It’s a chilly day in early January. A cold winter snap whispers its solemn sound through the nearby trees. The mounds of snow piled up throughout, tells us the local ski bums in our funky mountain towns – will be enjoy the big powder dump that blasted our mountains.
When BIG storms roll through the mountains, the anticipation for the “powder day” ahead reverberates across the whole region. And, we see it in our social media feeds, too! We hear it in the supermarkets. We feel it in the air. From Revelstoke to Fernie, RED Mountain to Kicking Horse, when the snowfall start to stack up overnight, our towns shut down the next morning to get a few runs in the DEEP fresh, dry, blower powder.
After all, we didn’t move to BC’s Powder Highway to be confined to our desks on powder days. We don’t visit Nakusp or Invermere to compete with thousands of people trying to make it through the day. We’re here for the adventure, for the outdoors, for fresh air and open spaces.
We work on our own time and set our own schedules to sneak in a morning tour and catch the sunrise from the top of the mountain. We chase storms around the region, seeking out steep lines, buttery smooth groomers and good times.
Our idea of the morning commute is the parade of cars up the Whitewater Ski Hill Road, but you won’t find eight lanes of gridlock on smog-filled highways here. Our idea of traffic at a standstill is waiting for the rope to drop for fresh tracks in the Currie Bowl, but you won’t find any road rage there. Our morning workouts are a few laps of our favourite runs before casually making our way to the office at noon. Good for the body, great for the soul.
Above all, we’re here for the sense of community. We cherish the laid back vibes, relaxed lifestyle and easy-going personalities of the region. From the business owners who are cool with employees taking the morning off to ride to retirees who log more days in a season than most have in their life, we all make the Kootenay a special place to be.
Know Before You Go – Plan ahead so you can travel safely and responsibly. Familiarize yourself with weather, road conditions, general alerts for travellers and provincial health orders & recommendations.
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Top/cover photo courtesy of Kari Medig in Rossland, BC.
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