A hidden gem, that’s the phrase often used to describe Kimberley – a ‘hidden gem’ in the Canadian Rockies. It’s one of those ski resorts that is slightly lesser known to the world, however anyone who visits is almost guaranteed to fall in love. Even if you are a frequent visitor to Kimberley, there’s a good chance you don’t know about those ‘hidden gems’ on the mountain – runs, certain spots and powder stashes only our staff and locals tend to know about. Well, we think it’s about time we let the secrets out and tell everyone about our hidden powder stashes, covert runs and secluded favourite spots for all to enjoy (sorry locals).
Flush
#44 – Black
Flush is one of our staff’s favourite spots, it’s been the site for our JEEP Junior Freeski comp for the last few season as it’s got plenty of playful terrain, lots of little hits and bumps. The first part of the run is mellow, tree skiing and often home to late stashes of that perfect purcell powder Kimberley is so known for. Much of Kimberley’s history is owed to mining, being home to at one time, the largest producing zinc mine in Canada, therefore a lot of the runs in Kimberley lend their name to that legacy, Flush is no exception as it’s named after a mining claim. (Plus there’s a natural half pipe at the bottom)!
Sending it on Flush!
Dreadnaught
#4 – Blue
Also, named after a mining claim, Dreadnaught offers great variation, with wide open meandering groomers at the top to fun rolling terrain near the bottom. The Kootenay Haus, located at the top of the run offers some of the best views of the valley and entire run. Dreadnaught is the dedicated race run for Nancy Green and other race training and race events.
Locals Tip – The front side is THE perfect intermediate terrain, long fall-line cruisers on corduroy groomed softpack (typically). Kimberley has the best cruisy groomers in the Kootenays hands down.
(View from the top of Kootenay Haus)
Geneva
#59 – Black
One of our locals’ favourite run is called Geneva, it’s located in the gladed area known as The Black Forest, the largest tree skiing area in North America. Geneva is a long leg burner with very interesting and variable terrain and is always the first stop after a large overnight powder dump (and you can see why from this picture).
Untouched pow on Geneva
Dorval
# 50 – Black
Our next undisclosed spot is also located in the Black Forest. Another one named after a staked mining claim, Dorval is a forever favourite of our staff as most people ride right on by it! Our theory is everyone is too busy making their way to the Easter chair to notice this spot and pass it by, but next time we suggest you try it out! To get to Dorval, ski right of the intersection to Dean’s Right and Ridgeway, some of the best attributes of Dorval are – it’s one of the steepest runs on the hill and is only groomed once a week. One of the rarest experiences you’ll have on this run is actually seeing another soul riding near you and if you do, there’s a safe bet they work at the resort or grew up skiing there.
Tamarack
#28 – Black
Tamarack AKA the ‘show off’ run because; top to bottom, Tamarack runs fully below the chair of the same name. Since many people don’t like to ride right under the lift and be exposed to chairs and chairs of onlookers, there are often fresh tracks to be found here! Tamarack’s fall link is top to bottom with a vertical rise of 1182 ft, making it a real thigh burner to ride and get that heart rate up. Hit up Tamarack, then it’s time hit up the hot tub!
Need to look any of these spots up? View and download our trail map online.
See you out here!
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It’s not just about skiing, it’s about the experience.
Morning was a bad time to write this….
As I’m reliving my trip to Kimberley and reviewing pictures, I’m realizing morning was a bad time to write this. Recently, I spent time in Kimberley in what we refer to as ‘the off season’, meaning we’re a hot minute away from winter and being a popular ski base for skiers and snowboarders travelling here from all around the county and the world. As my last visit was in the off season, a lot of time was spent eating out since many of the towns attractions are in between their summer and winter seasons, which made me realize, a ski vacation isn’t just about skiing, food (just like skiing the exhilarating slopes) is good for the soul and a ski vacation is about the whole soul soothing experience.
While visiting Kimberley on your vacation, staying on the mountain to eat is easy to do with so many options, however if you do decide to venture into town, it might not look like it as first, but it’s home to lots of delicious food. And, no we don’t mean schnitzel (although that’s good here too).
The heart of Kimberley is the Platzl. A pedestrian street – park your car in the nearby free lot and enter in the centre to find a variety of places to eat day or night.
Sullivan Pub (and drive thru liquor store!!)
