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Halfway down the Magic Line (trust me, it’s a fitting name), after sending it “old-guy style” around endless berms and soaring (a foot of air is sufficient in my demographic) over dozens of drops, rollers, and side-hits, I had to take a little breather. You know, just stop for a minute or two – make sure my pace-maker was still operating, knee-braces and other apparatus still attached to joints, false teeth still in place, etc. – and appreciate where I was. Ah, yes, Kimberley!  An all-season adventure town for the ages.

Needless to say, on my short and sweet trailside break, I took it all in. The pines, the sweet single-track I just shredded (that’s a slight exaggeration), the gorgeous gladed runs at the Kimberley Alpine Resort, the snow-dipped peaks of the Purcells; it was a pinch-me moment. And, for the record, I’ve had many such moments in Kimberley.

A classic Kootenay Rockies outpost, encased by mountains and situated at the lofty elevation of 1,120 metres, Kimberley is perfectly positioned to capture everything – and in every season! – that outdoor-lovers typically crave. Awesome mountain biking, heavenly hiking, gorgeous golfing, fantastic fishing, amazing alpine skiing, stunning snowmobiling – and the list goes on – are all prominent pursuits in the region.

Personally, over the last few decades, I’ve engaged in all of those aforementioned activities in and around Kimberley. Multiple times. And, now that I’ve crossed the half-century mark (I don’t actually have a pace-maker but it’s possible that some of my body parts are not original), I tend to be a little pickier in terms of where, exactly, I recreate. And, to be clear, Kimberley is always top of mind when I head to “the Koots.”

Why? Well for me, it has, literally, everything that I look for in a mountain town. First and foremost, and has already been mentioned, the trails and outdoor rec options are off the charts. For example, the mountain biking in the Kimberley Nature Park, Bootleg Mountain, and the Kimberley Nordic Center, is ridiculously good. (And I’ve attempted to shred gnar at, literally, every major biking destination in British Columbia.)

Fly-fishing in the St. Mary River? Yup. It’s phenomenal. Golfing at Trickle Creek, Bootleg Gap, Purcell Golf, St. Eugene Mission? They’re all outstanding mountain golf courses with drop-dead gorgeous scenery. And, in winter, the alpine skiing at the family friendly Kimberley Alpine Resort is truly world class. In fact, the glade skiing there will blow your mind. This resort (the lifts are literally five minutes from downtown) is actually my all-time favourite for glade skiing. (Go right or left off the Easter Chair and you’re in pine-peppered perfection).

The pedestrian-friendly downtown, the friendly locals, the restaurants, the cafes, the watering holes, the laid-back vibe, the festivals; these all bolster the appeal.

True, there are many places in the Kootenay Rockies that are dear to my heart. And, as I “mature” and gather plenty of “wisdom” – or something like that – I’ve learned that I need to give my favourites the bulk of my time and energy. And just leave the second-tier destinations to “the masses” who haven’t yet learned their life lessons. And that’s why I go to Kimberley. When I remember.

September 30th

Group text – 11 members

Chelsea: Hey guys, just to circle back to the conversation we had around the campfire this summer at Grandma’s – are we all in for a family ski trip this winter?

No response.

October 9th

Chelsea: Hi cousins and siblings! What are we all thinking in terms of booking a ski trip this winter? It was great seeing you all for Thanksgiving – would be great to think about planning this trip… what does everyone think?

No response.

I’m not going to say outright my family is dysfunctional. However when it comes to planning a big ski trip with cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, we are anything but functional.  It’s a friendly, happy group but trying to coax it in a specific direction is like herding kittens. Feral kittens.

After chatting excitedly about how fun it would be to all stay close together on a mountain where those skiing could catch great laps, new skiers could snag a lesson, and those watching the littlest ones could hangout together and feel apart of things we hit a lull. It seemed too good to be true. Juggling schedules of ten adults and another ten children is daunting at best, and finding one place that would meet so many unique needs was a tall order indeed. Upon a little research though, we quickly learned Kimberley Alpine Resort makes planning a trip like this, dare I say, easy. With it’s beautiful, reasonably priced ski-in–ski out lodging at Trickle Creek Lodge including fully equipped kitchens, heated outdoor pool and hot tubs, on-mountain restaurants, and Western Canada’s longest night skiing run Kimberley Alpine Resort was the perfect destination, and heck of a good time.

