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The arrival of snow in the mountains means a temporary end to the introductory trails series and the launch of the annual series on what is new and different at the 12 downhill resorts and cross-country ski areas in the Southern Interior.
Sun Peaks Resort will officially launch its much-anticipated $12-million West Bowl Express chairlift Nov. 16 (weather permitting) offering triple the skiable territory on Tod Mountain, plus three new runs.
The high-speed, detachable quad chair becomes the highest chairlift at the resort and will transform the upper reaches of Tod Mountain after replacing the West Bowl T-bar, which was decommissioned during the 2020-21 season and has since been removed.
The West Bowl Express, manufactured by world-renowned lift manufacturer Doppelmayr, will provide faster and easier access to 169 acres of terrain, up from 54 acres directly serviced by the old T-bar for primarily blue (intermediate) runs. It offers a 5.5-minute ride for twice the length of the T-bar. Its 80 chairs will have an initial capacity of 1,800 people per hour, which can increase to as many as 2,400 people an hour.
The new lift stretches 800 metres longer, reaching an elevation of 2,093 metres at the new top terminal which provides panoramic views and direct access to the newly-extended 5 Mile green run connecting skiers back to the broader Tod Mountain trail network.
The bottom terminal at 1,780 metres features the first carrier parking rail at Sun Peaks. All of the chairs will come off at night, parked on a rail under cover, and away from inclement weather and the potential for rime—a type of frost—that are common at higher mountain elevations.
In the morning, the lift crew will turn on the chairlift haul rope, so any ice and rime that might have formed on the cable or shiv assemblies comes off. Then lifte operators will launch all the chairs back onto the line in about 20 minutes, before the public arrives for the first ride of the day.
A new West Bowl trail map is now available on the website, sunpeaksresort.com. One of the three new trails, Whyte’s Ryde, is a tribute to Donald Whyte, a surveyor and one of the original Tod Mountain founders. Whyte, along with five other visionaries, accessed the West Bowl by horseback in 1959 and foresaw the future of skiing on Tod Mountain.
“The West Bowl Express provides improved access to higher-elevation ski terrain, which could arguably become some of the most sought-after intermediate slopes on the mountain paired with some of the best views,” said Erik Meertens, senior director of mountain operations and West Bowl chairlift project manager.
“There was nothing here before. Now there's power. Now there's a chairlift, washrooms, our grooming boards and new ski trails. It's just opened up this area, this bowl, to, I’m going to say, almost endless skiing. We're pretty proud of it.
“We’ve worked tirelessly with our in-house team as well as local contractors like Newport Structures, Northwood Group, Summit Electric and XenonCyber Dynamics, alongside Doppelmayr, to bring this vision to life. Everyone is excited to see our guests back in this zone utilizing the new lift and to hear their feedback.”
A project three years in the making, the West Bowl Express is the eighth quad lift at Sun Peaks underscoring the company’s commitment to providing a world-class skiing experience.
“This project is a game-changer for the resort and our guests. Our goal as we move forward has always been to enhance the on-mountain experience,” said CEO Darcy Alexander. “With the new West Bowl Express, we’re not just replacing an old lift, we’re expanding the possibilities for skiers and riders of all levels.”
“Having another chairlift up here will improve the skier traffic flows and will give people an opportunity to stay at this higher elevation longer,” said Christina Antoniak, the resort's director of communications.
“There's now more opportunity for people to have that higher mountain alpine skiing experience and I think it'll be very well utilized. It’s going to be, I think, quite a revered area of skiing in Sun Peaks for people to check out.”
The West Bowl chairlift isn't the only change or improvement for the upcoming season.
"We have a brand new snow cross course – the Powder Ventures ski and snowboard cross course. Built of dirt for the first time this past summer, it will mean reliable early opening and many opportunities for athlete development and event hosting," said Antoniak.
Sun Peaks also has a new loading carpet for its Elevation chairlift, has made improvements to and investments in its snowmaking fleet, has a new staff accommodation building (the first occupants are already moving in) and revamped menus in key resort-operated food and beverage facilities.
Snowmobile and dogsled tour business Mountain Man Adventure Tours not only has eight new 2025 Skidoos but received a 50 per cent Tourism BC sustainability grant toward the purchase of a $16,000 Taiga electric snowmobile, primarily for the guide but guests can try it out too.
"We've got a lot going on. We've got brand-new fancy machines, two-passenger capability, for guests eight years of age and up and after the ski hill closes, we have a new Date Night Tour (for families as well) at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays to the quaint McGillivray Lake Outpost (log cabin) for a luxury charcuterie box and non-alcoholic beverages from Ohana Deli," said owner Taryn Schwanke.
She's taking bookings for Dec. 15 at mountainmanadventures.ca but planning to open as soon as possible. A new litter of dogsled puppies is also expected in early December.
"I’m eagerly (counting) the days until the slopes are covered in snow and the chairlifts are back in action," added Emily MacInnes, manager of market development for Tourism Sun Peaks. "The start of the season brings such exciting energy to the village and community. I look forward to welcoming all our guests for another incredible season of skiing, snowboarding and lasting memories."
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