Ross Street
One of my personal favourites (seriously, I can’t visit Kimberley and not eat here, sometimes it’s even more than once in one trip). The Sullivan Pub 
looks unassuming from the outside, you may be tempted to think its menu follows the generic pub menu format, well, it doesn’t. It’s actually a hidden gem of delicious dishes. This menu presents not only indulgent options like Lobster Tacos, Wild Boar Bolognese and Roast Prime Rib – it also has a whole Poutine section. For a fun meal, try going full on Canadian trying a few poutines – none of which will disappoint in the least.
Did I mention the drive thru liquor store? Even if you’re just stocking up to hole up at the resort and not come back to town, the drive thru liquor store is the novel place to stock up.
Stonefire Pizza
In the Platzl, 136 Deer Park Ave.
Stonefire is the perfect place to eat with a family or a group of friends. The large restaurant is comprised mostly of large tables, while there is also a bar to sit at. The bar is situated right in front of Stonefire’s wood fired pizza oven which was hand built in Naples, at the bar you can watch as the busy (pizza master chefs) assemble and toss the pizzas in the oven and then out to the tables at lightning speed. http://stonefirepizzeria.ca/
Pedal & Tap
In the Platzl
The name is meant to encourage people to bike to the restaurant and offers free locks as an added incentive, the inside of the restaurant offers a vintage feel with interesting decorations and awesome bartenders who base your drink off your personality and mood. My first visit to Pedal and Tap was later at night after already eating dinner earlier. This was definitely a mistake. The ‘Alba (hard)core Tuna we had was so delicious it made it difficult to watch other extremely appetizing looking meals come out of the kitchen while being too stuffed to try any of them. The Carbonara looked particularly popular and delicious, with at least half the restaurant seeming to have ordered it. Pedal and Tap is arguably one of the most famous restaurants in Kimberley, it was featured on The Food Networks You Gotta Eat here in 2013 showcasing its care and attention to the food it produces using locally sources ingredients (you can still watch the episode featuring Pedal and Tap on the Food Network’s website). On the wall are Pedal & Tap tshirts, which are in high demand, if your size isn’t available it gives you another incentive to return (if the food wasn’t enough). http://pedalandtap.com/
Eating On Mountain
***Update – Montana’s Grill is now Buckhorn & Main – get more information on Buckhorn & Main Mountain Eatery here.***
Montana’s Grill & Cookhouse
Located in Trickle Creek Lodge
Montana’s offers some of the best comfort food you’ll find at a ski resort, just look at the mac and cheese! Plus new this season, they’re open for breakfast. Visit the family friendly restaurant portion of Montana’s, where the extensive menu will please the pickiest of little (and big) eaters or après in the lounge and enjoy the comfortable seating (don’t miss trying the bacon caesar for a truly Canadian experience).
Stemwinder
Located in the plaza
The Stemwinder is the most popular Apres spot in Kimberley! With live bands every weekend and theme nights like local jam nights and college nights, the Stemwinder is definitely the place to be. Stemwinder also offers a full menu with daily specials, stop in to see what they are and for a great time.
Meanwhile, please excuse me, I’m off to eat lunch…
Looking for more to do in Kimberley? Check out “The Top 6 Things to do in Kimberley this winter (aside from skiing)”.
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New Year’s Eve Family Party in the Plaza
**Please note- Night Skiing will be finishing early on New Years Eve – 8PM**
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Are you visiting Kimberley Alpine Resort over the holidays? We have a jam packaged schedule for you and your family to enjoy magic of the holidays in the mountains and to get the very best out of your winter vacation this December!
Some of the highlights include;
– December 22 & 24: Skiing with Santa!
– Kids Korner activity nights at Trickle Creek Lodge – movie night, craft nights and more – various nights throughout December
– Family activities at the resort treasure hunts, family slalom races, scavenger hunts and more – various days throughout December
– Family New Year’s Eve party in the plaza – Don’t miss the Fireworks!
– Night skiing – various nights throughout December
Get more information on our online events calendar.
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Kimberley is a lovely town with some of the friendliest locals you’ll meet, most with a passion for the city that shows whenever you have the opportunity to meet any, whether that’s in town or at the resort.
Looking for some advice on what there is to do while on a ski getaway? Here are some of our top recommendations for you and your family to explore while visiting our community;
1) Snowshoeing
Already a great activity for all ability levels, snowshoeing at Kimberley Alpine Resort takes the experience even higher for both beginners and seasoned snowshoe-ers. Two tour types – both take you for a ride to the top of the Northstar Chair for an intermediate or beginner level snowshoe tour back down to the base.
Family Tip: The top tour choice among families is the twilight tour (which includes a delicious chocolate fondue at the mountain top Kootenay Haus)!
