Location: Located in the stunning Okanagan Valley, Silver Star is British Colombia’s fourth largest ski resort where you can expect the famous champagne powder we all know and love due to being further west. The varied terrain spreads over 3,282 acres and attracts every kind of skier.
Getting there: Silver Star is extremely easy to get to from Kelowna. Air Canada and West Jet flights connect international flights to Kelowna via Calgary or Vancouver. Then it’s just a 55-minute shuttle bus or drive to the slopes.
Where to stay: This quaint ski-in, ski-out village has a variety of self-catered accommodation and hotels. When it comes to accommodation you don’t have to be worried about missing out on any of the action, as most of the lodgings available for you are slope-side.
Snowbird Lodge is arguably one of the best situated accommodations in the resort considering most of the popular runs meet at the base. Affordable and spacious self-catered suites – some have hot tubs which look over the spectacular views of the slopes – the perfect place to unwind after hard day’s skiing.
Just a 2 minute walk from the centre of the resort there is Firelight Lodge. This self-catered accommodation is located by the skating pond and tube town, with most suites having hot tubs and offer comfortable accommodation.
Highlights: Silver Star offers the big mountain experience with little ski traffic and a true ski-in, ski-out village. It has some great runs for every skier type; whether you class yourself as an intermediate or an expert. There is excellent cross-country skiing available with over 100km of trails. Silver Star also boasts night skiing with 4km of flood-lit pistes to enjoy in the evenings.
Downsides: This probably shouldn’t be top of your list if you are after a big après ski scene as there isn’t a huge amount going on in the evenings. There is also quite a limited choice of accommodation; but with that being said you can find some good quality hotels and condos.
Best piste run:With four distinct mountain faces surrounding you, you can be sure that there is a lot of progressive terrain to cover. For intermediate skiers, the Comet six-pack will lead to you The Vance Creek which offers mainly blue and red runs. For something a little more challenging, the Putnam Creek is where you can find the steep blacks.
Best Mountain Restaurant:Silver Star’s only full-service restaurant on the slopes is Paradise Camp which offers a warm lunch on the ‘backside’ of the resort.
Best Restaurant in town: The general dining vibe throughout the village is casual, so we’d suggest heading to The Den Bar and Bistro which you’ll find on the lower level of the Town Hall. This cosy den is the perfect place to snuggle up on the sofas by the fire having a beer before sitting down for a wholesome meal. For breakfast pastries and coffee head to the Bugaboos Café.
Best Après Bar: Unfortunately there is generally a lack for après ski in the resort. Your best bet is to head to The Red Antler. It is THE place to go for ‘night-life’ as it boasts the only dance-floor in the resort.
Best off piste run: For those of you who are powder hounds the backside of the mountain by Putnam Creek is where you’ll find the un-crowded paradise. Here you have about 1,900 acres of steep and deep, off-piste to explore; along with black and double black runs to cover. Most of them with moguls.
Whether you’re looking for some off piste skiing advice or to warm up your skiing legs before a heli skiing trip, contact the off piste skiing and heli skiing experts at Pure Powder!