Looking for a new ski mountain to explore? How about a mountain with THE most vertical in all of North America located along Canada’s Powder Highway with an average of over 34 feet of snow annually? Even better – there are direct flights from LAX and it’s on the IKON pass.
Welcome to Revelstoke Mountain Resort!
My family and I first visited Revelstoke Mountain Resort in the summer as part of a family Canadian mountain biking tour. But the terrain and hospitality made us eager to come back and explore in the winter.
Let me tell you that it did not disappoint.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is located in British Columbia, 6.5 hours north of Spokane, Washington and 4.5 hours west of Calgary. You get the feeling that this town, this resort, this mountain are juuuust about to get found out making now a great time to visit. (The resort has plans for an expansion across the street with more suites, a bigger in-house spa, PGA golf course and more restaurants to open in the coming years.)
Here are four reasons to put Revelstoke on your list of snow resorts to visit now.
4 Reasons to Love Revelstoke Resort
#1 – The dollar is really strong right now (Like really)
Probably the best reason to go ski Canada right now? The exchange rate. Who knows how long this will last but during our visit (and as of this posting!) the exchange rate is $1 US dollar for $1.40 Canadian dollars. Which means in US dollars, a one day child’s lift ticket is about $47 US, a half day lesson is $312 and a Mt. Begbie Brewing Co. pint at the Mac Tavern at the end of the day is just $6.60. Cheers to that!
#2 – It’s on the IKON pass
Let’s be honest – the IKON pass costs a pretty penny so if you buy one, you might as well get as much bang for your buck as you can. That includes skiing the wide variety of mountains the IKON pass covers within the US – and beyond. (Click here to see all the locations you can ski with the IKON pass) If you don’t have an IKON pass, a regular adult one-day lift ticket is only about $126 (US) although you can save up to 40% by buying 48 hours in advance or when purchasing a multi-day ticket.
#3 – Direct flights from Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Seattle and Phoenix
This was my first time flying to snowboard with my family, and I’ll be honest, as much family travel as we have done in cars, planes and trains, traveling with snow equipment is no joke! So anything to make that process easiest is greatly appreciated. Like non-stop flights to Kelowna, the closest airport to Revelstoke with direct flights from Los Angeles, Seattle, Las Vegas and Phoenix.Â
Plus if you opt for flights with Alaska Airlines, your ski and snowboard equipment checks for the same price as regular checked bags (just $35 US!) instead of the $100+ that some other airlines charge. While you are still two hours from the resort, grabbing a shared shuttle (or if you have a larger group, call to check on prices for a private shuttle) will allow you time to get the lay of the land without having to battle snowy streets or chain requirements with a car rental. With our group of six, we actually saved money getting a private shuttle (versus the shared) and had outstanding drivers each way who provided insight, history and tips for our stay.Â
Be sure to take advantage of the midway stop at Sutherland’s Bakery in Enderby for their amazing donuts, cronuts and cinnamon rolls plus snacks, ice cream and more!
#4 – Stay, play, eat, sleep and ski at the Sutton Place at Revelstoke Resort
Traveling as a group of six, coordinating who wanted to ski early and who wanted to ski late, who needed lunch and who wanted to go until closing without food could have been…complicated. Staying at the Sutton Place at the base of Revelstoke Resort made it all easy. Early risers hopped on the lift when it opened at 8:30AM. Late risers headed over when they rolled out of bed. Sometimes we lunched on the mountain at the Mackenzie Outpost or Revelation Lodge (no joke – it was $100 US for six teens/adults to have lunch ON the mountain – unheard of in California!). Other times we all met back at the condo for soup and grilled cheese (the condos have full kitchens).
The Sutton also has a great variety of room configurations (ours was a two-bedroom condo plus a sofa bed couch in the living room) along with multiple restaurants, two hot tubs, a heated pool and outdoor saunas, gear and repair shops, a spa, a liquor store and a free, easy shuttle that will bring you into town to shop, eat or explore. Be sure to head into town for a meal at The Village Idiot, downtown Revelstoke’s must-visit pizza stop. If you’re heading for dinner, consider getting your name on the list first and then walking around downtime to kill time during the wait.
Things to Consider
It is worth noting that the Revelstoke terrain may not be the best for beginners. While they do have some green runs, the 3,121 acres of terrain and 5620 feet of vertical are more suited to intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders. It takes two gondolas to get to the first set of runs and a combination of traverses and additional chair lifts to get to the majority of the blues and blacks – all of which do let you access Revelstoke’s longest run at 9.5 miles (!) and also makes you seriously debate whether it’s worth coming alllllll they way down to the condo for lunch. That said – lift lines were regularly just a 2-5 minute wait – even over the holidays!
Due to the immense vertical of the mountain, you can also experience a wide variety of microclimates over the course of your chair lift up and your ride down. This can often include serious pockets of fog that impact visibility mixed with snow and/or sunshine depending on the day’s weather. Low light goggle lenses are definitely recommended.
A Little Something Extra
Looking for a little something to make your visit to Revelstoke extra special? Consider adding on a heliskiing experience with one of the area’s multiple heliski operations. Known as the heliskiing capital of the world, there are a variety of heliski operators in Revelstoke to choose from including Selkirk Tangiers, CMH, and Eagle Pass among others for a truly epic snow experience!
Ready to book your trip? Head to Revelstoke Mountain Resort to learn more about the mountain, accommodations and all the details you’ll need to plan for your next adventure to play in the powder.
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