As I skied off the Comet Express chairlift at the summit of SilverStar Mountain Resort in British Columbia, I heard someone say, “Look at those snow ghosts.”
I’d never heard of snow ghosts, but I found this a fitting description. I was surrounded by towering, frozen Balsam fir trees thickly draped in snow. The sky was blue, and the air was crisp. It was an exhilarating start to my weekend ski trip.
I arrived the day before, during a snowfall — a thrill for a southern California native like me, an avid skier. Flurries swirled outside my window as the plane descended into Canada’s Kelowna International Airport in the Okanagan Valley.
Getting to Kelowna was convenient from Los Angeles. Alaska Airlines had just started direct flights from L.A. to Kelowna in December. From Kelowna, it’s a one-hour drive alongside the shimmering Kalamalka Lake and through the city of Vernon to SilverStar Mountain Resort, located mid-mountain in the Monashee Mountain Range.
I reached the resort in the late afternoon, just in time before sunset, to stroll through Silver Star Village. It is reminiscent of a 19th-century mining town with Victorian architecture—a nod to the area’s brief mining era. During my December visit, the snowy village was festively decorated for Christmas, with holiday lights adorning colorful shopfronts and restaurants.
I already liked the welcoming vibe of this resort, home to family-owned businesses and friendly locals, as well as a mix of longtime Canadian residents and transplants, many from New Zealand and Australia. I was traveling solo and found it easy to meet people.
Locals have been skiing the mountain since the early 1930s, well before rope tows and T-bars debuted in the 1950s and 1960s. It became a ski area in 1958 and named SilverStar Mountain Resort (SSMR) in 1981.
SilverStar Mountain Resort’s Family History
In 2001, Australian Desmond Schumann, who had already owned nearby Big White Ski Resort since 1985, purchased the majority of SilverStar Mountain Resort assets from businessman Judd Buchanan. Following Schumann’s death in 2012, his daughter Jane Cann received a 100 percent stake in SilverStar Resort, while her brother Peter Schumann gained ownership of Big White. The two resorts – about two hours apart – operate as separate entities.
Today, the resort is largely owned by Utah-based POWDR Corporation, which maintains the ski operation. Cann The resort has retained a family-friendly, local vibe.
© Courtesy of Bree Tombs
Everyone’s Mountain
I love when ski resorts have a variety of runs for all levels of skiers. Spanning 3,282 acres of terrain, SilverStar Mountain has 132 runs for riders from beginner to expert, with plenty of beginner and intermediate runs at the mountaintop so everyone can enjoy lake and valley views. But it’s the snow that’s the showstopper. The resort gets an average of 23 feet of 100 percent natural, fluffy snow annually.
Other winter activities include cross-country skiing, a tubing park (Tube Town), and an ice skating rink.
I like that SilverStar Mountain is an unpretentious and friendly resort. For example, when I was trying not to slip in the snow while carrying my skis to the gondola, some young guys offered to help. And several parents told me they’re comfortable letting their kids ski off on their own because they know someone will help them if necessary. This hometown ambiance brings many locals and international skiers back year after year.
Making Friends on the Slopes
Every winter, for over 10 years, Scott Knutson and about a dozen of his ski buddies from Fresno, California, ski in Silver Star. They’ve already booked a three-week trip for next year.
Knutson said they like the accessible, affordable, cozy, laid-back, family vibe. “It’s where we have met locals that have become some of our best friends. Truth be told, they are what keep us coming back year after year,” he said.
Among his local friends is Jim Cato, a mountain host whose passion for skiing inspires him to lead mountain tours, which is how I met him. The resort offers complimentary morning and afternoon mountain tours. Skiing with Jim was fun and informative.
Cato, a Midwest transplant from Collinsville, Illinois, who learned to ski at SilverStar Mountain Resort about 10 years ago (and married a local woman), shared personal and area history as we skied on runs with whimsical names like Little Dipper, Middle Dipper, Big Dipper, and Milky Way. Aware I was traveling solo, he offered tips for navigating the mountain. Main Street Skiway, he said, leads to the village.
