Whitewater Ski Resort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitewater Ski Resort |
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 Whitewater Ski Resort
Location in British Columbia
Whitewater Ski Resort
Location in Canada
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| Location | British Columbia, Canada |
| Nearest city | Nelson - 20 km (12 mi) |
| Coordinates | 49°26′N 117°09′W / 49.44°N 117.15°W |
| Vertical | 623 m (2,044 ft) |
| Top elevation | 2,045 m (6,709 ft) 2,400 m (7,874 ft) Ymir Peak |
| Base elevation | 1,615 m (5,299 ft), 1,422 m (4,665 ft), Glory Ridge lift |
| Skiable area | 4.79 km2 (1,180 acres) |
| Runs | 46 Designated Trails - 20% Beginner - 40% Intermediate - 40% Expert |
| Longest run | 1.6 km (1.0 mi) |
| Lift system | 1 double chair lifts, 1 triple lift, 1 quad lift, 1 rope tow |
| Snowfall | 12 m (472 in; 39 ft) |
| Website | skiwhitewater.com |
Whitewater Ski Resort is a fantastic place to ski and snowboard in western Canada. It's located about a 25-minute drive from the city of Nelson in southern British Columbia. This resort is nestled high up in the Selkirk Mountains, right under the tall Ymir Mountain. It gets a lot of light, fluffy snow, about 12 meters (that's 40 feet!) every year!
The parking lot is at an elevation of 1605 meters (5266 feet). The highest point you can reach by a ski lift is 2045 meters (6709 feet). Even though Ymir Peak itself isn't part of the ski area, you can easily ski along the ridges to the top. Whitewater is famous for its amazing tree skiing and steep runs. Only 20% of the runs are for beginners, while 40% are for intermediate skiers, and the other 40% are for advanced experts. The areas around Whitewater are also popular for backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
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Ski Lifts and Terrain
Whitewater Ski Resort has three main ski lifts. There's one triple chairlift that was added in 2010. There's also an older double chairlift and a newer quad chairlift that was installed in 2017. For beginners, there's a handle tow. The resort also has 13 kilometers (8 miles) of trails for Nordic skiing (cross-country skiing). You'll find a lodge with a great cafeteria, a place to rent ski gear, and guest services.
Summit and Silverking Lifts
The Summit Chairlift takes you up the south side of Ymir bowl. From here, you can enjoy many runs that go through trees, suitable for intermediate and expert skiers. The Silverking Double chairlift goes up the north side of Ymir bowl. This lift gives you access to the only beginner runs at the resort. The Summit lift was originally bought from the Spokane World Fair. The Silver King lift used to be called the Olive chair at Whistler resort. From the top of either chair, experienced skiers can explore towards Ymir Peak and find many exciting routes back to the base.
Glory Ridge Chairlift
The Glory Ridge chairlift is a triple-seat lift that climbs 623 meters (2044 feet) in just eleven minutes. This lift opened up a whole new area called the Backside, which doubled the size of the resort! It added 3.03 square kilometers (749 acres) of advanced and intermediate ski terrain. This brought the total skiable area to 5.33 square kilometers (1317 acres). When this lift was built, some of the surrounding trees were cleared to create more open and fun ski runs. The Glory Ridge lift was built by Doppelmayr. It was first used in 1980 at Vail in Colorado, where it was known as the High Noon lift.
Because of its steep slopes and lots of snow, many backcountry skiers love Whitewater. However, this also means there's a risk of avalanches. Controlling avalanches is one of the biggest costs for the resort to keep everyone safe.
History of Whitewater
Skiing first started in Nelson way back in 1932, thanks to a group called the Silver King Skiers. This happened after Danny McKay did really well in national ski jumping contests. In 1974, local people worked together to create a new ski resort in a better spot. They chose Ymir bowl, and Whitewater Resort officially opened its doors in 1976.
On August 8, 2008, a company called Knee Deep Development Corp. bought Whitewater Ski Resort from its previous owners, Mike and Shelley Adams.
Glory Ridge, which was Whitewater's first new chairlift in 17 years, started running on December 24, 2010. This lift was pre-owned and came from Vail. It made it much easier to reach what used to be backcountry terrain, and it also helped to make lift lines much shorter.
Future Plans
The main buildings at the base of the resort were built over 30 years ago. On busy days, like holidays or when there was a lot of fresh snow, these facilities often got very crowded. In 2002, Whitewater Ski Resort announced a plan to make things bigger and better. This plan, called the Master Plan, was first suggested in 2002. The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts approved it in 2007. Then, in 2010, the Knee Deep Development Corporation, who bought the resort two years earlier, updated the plan.
The updated plan includes adding three new chairlifts up the Backside area, one up White Queen, a Sherpa Ridge lift, and another quad chair. These changes are expected to increase the number of skiers and snowboarders Whitewater can comfortably handle from 1,106 to 5,000 people at a time.
