How to Have a Great Time Skiing at Silver Star

I was lucky to spend three fabulous days skiing at Silver Star Mountain Resort. I’d heard about the ski resort for years; I’d seen all the colourful photos of the quaint “village” but it wasn’t until friends rented a condo for a month on the ski hill that John and I finally made it here. It’s really easy, especially when you get big dumps of snow, to have a great time at Silver Star.

The village of Silver Star, the lifts and the houses on the mountain are all painted bright colours

Where is Silver Star?

Silver Star is just 22 kilometres from Vernon, a town of about 40,000 in the Okanagan region of British Columbia. It’s understandably very popular with the locals but it’s also a destination ski resort. I can see why.

It’s got a lot to offer when it comes to downhill skiing and snowboarding, especially since it’s the third largest ski resort in British Columbia. It wasn’t until I was on a run that went on and on and on… heading for the Powder Gulch Express that I clued into its size. The resort offers a real mix of terrain – with 75% of the runs labeled intermediate to difficult. This year at least, the snow is amazing and there is lots of it. John and I were still finding fresh powder several days after a snowstorm.

Trying to get our bearings

Even the buildings at the lifts are colourful at Silver Star

Granted it was a weekday but I had the hill to myself

I can only imagine how beautiful it would be on a sunny day

The fabulous cross-country skiing at Silver Star

Silver Star along with neighbouring Sovereign Lake offers 105 kilometres of daily groomed cross-country ski trails. We skied one memorable day at each place. The trails are some of the best I’ve skied – partially as a function of the incredible snow and partially because of the expert grooming. Silver Star is the only Canadian resort in the running to make it onto the top 10 list of the USA Today Reader’s Choice Award for best cross-country ski resort in North America.

Exceptional cross-country skiing on the trails at Silver Star

An incredible winter wonderland at the top of Silver Star Resort

The “Chap-tik” Cabin at Silver Star – a great place to warm up

Sovereign Lake skiers zoom past us

The Black Prince warming cabin at Sovereign Lake

We ran out of time to go snowshoeing but you will find 30 kilometres of dedicated trails between Silver Star and Sovereign Lake. At Silver Star you can take your dog with you providing you keep it on a leash.

If you still have any juice left in your legs after skiing you get check out Brewer’s Pond – an ice-skating area. John played shinny for an hour with some Aussies and had a great time.

Brewer’s Pond at Silver Star

I’m sorry I missed “Tube Town” – a tubing park that would be fun at any age (it’s to the right of the skating rink in the above photo and the cost is included with your downhill lift ticket.) Other activities you’ll find include fat tire biking, Pinheads Bowling – offering the world’s only ski-in, ski-out bowling lanes and snowmobiling for both adults and kids – who are offered a mini version in a special park.

In the village there is lots of choices for meals. Bugaboos was busy when we were there but it is the name that is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. On Instagram one woman calls it a “yummy bakery” while another recommends the croissantwich. Sounds like we should have stood in line.

To get to Silver Star you can fly to Kelowna and shuttle in from there. We met an Australian couple in the hot tub who had made it door to door – Newcastle, Australia to Silver Star in just over twice the time it took John and me to drive from Calgary. The only downside to driving are the conditions. Yesterday on the drive home we had a snowy Roger’s Pass to contend with and according to DriveBC, the Coquihalla Highway was no better. If you can, choose your day.

Once at Silver Star you don’t have to leave. It’s a terrific spot with lots to do – and a great place for all ages. I’d go again in a heartbeat – preferably by air!

John and I LOVED the SKIING at Silver Star & Sovereign Lake

As a note to my American readers, our dollar is way down so your dollar goes a long way. You can count on getting about $Cdn1.43 for $US1 so an $85 lift ticket will only cost you about $US59. It’a a pretty sweet deal.

Leigh McAdam