Review of Big White

23rd February 2009 by Alastair B 

We visited Big White for 2 nights in Early February 2009. The snow, although a little disappointing, was better than most places we visited this winter and it did snow a few inches every night, so the name and reputation seem well deserved.

The resort is almost all genuine ski-in, ski-out, though a few of the hotels may require a lift up first thing.

This is a good sized resort, possibly not enough for a week, but there is a range of runs to keep most people interested as well as a terrain park. There are good glades around the Black Forest and the bowl around the Big White Peak chair provides a very good chance to embarrass yourself by trying drop-ins right under the chair. There are also even steeper, tighter runs a short hike around the bowl.

All the lifts were very quiet, though we were there midweek so it’ll presumably be a bit busier at the weekend.

Runs from the Gem Lake chair are even quieter and a bit more challenging than the main resort. They are a bit longer and steeper and were pretty fast due to the hardpack when we visited. The lifts also seemed a bit more exposed to the weather on this side.

Although there are a number of restaurants in the village, most were pretty expensive and could get crowded over busy weekends. We ate at the Deli Bistro. It’s attached to the deli in the village(!) but is a good quality, unpretentious place with a menu slightly different from the usual steaks.

The main lodge gets busy during the day so the Ridge Day Lodge is a quieter option. The Bakery in the basement of the day lodge is also a good choice for lunch.

Big White was fun for a few days and (unlike Sun Peaks) has a number of interesting areas. It’s well organised, the ski-in, ski-out is great and the snowfall reputation seems well deserved. It’s not huge but is well worth a visit as part of a road trip.

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