Nestled in the Purcell mountain range in the East Kooteneys, the city of Kimberley is equal parts charming and laid-back. With just over 7000 residents the city has a small-town feel, yet with it’s dedicated Alpine style car-free main street, it also has entertainment that rivals a much bigger centre. It’s a place where festivals, live-music, street dancing, and parades all meet, where one can walk from shop to shop, and hop from one restaurant to the next each specializing in some wonderful delicacy.  We definitely ate our weight at both the Stonefire pizzeria where the kids sat entranced in their, “front row seats,” watching pizza dough skillfully tossed in the air, and also at the Buckhorn & Main, a great family friendly dining spot located on mountain in Trickle Creek Lodge.

The ski hill reflects a natural extension of the city – amazing snow, laid-back feel, and an odd sensation that you’ve been there before with its homey and inviting vibe.

Our group of twenty got to know the friendly staff that truly made the experience. No one was ever in too much of a hurry to lend a hand, and staff were always looking for ways to help out. The kids each received little tutorials on how to ride the T-bar more effectively by the lift operators, (unfortunately eradicating some hilarious crashes), and the experts in the rental shop willingly shared their expansive knowledge on ski-set-up.  There is so much terrain here for kids to enjoy adventures, from dedicated kids trails, to finding the ‘dummies’ hidden on the slopes (a great game to play), to just making laps together on the main run.

After taking an easy driving day out on Saturday, it was really fun to be able to get some skiing in that evening. The lights of the city below were breathtaking, and it was a perfect end to the day and start of the trip.

After excitedly jumping on the lift for night skiing Saturday evening, a few in our group decided lessons for the kids would be a great idea, which proved their weight in gold. The instructors embodied all the excellent attributes we found to be standard at the resort thus far – kind, knowledgeable, patient and confidence-inspiring. The proof was really in the pudding as we watched the kids rip down the very run that had given them trouble the night before laughing and whooping the whole way.

Beyond the resort providing a great destination for a big group to enjoy each other and the beautiful British Columbian Mountains the skiing was nothing short of epic. We found fresh turns, some beautiful glades, and lovely rolling runs that the kids (or the inner-kid within the adults) found little jumps to pop off along the way.  With an average snowfall of 13 feet and the resort sprawling over 1800+ acres, it wasn’t surprising that there was great skiing for everyone.  Kimberley also offers over 30 km of groomed fat biking, one of the best Nordic Clubs in Canada for those who want to cross country ski and myriads of trails for walking and snowshoeing right from the base of Kimberley Alpine Resort.

Those taking turns with the smallest kids spent time splashing and playing in the pool, and soaking in the hot tub watching and cheering on those getting their ski legs under them on the green chair while they waited to get tagged out and take a turn on the mountain.

If that weren’t enough already, opposite the ski mountain sat a beautiful skating pond surrounded by the breathtaking mountains, and warmly lit by lampposts to provide skating time well after dark. It was a very iconic Canadian scene.

There was one problem with our get-away to Kimberley. We had too much fun on the hill, we didn’t check out the cool climbing gym in town, or the Lussier Hot Springs out of town. I guess I better start texting now, so our clan can get a jump on planning for next year.

Photos & Words by Chelsea Mackenzie Photography

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Book your vacation at Trickle Creek Lodge!  Check out our Hot Deals & Packages page, reservation specialists are standing by to assist.

We have very exciting news and we need your help‼️ Our Winter Sports School has been nominated as one of the TOP Ski Schools across the United States and Canada by USA TODAY 10Best!
We are up against some big names in the business – Sun Valley, Stowe, Aspen Snowmass, Deer Valley! We aren’t too worried, we may be small but we are mighty and with your votes we can be victorious!

You can vote daily until November 20th. Follow the link and scroll down to Telus Winter Sports School at Kimberley Alpine Resort and vote.

VOTE HERE

We thank you for your support!

📷 Mark Eleven Photography

We are very excited to announce work on the Northstar Quad chair is complete and we will be open for the season this Sunday, December 18th!

Tickets are available for purchase online.

Guest Services will be open tomorrow (Saturday, Dec 17th) for season pass pick up from 10:30 – 5 :00, then 8:30-4:30 daily.

Please check our Snow Report for all the most up to date information in regards to terrain open and resort services hours.

Take a look at our Facebook & Instagram post to see the lift spinning!