2) Hockey Game
Just like the rest of Canada – Kimberley loves their hockey! The local team, The Dynamiters, host some of the most fun nights out you’ll have in Kimberley. If you’re lucky enough to be in town during a game again their rivals (Fernie Ghostriders), you’re in for even more of a treat!
Check out The Dynamiters schedule on their website.
Photo from Dynamiters day at Kimberley Alpine Resort
3) Dine (& Climb) at the Platzl
The city of Kimberley has a distinct European atmosphere to it – especially felt in the Platzl, located in between Ross & Howard street (where the Heritage Museum is). No visit to Kimberley is complete without a stop in the Platzl, whether it’s for a bite at the restaurants or cafes to see the cuckoo clock or to get more advice from the visitors centre.
Looking for a bite? Try one of these Platzl places;
Pedal & Tap
Once featured on the Food Network’s “You Gotta Eat Here”, Pedal and Tap specializes in organic and a variety of seasonally focused menu items as well as a fun and relaxed biking themed atmosphere (they even off to lend you a lock if you ride your bike down, not that you’ll really need it here).
Stonefire Pizzeria
One of the newer additions to the Platzl is Stonefire Pizzeria, with delectable traditional wood fired oven Neapolitan pizzas made with regional ingredients from the Kootenays. Visit the pizzeria on Facebook.
Kimberley City Bakery
Using traditional methods to make delightful baked goods, pizzas, sweets and more the Kimberley Bakery is locally as well as family owned and operated (meaning you know there is tender love and care going into make your snack). Visit their Facebook page to see daily specials.
Spirit Rock Climbing Centre
One of the newer activities to pop up in Kimberley recently – the spirit rock climbing centre is located in the Platzl and is open to all ages and skill levels! For more information visit their website.
4) Ice Skating
Located just behind the plaza at Kimberley Alpine Resort and just out front of Trickle Creek Lodge is the FREE Kimberley skating rink. Open to the public daily during the winter, it has a fire pit/warm up area and hosts many fun, family friendly events (including the Dynamiters Ski Day game).
5) Go for a Winter Bike
New this season, dedicated trails for Winter Fat Biking! Monster tires and low gearing means biking in the snow is easy and fun for both first timers and seasoned cyclists. Take a tour – the resort will offer rental buys and tours/lessons with guides this winter. More info.
6) The Stemwinder – Epic Après
Literally just a few steps from where you come off your last run of the day is the Stemwinder. Fully licensed and with a heated outdoor seating area, other highlights of the Stemwinder include weekly live music and jam nights, daily specials and a whole lot of après fun.
Live band at the Stemwinder
See you this winter!
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There’s just one week left to save up to 35% on your ski vacation this winter season! Book one of our packages online, chat online with a reservation agent (during business hours) or give us a call at 1-800-258-7669 to book your vacation over the phone with one of our vacation specialists.
Don’t miss out the savings – book now!
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Imagine this; you wake up from your slumber early, really early. And you’re not getting back to sleep. What do you do? What do most of us do? Grab our smart phones. Now, when you grab your phone you’ll have the ability to get the most up to date information for snow conditions, weather reports, trail maps, resort info and more from one handy app for Kimberley Alpine Resort (and our other RCR resorts).
Your next problem – it’s going to be a powder day!! Time to call in sick and head out to the mountains!
For more information on our App read our Press Release.
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Set between the Selkirk and Rocky mountains in southeastern BC, Kimberley Alpine Resort is known for its sunny disposition. And why not — when you receive more bluebird days than any other resort in the province, you can’t help but spread the warmth, and the wealth. Here, all ages and abilities flock to runs that shoot through open glades, while the Easter Bowl, on the mountain’s backside, promises seemingly non-stop fall lines and heart-thrumming steeps. For smoother cruising, stick to the front face of the mountain where powder-packed runs, including a brand new green run dubbed Alpine Slide, will deliver less torque and more opportunity to take in the terrain. Bonus: making tracks on this side will deliver you to the front steps of Kimberley’s bustling après-ski action. Come day’s end, you’ll dig into locally inspired dishes — just don’t forget to raise a glass. After all, Kimberley’s forecast promises nothing but sunny skies!
