Etchings on the Attic Wall

The Silver Star Mountain Resort is a fantastic ski resort located in Vernon, BC, Canada.  They have received awards for having the best groomed ski runs in the country, being among the best family resorts, and the “Best Small Resort in North America”.  Their season runs from late November through mid-April.  They also provide mountain biking during the off-season from June through Labor Day.  The entire resort spans two mountain faces and is split up into 4 areas: Vance Creek, Attridge, Silver Woods, and Putnam Creek.

The resort village is very cool.  Lots of multi-colored buildings (pictured above) with a Victorian alpine theme.  There are over 10 hotels, over 100 homes/condos for rent, over 10 restaurants/pubs, shopping, and several places to enjoy the nightlife with music and dancing.

You certainly won’t be bored on your visit.  Here is a generous listing of all the activities you can participate in:

• Skiing – pick your ideal course out of 115 marked runs (20% easiest, 50% more difficult, 20% most difficult, 10% extreme).  They are renowned for dry, featherlight champagne powder snow, the largest chair lift of its kind in Canada, and black diamond runs with deep powder snow.
• Outdoor skating
• Snowmobiling
• Sleigh rides
• Snowshoeing
• Indoor rock climbing
• Snowboarding
• Nordic Skiing – they are world renowned for their cross-country skiing facilities.  They have 37 miles of trails.  Some of the best skiers in the world train here and Silver Star will be playing host to Canada’s National Team for the upcoming Olympics.
• Mountain Tours
• Tube Town – Take the tube lift up to the top of the hill and tube down in big inner tube sleds with safety handles
• Telus Park – a terrain park that has a halfpipe, Aerial Training Site, a Dual Moguls Race Course, and a race center.
• Snowmobile tours

If you are a winter sports junkie, this place has it all.  You can even unwind after a hard day of outdoor activities at their day spa or get in a little relaxing Yoga.  If you are inexperienced with many of the activities, Silver Star has a Snowsport School with group, beginner, and private lessons.  If you really want to make a trip out of this, check out Silver Star’s sister resort, called “Big White Ski Resort”, located in Kelowna.  Passes are available to ski at both resorts (owned by the same company).

So what are you waiting for?  The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and with all of the activities available, you won’t be disappointed.