Skiing Island Pow at Mount Washington Alpine Resort

Looking for an alternative resort this winter without road closures or security checkpoints? Craving untracked pow without the masses on your heels? Grab a Lucky Lager and enjoy Vancouver Island's destination resort.

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Skiing Island Pow at Mount Washington Alpine Resort

By Vince Shuley

Photos by Emily Serrell

Skiing on Vancouver Island has been on my radar for years. I
had first heard of Mt Washington when I spent a season at Mammoth Mountain a
few years back. I worked there with a friendly Canuck who went by the name of Skiing
Ian. Ian worked as an instructor at Mt Washington for six winters.  “It’s no Mammoth or Whistler” he explained,
“But they get a ton of snow”. 

Yep, the only Canadian resort to trump Whistler’s legendary
coastal snowfall is right across the Georgia Strait. And the locals know it
too. Some describe Whistler’s storms as ‘leftovers’ after the low pressure systems
have dumped their most fruitful bounty on the Vancouver Island Ranges.

More snow yes. But what’s the quality like? Mt Washington’s
summit tops out at 1588m, meaning a warm weather system will more than likely
rain out most of the mountain.  But the
difference between rain soaked ‘skudge’ and endless face shots can be a matter
of a just few degrees.  Anyone who skis
coastal BC can appreciate this fact.

“It can get wet, but if all I ever skied was elephant snot I
definitely wouldn’t live here” says Mt Washington PR representative Brent
Curtain, who resides with his wife and kids in nearby Courtenay.  “I’ve had powder days at other resorts, but
this is where I’ve had the deepest days, and lots of them”

I’m riding the Boomerang Chair which services the Outback on
Mt Washington’s backside. The Outback is a relatively new area which opened due
to a demand for more challenging lift serviced terrain. As I look around
I’m reminded of mid mountain playgrounds like International Trees on Whistler and
Fraggle Rock on Blackcomb. There are chutes, ice falls and cliffs with launch
pads that beckon.  Looking above, the boundary
area of North Bowl sits directly behind the summit and is littered with
menacing cliffs and tight avalanche paths. Mt Washington’s Ski Patrol has
marked this area as possible further expansion of the resort’s boundaries.

The mid week crowds are pretty thin around here, despite it
being a knee deep powder day with sunny breaks. The Islanders are a laid back
lot and don’t seem too fussed about fighting for fresh tracks.  There’s always plenty of pow to go around at
Mt Washington.

And that’s the biggest difference to skiing on the Island. Not
weather or terrain, but the people.  The
skiers and riders don’t take themselves too seriously and no one fools
themselves into thinking that they’re ‘progressing the sport’.  Islanders are happy with a day of epic tree
skiing followed by a round of Lucky Lagers. At the end of the day workers and
locals retire to Courtenay where they have all the facilities of an established
city and all the nightlife they need.

So if you’re looking for a resort that’s not interrupted by
the Olympics or you’re just looking to for a laid back place to make some deep
turns, sample some of the Vancouver Island’s finest at Mt Washington.

For more resort info go to www.mtwashington.ca

For accommodation info go to www.discovermountwashington.com

 

 

 

 

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