When it comes to family fun in BC, Kimberley Alpine Resort, near Cranbrook, sets a beguiling scene — both on and off the slopes. To start, little ones
can point their tips along Kimberley’s Kids Trail, a cool way for pint-sized powderhounds to make their own tracks through the woods. Be advised: adults encouraged to follow along would do well to maintain a tuck position or risk knocking their helmets on overhanging branches. (No parent wants to join the ranks of the “Dummies in the Trees,” a.k.a. festive “characters” hidden throughout the resort that, when discovered, elicit a gleeful shriek from Kimberley’s smallest skiers and boarders.) Off slope offers no less with Kimberley’s Kids Learning Area adjacent ski-in/ski-out accommodations and slopeside hot tubs, ensuring that parents can watch their kids ski while soaking up the mountain ambiance. And come nightfall, the resort’s village skating pond will illuminate an evening of spins and jumps, topped off with a crackling bonfire perfect for marshmallow roasts.
Now for the real Glade story, the local’s tip;
Our favourite run is called Geneva in the black forest, a long “black” leg burner with very interesting and variable terrain. It’s the first stop after a large overnight powder dump.
We’re glade you came, and we’re sure you’ll be glade you came as well!
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Kimberley is cute. There is no other way to put it. Actually, there is – Kimberley is quaint, adorable, homey, comfortable, charming, pleasant and just plain delightful. Its atmosphere gives you those warm and fuzzy feelings you only get from places you truly love.
If you’re looking for a resort village and nearby town to get away from regular city life – all the traffic, the full calendars and all things marked ‘urgent’, Kimberley is the place for you, it’s a genuine Canadian ski town with a laid back atmosphere offering a large variety of places (indoor and outdoor) to explore. Stay on mountain for a ski getaway everyone dreams of – wake up on the mountain, enjoy the slopes right outside your door during the day and dine and/or dance your night away at one of the many on mountain bars or restaurants.
Did you know? Kimberley is known as the sunniest ski resort in B.C? It’s true, at Kimberley we get most sunny days than anyone else in the region! 
Along with that sunshine also comes some amazing views and vistas like this sundog spotted last year (not the first and we expect not that last we’ll have here)!
Another plus to Kimberley – it’s off the beaten path while not being off the beaten path at the same time! It’s super easy to get to with the new Integra Air flight called “Spirit of the Kootenays” flying multiple times weekly during the ski season from YYC to YXC. YXC (Cranbrook international airport) is just half an hour away from the resort. Have you ever wanted to fly & ski in the same day? At Kimberley you can!
Have you been convinced to visit yet? If not, this will do it – how about 80 roomy, uncrowded runs and over 1800 acres of skiable terrain to tour, family events all season contributing to Kimberley being voted A family favourite ski resort, on mountain skating rink and live après concerts every weekend! Ya, that should do it!
Now that you’re going to visit Kimberley here is an exclusive tip from a local, just for you “our favourite run is called Geneva in the black forest, a long “black” leg burner with very interesting and variable terrain. It’s the first stop after a large overnight powder dump. Also hit up the Tamarack chair for a bunch of terrain which few people ski on!
See you soon!
Words by Cali Sammel
Photos by Roland Gaschen & The Real Mckenzie Photography
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Ski under the stars on the longest lit run in North America! Night skiing runs every night from December 26 to January 6, and then runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night through March 10. The Northstar Quad starts running at 5:30pm and closes at 8:30pm.
If you’re like me (and many other snowboarders out there), you’re a weird-ish combination of someone who loves the mountains mixed with a space 
nerd. Which really, when I give it a second though, isn’t that strange of a combination – the mountains are majestic and mysterious, not unlike outer space. Maybe it’s easier than I thought to see where the interests come from.
It’s for that reason, Kimberley Alpine Resort is one of my favourite ski resorts, not because of the ridiculously cute mountain village, not because of the amount of sunshine and not because of the amazing Canadian mountain town atmosphere (although all of these awesome things are nothing to shake a stick at). Kimberley is one of my favourite resorts because of the night skiing.
Whether you’re into space or not, one view that has the ability to make nearly every human feel close to nature and hopelessly insignificant (in a good way) at the same time, is the view of the stars at night. At Kimberley Alpine Resort, you’re already far away from the hustle and bustle of the city as well as the city lights. Kimberley is a small town giving 
you a great view of the sky and with many clear days to go along with the night skiing, running nearly all season, it’s your best bet to get the absolute most skiing in possible while admiring the scenery from the top of the mountain.
At Kimberley – night skiing is included on every full day lift ticket purchased (during night skiing hours) or a night skiing season pass, cleverly called The Night Rider is available from guest services. Also hosted throughout the season are Night Race series and Rail Jams. Combine night skiing with the on mountain bar and lodging – this is one ski resort that will leave you no desire to return to the city life (and the lack of visible stars).
Words by Cali Sammel
Photos by The Real McKenzie Photography & Vinnie Mo
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