Apex Mountain Resort, BC, Conditions Report: Far From the Madding Crowd

View down to Apex Mountain Resort village from Kristi’s run (named after Canadian Olympic Skier Kristi Richards). | Image: Julia Schneemann

Report from December 10-15, 2024

Leaving Penticton’s grey skies behind in our 4WD, we made our way up to Apex Mountain Resort, British Columbia, in the dusk. The grey quickly passed into a Narnia wonderland with snow-covered trees and white roads as our 4WD climbed steadily higher. As I passed through First Nations land and came across my first bear warning sign, I truly felt like I was in Canada. We reached the resort village in the dark, and after a good night’s sleep, we set out the following day for a first ski. We were keen to replace the December Sydney humidity with some crisp mountain air.

Driving up the road through First Nations land to the resort village. | Image: Julia Schneemann

The week started with glorious blue skies, “but we have not had as much snow as usual this time of year,” James Shalman apologized. “We normally have 1.5 meters at this stage, but currently, it is only about 60 centimeters,” the resort’s General Manager explained. I assured him that I was not expecting powder in early December and made my way to the Stocks Triple-Chair as the quad express chair was not operating that Tuesday. Sitting on the triple chair as I saw the odd person make their way down the Sluice Box Run below me, I let the giddy expectation of my first Northern Hemisphere turns wash over me. The higher I climbed, the more excited I got, not only because the snow cover looked much better than James had made it out to be but also because I counted only about five people going down as I went up. If there is one thing I like, it is wide, empty runs, and I was not to be disappointed. As a first run, I went down Maverick, a blue run that sweeps down at the far edge of the resort. The grooming was top notch and I vowed to come back but wanted to explore all runs in the area, but Maverick remained my favorite run all morning.

Sluice Box Run below me, ready for the first run of the Northern Hemisphere season. | Image: Julia Schneemann

Apex Mountain Resort offers 600 meters (2,000 feet) of vertical and while I only got to explore 300 meters (1,000 feet) of vertical on my first day, I could see the appeal of this mountain instantly. The terrain is 54% advanced and 34% intermediate, and while I could only longingly look at the gladed runs above me, I knew these would make for some crazy fun powder runs in just a few weeks. The resort has an ice skating rink, an adventure skating loop through the forest, and snowshoeing trails. There is a tube park, terrain park, a beginners ski area with magic carpet, restaurants, shops, cafes, and the reason for my trip: a World Cup level mogul run and aerial site for Freestyle training, which brings Canadian as well as international skiers to the ski resort. Sprinkled around the resort, you will find mountain lodges, with many for rent for long and short stays. The best part is that many of these lodges are ski-in/ski-out, as was ours and we made our way back home along the Grandfather’s Trail from where we could ski straight to our lodge.

Fresh snow started arriving on Thursday and kept coming all week and it was time to explore the Quickdraw High Speed Quad which takes you to the top of Beaonsfield Mountain at 2,193 meters (7,197 feet). The view at the top of the quad chair stretches all the way to the Cascades in Washington. From the top of the quad, you can access several double black diamond chutes that culminate in the Grandfather’s Trail, which then takes you back to the front of the resort. While not many were open yet, and we mainly stuck to Juniper and 97, it is easy to see how much fun these chutes will be on a powder day.

We had several days of fresh snowfalls during our stay at Apex Mountain Resort. | Image: Julia Schneemann

On the weekend, we were mainly preoccupied with the Apex Classic moguls competition, which did not leave a lot of time for exploring but even on a weekend with a FIS competition on, the lines for the lift were never more than 20 people deep.

It was an absolutely amazing week at Apex Mountain Resort. The grooming is fantastic, and to me, it is a hidden gem amongst the bigger resorts in British Columbia. Often, smaller resorts will not offer the vertical or advanced terrain to keep expert skiers happy all day, but this resort provides something to keep even expert skiers happy. The best part for me is the authentic feel the resort gives you. Prices everywhere are reasonable, and it gives you a nostalgic feeling that is often lost in more commercial resorts these days. According to James, Apex Mountain attracts around 70% local crowd but the odd Vancouverite will also find their way here. The moguls course further attracts national as well as international athletes to the resort.

Penticton is only about 30 minutes away, where you’ll find more food offerings (special shoutout to Black Antler), bowling, mini-golf, shopping, cinemas, and shops, should you ever get cabin fever on the mountain. Penticton also has a small domestic airport, while the nearest international airport is Kelowna, about 1.5 hours away. Vancouver Airport is a 4-5-hour drive away, making Apex easily accessible to international visitors.

As we were leaving on Monday morning, the snow kept falling as we wound down the access road back to Penticton. With 15 centimeters (6 inches) forecast for Wednesday, December 18, I am sad to miss on some powder runs, but I cannot be too sad, as I am sure, that I will be back!