Whitewater Ski Resort
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Whitewater Ski Resort is a
ski resort 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 ...
in western
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, located a 25-minute drive from
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
in southern
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
. In the
Selkirk Mountains The Selkirk Mountains are a mountain range spanning the northern portion of the Idaho Panhandle, eastern Washington, and southeastern British Columbia which are part of a larger grouping of mountains, the Columbia Mountains. They begin at Mica Pe ...
, the resort is situated in Ymir bowl, beneath the
Ymir Mountain Ymir Mountain is a summit in the West Kootenay region of southeastern British Columbia, Canada. The nearest higher neighbour is Wood Peak, about to the southeast. Name origin According to Norse mythology, Ymir was father of the giants and grand ...
. The Selkirks receive plentiful, dry snow, and the location in a high alpine bowl provides an annual snowfall average of approximately . The elevation of the parking lot is and the lift-served summit is . While Ymir Peak is not included within the ski area boundary, lifts climb both shoulders of the bowl and provide easy traverse routes along ridges to the top. In addition to its snow, the resort is renowned for its tree skiing and steep runs; only 20% of the runs are beginner, while 40% are intermediate and the remaining 40% are advanced. Areas surrounding Whitewater, including West Arm Provincial Park, are renowned for easy access for backcountry split boarding and ski touring.


Lifts and terrain

The resort consists of three lifts: one triple
chairlift An elevated passenger ropeway, or chairlift, is a type of aerial lift, which consists of a continuously circulating steel wire rope loop strung between two end terminals and usually over intermediate towers, carrying a series of chairs. They ...
(installed in 2010), one antiquated double chair, a fixed grip quad chair (installed in 2017), a handle tow, of Nordic trails, and a lodge with an award-winning cafeteria, a rental shop and guest services. The Summit Chairlift accesses the south ridge of Ymir bowl, and offers a wide variety of gladed blue and black runs. The Silverking Double chair runs up the north ridge of Ymir bowl, and provides access to the resorts only beginner runs. The Summit lift was purchased from the Spokane world fair, while the Silver King was purchased from Whistler, where it had previously been the Olive chair. From the top of either chair, skiers who are properly equipped can traverse the ridges towards Ymir Peak, and then choose from a multitude of lines that lead back to the base area. The triple-seat fixed-grip Glory Ridge chair vertically rises in eleven minutes, opening up the Backside area, doubling the resort's boundaries. It added of advanced and intermediate ski terrain to the existing , for a total area of skiable terrain. Along with the construction of the lift, much of the surrounding area was logged to create more open and skiable glades. Built by Doppelmayr, this lift was originally installed in
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
at
Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numero ...
in 1980 as its ''High Noon'' lift. Because of its steep terrain and plentiful snow, Whitewater is frequented by many back country skiers; this situation however, creates a significant avalanche hazard, and avalanche control is among the company's largest expenditures.


History

Skiing began in Nelson in 1932, with the Silver King Skiers, following Danny McKay's success in the National ski jumping contests. In 1974, a coalition of locals residents backed the creation of a new resort in a more suitable location. Ymir bowl was chosen, and Whitewater Resort opened in 1976. On August 8, 2008, it was announced that Knee Deep Development Corp. purchased Whitewater Ski Resort from owners Mike and Shelley Adams. Glory Ridge, Whitewater's first new chairlift in 17 years, began operating in 2010 on December 24. Pre-owned and formerly at Vail, it opened easy access to what was previously back-country terrain and vastly decreasing lift lineups.


Expansions

The base facilities were installed over 30 years ago and usage levels of existing facilities were often above comfortable capacity, especially on heavy snowfall days and traditional holidays. In 2002 Whitewater Ski Resort announced a plan for expansion and improvement. Named the Master Plan, the plan was proposed in 2002, accepted by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts (MTCA) in 2007, and modified in 2010 by the Knee Deep Development Corporation who purchased the resort two years earlier. The revised plan includes 3 chairs up Backside, one up White Queen, a Sherpa Ridge lift and a quad chair. The plan is expected to increase White Water's downhill comfortable carrying capacity (CCC) from its current 1,106 to 5,000 skiers/riders.


See also

*
List of ski areas and resorts in Canada This is a list of ski areas and resorts in Canada. Alberta * WinSport's Canada Olympic Park (1988 Winter Olympics sliding and jumping events) *Canmore Nordic Centre (1988 Winter Olympics Nordic and biathlon events) * Canyon Ski Area - Red Deer ...


References


External links

* {{Ski areas and resorts in British Columbia Ski areas and resorts in British Columbia Selkirk Mountains West Kootenay 1976 establishments in British Columbia