"Not to have known -- as most men have not...either the mountain or the desert is not to have known one’s self. Not to have known one’s self is to have known no one."
Joseph Wood Krutch
Cross Country Ski Areas in the USA
Top 10 Cross Country Ski Resorts
Thompson Okanagon
The Thompson Okanagon area of British Columbia offers some of the best cross country skiing in North America. The four major ski resorts in this region all offer great cross country skiing: Apex, Big White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks. Kane Valley, Larch Hills, and Logan Lake offer both groomed runs and backcountry trails. Also check out Wells Gray Provincial Park.
The Nickel Plate Nordic Centre at Apex is 4.5 miles away from the resort and offers 35 miles of both classic and skate skiing trails. Averages 20 feet of snow on average per season and is a great family resort.
Big White is another great family resort. Offering 15 miles of trails and personal lessons. Kelowna is a 45 minute drive away. The area gets on average 25 feet of snow per season
The Kane Valley is at an base elevation of 1160 metres (3800 feet), the timbered valley has a mild climate that can provide ideal Nordic skiing conditions. The snow is generally dry, seldom more than 3-5 ft deep, and the air temperature is usually between 0 and -15 degrees Celsius throughout the winter. The trails are on crown land and follow logging roads.
The Kane Valley is centrally located on British Columbia's Coquihalla Highway and lies 20 minutes south of Merritt, an hour west of Peachland and an hour north of Princeton
Larch Hills
There are over 125 km of trails with varing degrees of difficulty in the Larch Hills ski area. The ski area is 10 km west of Salmon Arm.
The Logan Lake area offers 36 km of well groomed ski trails. There is also a 2 km lighted course for night skiing. The nordic ski season runs from early December into March and accommodation is available at the Logan Lake Lodge. There is also available 20 minutes away another 45 kilometres of Nordic ski trails at the Stake Lake ski area. The area has lots of sun and dry snow to heighten you skiing enjoyment.
Mt Baldy a 22 mile drive from Oliver. This area has 12 miles of both groomed and ungroomed ski trails for a total of 24 miles of trails. The ski area averages 22 ft of snow per season.
Silver Star is a world-renowned cross-country skiing destination. People come here to experience over 60 km ((37.3 mi) of classic and skate trails, many reached directly from lodgings. The runs, groomed each night to consistently great conditions, run over a variety of terrain, while the area maintains a consistent, average temperature of -5º C (23º F). Snow country magazine called Silver Star one of the top 3 Nordic ski areas in north america. Silver Star is a 30 minute drive from Vernon
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is located in Silver Star Provincial Park about 14 miles from Vernon. The trail system here is well known to skiers. The area has over 30 miles of groomed trails and a 2 mile lighted course.
Sun Peaks Resort is a 45-minute drive northeast from Kamloops. The resort offers over 17 miles of well cared for ski trails as well as another 7.5 miles of backcountry routes.
Lodging at Sun Peaks
The only groomed trail within Wells Gray Park is the 26 km long Loppet Trail, but 80 km of trails are maintained by Murtle River Nordics and Helmcken Falls Lodge just outside the park. For the adventurer there are numerous areas open to anyone willing to break their own trail.
Lodging in the Area
Cross Country Ski Gear Shops
EMS ( Eastern Mountain Sports)
REI (Recreational Equipment Inc)
Backpacking Gear Sites
Eastern
Mountain Sports (EMS)
Sierra
Trading Post
Cabela's
Mountain
Equipment Co-op
REI
Altrec
Moosejaw
USOutdoorStore
Overton's
Gander Mountain
Patagonia
Paragon Sports
Orvis
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