Ikon Pass
The Skiing at Revelstoke
By all means, it's worth your time to seek it out. The mountain offers the largest continuous vertical drop in North America, spilling out toward a massive Columbia River, the same waterway that empties into the Pacific Ocean more than 1,000 miles away in Oregon.
Skiers who look for pure fall lines that continue to tumble down and down and down can't find bliss on a run named Pitch Black, which hurtles down the front face of the mountain at an agreeable 35° or so from the top all the way to the base near Revelation Lodge. It's a remarkable journey to take on just one mountain. Long runs like this are Revestoke's keystone strength.
Skiers looking for steeper shots with superior snow coverage should migrate to South side runs Jalapeno, Hot Sauce and Devil's Club. These expert trails Will dump skiers into long groomers that will get them back to the base of Revelation Lodge.
Being in British Columbia means the mountain is dotted with tall stands of conifers, making for elite level glade skiing. Some of the best pockets include the cleverly named Stihl Life Glades, the Critical Path Glades, and the Tasty Glades.
In the later season, when the sun can affect the snow pack on the southside, scare should look to the North Bowl, accessible from The Stoke chairlift. From the top of the bowl, there are a number of steep chutes and narrow, rock-lined runs that will satisfy skiers used to the trials of places like Jackson Hole, Alta and Snowbird. Skiers can go big off of cliffs and through runs like Powder Assault, Unlimited Assets, Discipline and Mania.
Coming off these steeper upper sections, skiers can transition into the Snorkel Glades, the Powder Money Glades, keeping their skis in soft stashes all the way down to the base of The Ripper lift. For those who can keep their speed, additional shots and cold tree skiing can be found in the Back 40 Glades, which spill into Big Woody, which requires some speed to avoid having to skate, pole or walk back to The Ripper chair lift.
Heliskiing is one of the Core elements of the Revelstoke experience. The ski resort has gone as far as to build helipads next to some of its ski-in, ski-out homes that pepper the mountainside. Inner British Columbia seemed to have been created with heliskiing in mind. If possible, skiers should consider knitting a day of airborne powder seeking into their itineraries.
The Town: Revelstoke
So it makes sense to make a bigger trip out of things when coming to Revelstoke. But the experience is worth it. This is not a conventional ski trip. Know that and embrace it.
Revelstoke originally developed as a hub for railroads and logging. Both of those businesses still flourish to some degree in this valley next to the Columbia River. The train hum all night at times, but it's a din of a sound that helps skiers sleep rather than keeping them up.
And ski resorts go in North America, Revelstoke is quite new. It has only been operating since 2007. There is nothing on its scale that has been built within the last 30 years in all of North America. Town then is still transitioning from a place where the core economy is borne by revenues from logging, minerals and transnational railroads to one that at its core revolves around in international destination ski resort.
But as the town has grown up as one that attracts tourists from across the world its dining and lodging options continue to get better. Great food is now in the offing for Revelstoke skiers.
Some of our favorites include Chubby Funsters Kitchen and Cocktails, Woolsey Creek Bistro, and Kawakubo for skiers seeking sushi. Also worth checking out, for skiers who require tacos (yes!): The Taco Club. For a local haunt that's decorated in a motif befitting a ski holiday, check out The Village Idiot.