Canada is a hot destination for skiers this winter. The forecast from environment Canada calls for an average or above average temperature range and lots of precipitation. The last several years, particularly in Eastern Canada, warm temperatures and little snow fall had a disastrous effect on ski businesses. Some were on the brink of bankruptcy and have been saved by the early winter conditions of 2007/2008. Lot of ski Canada deals to choose from, most in my bucket list can be found at Bluepowder.com.au.

Residents of Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and in major US cities didn’t see much snow last year so skiing and outdoor winter sports including snowmobiling have not been on people’s minds. The effect on tourism and hotel accommodation has been dramatic. This year, people are being encouraged to get outdoors as a healthy lifestyle choice. If that isn’t convincing enough, Muskoka hotels, Vancouver hotels, Banff hotels, and Whistler Hotels are offering discounted prices for ski vacations. Hotel ski deals are a great way to experience a complete, relaxing getaway while having all the luxury amenities too.

With Banff and Whistler hotel room rates dropping, it is the perfect time to book a ski vacation getaway in the mountains of Western Canada. Here you can enjoy some of the best snow conditions in North American with incredibly long ski runs.

Skiers can book a Vancouver hotel room and ski at Grouse Mountain. You don’t necessarily have to stay in Whistler to enjoy a ski vacation. A room in Vancouver offers lower rates and better access to activities in Vancouver including shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. Grouse mountain is only a few miles from downtown Vancouver. It offers 26 runs and skiers can take the Olympic Express high-speed quad chair lift which can transport 2,000 skiers every hour. This is a major ski destination for Vancouverites.

Whistler BC is a spectacular location and the coming Winter Olympic games will make the sea to sky highway very busy. Rooms in Whistler may all be booked now, so if you want to experience Whistler lifestyle and visit the now completed Olympic venues, why not make a vacation getaway in Whistler Blackcomb? Whistler Mountain offers an incredible and even exhausting ski hill with more than 8100 acres of skiable terrain and a 5,000 foot vertical drop. Whistler BC is one of North America’s top ski destinations and there are plenty of Whistler hotels to book your ski getaway. Look for last minute room packages offered to email newsletter subscribers.

For residents of Alberta and the eastern Rocky Mountains, Banff and Kananaskis are the ski destinations of choice. Three major ski areas provide hundreds of ski runs and thousands of skiable terrain, including cross county ski trails. Sunshine Mountain, Ski Lake Louise, Mount Norquay, and Nakiska in Kananaskis provide incredible skiing and plenty of sunshine. Skiers can stay at either Kananaskis village hotel resort or at the major Banff hotels. The ski hills are not far off and shuttle bus services are available. Skiing is big business in Banff and the ski hills here are world class. The experience of taking North America’s longest gondola ride to the Sunshine mountain ski resort is a pleasure in itself. The gondola caresses the mountain side to the base of the ski hill at an elevation of 7200 feet. From there, skiers of every skill level will find some incredible skiing experiences. Highly skilled skiers can ride the lifts to the top of Sunshine Mountain at 8954 feet. Here you’re skiing amidst the clouds for a mystical, otherworldly experience. The 33 feet of annual snow shouldn’t frighten you as the trail grooming is exceptional. 20% of the trails are beginner grade and further. The ski out trail to the parking lot is a lot of fun for those with endurance. It goes all the way to the parking lot near the TransCanada highway.

Nakiska ski hill is the featured ski hill at the former Olympic ski venue for the Calgary Olympics. The drive from Calgary is less than an hour and you’ll find thousands of Calgarians skiing here every weekend. The Kananaskis Resort has several hotels and lodgings, but the centerpiece of the village is the Delta Kananaskis, the ultimate in luxury hotel accommodation in the mountains.

Come to Canada this winter and take advantage of great ski hotel packages. You can stay in the major Canadian cities or book your hotel room in Whistler, Banff or Kananaskis villages. Any way you choose, this is a winter of hotel bargains.

Gord Collins is a frequent traveller to the Western Canada region and enjoys skiing and the outdoors. He recommends Whistler hotels and Banff Hotels as the ultimate in ski vacation accommodation. Come to Canada and enjoy spectacular mountain skiing and an unbeatable outdoor experience for the whole family.

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British Columbia, Canada’s most westerly province, is full of magnificent towering mountains, and in the winter, they’re coated in snow! Hand-in-hand with the snow comes skiing and snowboarding resorts dotted throughout the province. It’s no wonder British Columbia hosted the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Huge verticals, epic snowfalls, expansive backcountry, diverse terrain, spectacular scenery and a mild winter climate provide the perfect combination for big mountain skiing and family-friendly resorts too. Ski in Canada is another way to spend your vacation, you might interested to check out some deals in Bluepowder.com.au.

