Sun Peaks, BC- The chairlifts began turning Saturday, Nov. 22, at Sun Peaks Resort, now Canada’s second largest ski area. Sun Peaks will be the first B.C. Interior resort to open for winter alpine operations.
Race teams have been skiing on the mountain since last Monday, utilizing fantastic training conditions on the Nancy Greene International Race Training Centre. Recent colder temperatures worked to the resort’s advantage allowing crews to make impressive amounts of high quality snow on the lower elevations to complement the higher elevation snowpack. Due to consistent early season conditions and top level amenities, the race centre has attracted a record number of teams this winter, resulting in the resort nearly doubling the amount of training lanes with a new training section on Lower Chute ski run.
New this year, cross country ski teams are skiing at a new mid-mountain training venue. The trails located above 1750 metres provide early season conditioning opportunities for both skate and classic cross country athletes. This is a further testament to the fact Sun Peaks is continuing to emerge as a top cross country ski destination for both high level athletes and recreational enthusiasts. The mid mountain training venue will only operate in the early season and may be pre-booked by teams. The regular cross country trail network is expected to open to the public in the coming days.
“Our snowmaking system has really allowed us to get the jump on Mother Nature this year,” says Jamie Tattersfield, mountain operations manager for Sun Peaks Resort Corporation. “Natural snow is what we are all here for but when Mother Nature’s timing is off this system allows us to make an exceptional base for the rest of the winter and to offer early season skiing. Not only are we are the first resort in the Interior to open to the public, we are also able to host both Nordic and alpine clubs and teams for pre-season training.”