Red Mountain

With an alpine history that stretches back to the first decade of the 1900s, the Red Mountain ski resort is the oldest venue of its type in Western Canada and one of the oldest in all of North America. Sitting in the Monashee Mountains, its location makes it popular with snow hounds in British Columbia and Americans from Idaho, Montana, and Washington.

British Columbia's Highway 3 is the route many motorists drive into the area, with Highway 38 providing access to Rossland. The closest roadway for Americans would be Washington State Highway out of Northport. Several domestic and local airfields are nearby, but the nearest International Airport is in Kelowna.

Humble Ski Club Beginnings

Rossland is a former gold mining town, and locals in the area created the Red Mountain Ski Club at the start of the 20th century to enjoy alpine exploration in a social setting. The rugged community members matched the terrain, A base elevation of 3,887 feet and a top elevation of 6,807 feet help create the 2,919-foot vertical drop that everyone skis or rides.

Visitors will note that the venue is not close to major metropolitan areas, so the ski area needs lodging accommodations. Six locations offer rooms on the mountain, with more options in town. Dining on the slopes of Red Mountain is possible at six locations, with most operations including spaces to rest and meet up between runs. Piste Off Retail sits across from the day lodge and carries the brands' skiers or snowboarders want and need during their visit here.

Convenience is something visitors want, and the venue delivers. That includes shuttle services between Rossland and the Red Mountain ski resort and childcare for parents who want to spend time carving, not babysitting. Red Sports rents high-performance gear for skiing, snowboarding, and snowshoeing. Knowledgeable staff will help get a proper boot fit, tune-ups, and repair common problems that keep personal equipment in the locker and off the pow.

The Lay of the Land

The Red Mountain ski resort gets an average annual snowfall of 300 inches. Backcountry touring is a challenging way to explore the area around the ski venue, with CATskiing and heliskiing offering another way to enjoy those deep snowfall accumulations.

The BlackJack Ski Club is just a couple of minutes drive from the Red Mountain ski area, offering access to some good cross-country skiing on almost 25 miles of trails that range from beginner to expert in ratings. Professional guides and tours can be rented at the Get Lost Adventure Center, allowing visitors to explore the best places in and around the ski venue.

Red Mountain is only one of the five peaks that the facilities spread across, with 3,850 skiable acres to keep everyone busy during their stay. Guests can choose between 119 marked runs, with lots of advanced and expert terrain for the ski bums to carve. Beginners have 17-percent of the mountain rated as green, and intermediates have 34-percent of the runs marked blue. Advanced skiers and riders will find 23-percent of alpine trails marked black diamond, while the remaining 26-percent of the slopes rating at a double black diamond for expert terrain. Red Mountain uses eight lifts for uphill movement.