British Columbia currently has 13 major ski resorts which offer skiing and snowboarding on everything from wide-open terrain and tree lines to black-diamond steeps and chutes. Most of these resorts offer ski-in, ski-out accommodations, rentals and lessons.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains – this region offers some great and the most accessible skiing in British Columbia, as all are a quick drive from the city of Vancouver. There are three ski mountains within the greater Vancouver area where one can enjoy stunning ocean and city views of Vancouver. They are: Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour. Cypress Mountain hosted many 2010 Winter Games events.

Whistler, a two-hour drive north of Vancouver is an award-winning resort town and was the 2010 Winter Games’ official host mountain resort. It has been named best ski destination in North America by US-based Skiing Magazine for an unprecedented 13 consecutive years, with the best apres-ski scene on the continent. The two mountains of Whistler Blackcomb hold the record of offering the most skiable terrain than any other destination in North America. There are over 200 runs, three glaciers, and many terrain parks. Whistler is also home to a record breaking gondola – the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, which links Whistler and Blackcomb mountains, transporting skiers on a quick and scenic 11-minute, 4.4 km/2.7 mile ride.

For a smaller size skiing experience, east of Vancouver are Hemlock Valley (near Harrison Hot Springs) and Manning Park Ski Resort. Both are less popular and have pristine surroundings with the benefit of uncrowded slopes.

Vancouver Island – the island’s location between the Pacific Ocean and the Strait of Georgia makes for the perfect combination of creating heaps of a deep and all-natural snow base which is perfect for skiing and snowboarding. The average snowfall is in the range of 10.5m/35ft.

Mount Washington Alpine Resort is located within the Comox Valley and is the biggest ski area on the island. It has been voted to be in the top twelve for Best Powder, by Ski Canada Magazine. Mount Washington’s chairlift glides to a mile above sea level, offering visitors an incredible 360-degree panoramic view of the Strait of Georgia and the Sunshine Coast from Powell River to Sechelt, with the peaks of the Coast Mountains behind them. Closer at hand, the many peaks adorning Strathcona Park’s Forbidden Plateau region look just as spectacular.

Mount Cain Alpine Park is situated two hours northwest of Campbell River. Heaps of untouched powder builds up during the week, as this winter park is only open on weekends and Mondays. It is operated by the non-profit Mt. Cain Alpine Park Society and is Vancouver Island’s only community owned and operated snow activity facility with tons of enjoyable and challenging runs. As the mountain is located in the interior of the island, it is known for drier snow than other Coastal mountains and fabulous spring skiing conditions.

Kootenay Rockies – over half of BC’s big ski resorts are situated in the Kootenay Rockies area. Also known as the “Powder Highway”, there are four amazing mountain ranges within this region: the Monashees, Purcells, Selkirks, and Rockies and up to 12-18m/40-60ft of light, dry powder falls each year. When visitng the Kootenay Rockies you can expect shorter lift lines (than the Coastal Mountains), open and less busy slopes and a friendly atmosphere. Since there are so many resorts all within a short proximity of the “Powder Highway” skiers can easily sample a diverse variety of slopes in one trip. The resorts include:

• Revelstoke Mountain Resort – BC’s newest ski resort
• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, in Golden
• Panorama Mountain Village, near Invermere
• Kimberley Alpine Resort
• Fernie Alpine Resort
• Red Mountain Resort, Rossland
• Whitewater Ski Resort, Nelson

Thompson Okanagan -This region is known for champagne powder snow and for being very family-friendly with terrain to satisfy every skiing level of ability. In a single season, up to 7m/23ft may fall on the slopes. Voted on Ski Canada magazine, the Thompson Okanagan resorts have been recognized for having great ski-in/ski-out accommodations. The resorts include:

• Sun Peaks Resort, near Kamloops
• Big White Ski Resort, near Kelowna
• Silver Star Mountain Resort, close to Vernon
• Apex Mountain Resort, west of Penticton

Northern British Columbia – Big powder dumps, breathtaking landscapes, exhilarating tree-skiing and steeps and fresh tracks are just a few things one can expect when venturing up to the north. Oh yes, and no queues and charming small-town friendliness too! And not to mention, the season is nice and long too – November openings with April closures. There are three main ski resorts: Hudson Bay Mountain Resort (24km/14mi west of Smithers), Powder King Mountain Resort at Pine Pass (67km/42mi northeast of Mackenzie), and Shames Mountain (35km/22mi west of Terrace).