But I rarely skied alone. After I happened to meet the resort’s ambassador, Jacqui Cooper, an Olympic champion and retired freestyle skier who was on holiday with her two kids, we skied a few runs together.
© Mimi Slawoff
Silver Star Village Shines with Charm
As an often solo skier, I prefer small, intimate mountain towns like Silver Star, where I can easily walk to restaurants and shops from my hotel. The cozy village has over a dozen restaurants and cafes, shops, a small art gallery, a spa facility, and a market. Most of the businesses are owned by longtime locals.
There are several lodging options. I stayed in a one-bedroom suite with a full kitchen and a balcony with a spa at the ski-in/ski-out Snowbird Lodge in the heart of the village.
Everyone I met in the village was friendly. When I picked up my toasted ham and cheese croissant at Bugaboos Bakery Cafe, the young teen at the counter greeted me with a smile and a cheery “Merry Christmas.”
At the SilverStar Rental Shop, the process was seamless. I had already loaded my lift tickets from my computer at home. So now all I needed were rentals. I was fitted with Blizzard Pearl skis, perfect for fluffy snow.
Elevated Cuisine
Dining was a treat. The village offers an outstanding selection of dining options for a small mountain town, from casual to gourmet, along with fine regional wines. In fact, I learned that the Okanagan Valley is Canada’s premier grape-growing region, producing various red and white wines, including Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. So, I made sure to sample local wines with most of my meals.
Village Restaurants
At The Den, a ski-in/ski-out restaurant and bar, I sat by a toasty fireplace and, on a local’s recommendation, ordered the Laksa Curry Bowl. It was served with a choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu and rice noodles, coconut broth, bok choy, bean sprouts, lime, cilantro, and chili. The Den has a cozy mountain décor. I was told that the room’s white fairy lights are from a local’s wedding 14 years ago.
The upstairs Town Hall restaurant and bar serves breakfast and lunch. Daily specials are posted on a board, and diners can always count on hearty menu items like the Uncle Buck Burger, made with brisket, chorizo, an onion maple jam, roasted garlic aioli, Monterey jack cheese, bacon, tomato, and arugula.
Each time I went to Bugaboos Bakery Cafe, it was packed (with good reason), but service was quick. The Dutch-inspired bakery serves breakfast and lunch and specializes in freshly baked pastries, croissants (stuffed with cheese, spinach, or ham), sandwiches, soups, and smooth Italian coffee.
Located in the Vance Creek Hotel, the upscale Black Pine Social serves a variety of après items, including tuna tataki, truffle fries, and bone marrow with baked brie. The diverse menu includes salads, soups, ramen, burgers, sandwiches, AAA striploin, pan-seared chicken, shrimp and risotto, and vegetable torte. But for me, after hours of skiing, a cheeseburger sounded good, along with a glass of Okanagan’s smooth and light Tantalus Riesling.
© Mimi Slawoff
Mountaintop Dining
I enjoyed each of my meals, but the most elevated dining experience was during a Snowcat Dinner Tour at Paradise Camp, a full-service mountaintop restaurant. I joined a group riding up the mountain in a heated snowcat for a three-course dinner. There’s a choice of starters, a main course, and dessert, which I pre-ordered. For my starter, I chose a shaved vegetable and endive salad, the super tender slow braised short rib for my entrée, and a maple crème brûlée for dessert. I paired my delicious meal with a full-bodied Sandhill Cabernet Merlot.
After dinner, bellies full, we rode back down the mountain in the snowcat, watching night skiers swooshing downhill under the moonlight. But I had a better idea for winding down my ski weekend—a soak in my private hot tub.
If You Go
Kelowna is about 256 miles from Vancouver, British Columbia. Several direct flights from major Canadian cities to Kelowna International Airport are available. Alaska Airlines offers direct flights from the US to Kelowna from Los Angeles, California, and Seattle, Washington. WestJet offers direct flights from Las Vegas to Kelowna.
It’s about a one-hour drive from Kelowna to SilverStar. Kelowna Concierge provides shuttle service from the airport to SilverStar.
For more information about SilverStar Mountain Resort, visit www.skisilverstar.com/
Destination Silver Star sponsored the author’s visit.
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