain’s 2,500 vertical feet and 1,240 hectares of terrain are blanketed by 700 cm of snow annually. Silver Star has 115 runs, champagne powder-dry snow, and is serviced by state of the art hi-speed lifts. In addition, a skating rink, snow park, Tube Town Adventure Park, Mini-Z snowmobiles track, and track set x-country trails keep the winter enthusiasts satisfied from late November till April. Snowshoeing, snowmobile tours, the tranquility of horse drawn sleighs, and the surreal magic of night skiing until 8pm, round out any winter vacation.

The resort has over 60 m of track-set Nordic trails; but in partnership with Sovereign Lake Nordic Club – whose facilities, including day lodge and the Black Prince Cabin, operate in the adjacent Silver Star Provincial Park – Silver Star now boasts 105 km of trails and the longest Nordic season in North America.

Summertime at Silver Star is full of fun in the great outdoors, from scenic chairlift rides, to guided nature tours. For mountain bikers, Silver Star has built a reputation as the place to ride in Canada. From downhill to bike-park, you will not be disappointed. And for a change of pace, test your warrior skills with a paintball challenge, take in a ‘Retro-Day’, or sample fine wines during the Okanagan Summer Wine Festival.

Within the picturesque and colourful Victorian style village are numerous options for mountain accommodations, lots of restaurants and bistros, providing everything from pub fare to haute cuisine, and shopping for ski and snowboard clothing and equipment. You can also spoil yourself with aromatherapy and essential oils at the spa or get out of the cold and get in shape at The National Altitude Training Center, whose offerings includes weight room, climbing wall, yoga and more.

No matter what season, you are sure to keep a smile on your face while visiting Silver Star Resort.

To get there: from the city of Vernon, take 48th Ave, which turns into Silver Star Road, and travel for 22 km to the resort.

Snow report for Silver Star
Open / Past 48 Hours: 2in. / Primary: Skiers Packed / Base Depth: 60in.
Last update: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 06:25, provided by www.onthesnow.com