Cariboo Chicotin Coast – ah, sunny skies, no crowds and a peaceful, laid-back vibe on local hills – what more can anyone ask for? This region has some amazing skiing terrain. There are two skiing areas to explore: Mount Timothy Ski Area (100 Mile House) and Troll Ski Resort (Wells). Both ski hills draw a local crowd and are out of the mainstream. Expect dry, light powder and a welcoming atmosphere.

Clay is a writer for Sun Peaks Resort, a bc winter resort north of Kamloops, BC. Sun Peaks Resort offers ski vacation packages for all types of winter vacations: active, relaxing and even romantic!

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For downhill skiers, “powder snow” provides the ultimate skiing experience. For most skiers however, good powder skiing is a short-lived and infrequent event. Ski areas in some geographic areas enjoy fairly frequent “powder days” but in most areas, powder days are rare and the dryness and depth of snow is often marginal.

In most ski areas too, when powder snow does occur, it is only a matter of hours before it is completely “tracked out”, lumped up and beaten down. Only those few early birds that ride the first chairs in the morning get the ultimate run of the day, in deep, consistent, smooth, untracked snow.

For years, diehard powder snow enthusiasts have headed for the backcountry to “ski the powder” among remote alpine peaks, far from crowded ski areas. Many enjoy the peace and quiet of ski touring and move and ski at a pace governed by their own physical fitness.

Others who may be less ambitious or have less time, but who have ample disposable funds, have headed for the backcountry in helicopters. For about $1000 per day or more, heli-operators offer small groups of proficient skiers 5 to 7 days of guided skiing on huge pristine slopes, high in the mountains. Guests stay in comfortable lodges and spend their days being shuttled back and forth with their guides, with each run on a fresh untracked slope. Heli skiing has its problems. There are “down days” when storms make flying impossible and there is always the inherent risk of all backcountry skiing: avalanche.

Avalanche risk depends on many factors. All reputable backcountry operators provide highly qualified guides who choose areas for skiing and a safe route down the hill. On days of poor weather or unstable snow, guides may avoid alpine areas and restrict their groups to “skiing the trees”. Tree skiing is a fixture of all mechanized backcountry skiing and is preferred by some skiers to the more open “alpine” skiing.

In recent years, a new type of mechanized backcountry ski operator has emerged. Snowcat skiing operators use snowcats to transport skiers and snowboarders into backcountry regions. Snowcats are fitted with a large cab that seats clients in a warm, comfortable environment. A snowcat typically carries a group of 12 clients, two guides and a driver.

Of course, snowcats are much slower than helicopters. They are also much less expensive and guests can expect to pay between $500 and $600 a day, including transportation, lodging, meals, and guiding. As slow as snowcats may be, most clients will wear themselves out every day and get just as much skiing as their group can handle.

The great advantage of cat skiing is that “down” days almost never occur. Clients ski every day and bad weather can often mean extra-good snow. Cat skiing is more relaxed and “laid back” than heli skiing as there is no need to share equipment between groups or to maximize equipment usage. Cat skiing is very “client-friendly”. Each group has a dedicated machine and it moves at the group’s pleasure. Weaker skiers can feel at ease and not “pushed”.

Snowcats provide a relatively quiet, comfortable, warm and relaxed environment in which the trip back up the hill can be almost as much fun as the run down. Guests can “unbutton”, dry out, warm up, converse and browse on sandwiches, cookies, cake and drinks. If a guest gets tired, it’s easy to “sit out” a run and ride down to the next pickup with the cat driver.

Snowcat skiing is more restricted geographically than heli skiing. However, that has a drawback. Since they can operate in a larger area, heli-operators may sometimes be less familiar with changing snow conditions and risk factors than snowcat operators who work in a more restricted area.

Most snowcat operators have ample terrain to consistently provide good snow, even in periods of drought, and to ensure that clients exhaust themselves every day. Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges Ltd. operates in a 95 sq. km area and ski between the elevations of 5400ft and 9500 ft. Monashee Powder Adventures advertises an area of 66 sq. km and operate between the elevations of 7800 ft and 3,000 ft.. Baldface Lodge uses over 140 sq km. Guests need not worry about running out of terrain!

Snowcat skiing provides a wonderful holiday for intermediate and advanced skiers alike. Individuals, family groups, groups of friends, business associates can have a “trip to remember”. Operators with remote lodges offer a real “backcountry” experience, usually with good food and very comfortable accommodations.

Lockie Brown is retired and lives near Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He has cat skied for about 10 years, taking groups of 12 and 24 friends to different cat ski venues in British Columbia. He now takes his groups to Chatter Creek Mountain Lodges near Golden, B.C.

For more information, please refer to the Chatter Creek Web site at http://backcountrywintervacations.com/

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