Canada's Second Largest Ski Area Packs A Punch

The metaphorical cat was let out of the bag a long time ago when it comes to many of Canada’s world-class ski resorts. Whispers and tales of deep powder, big mountains, and steep terrain have spread to the far corners of the globe since the middle of the 20th century.

An American skier looking for adventure might overlook Canada due to the notable popularity of its largest resorts, but one diamond is still lying unscathed amongst the rough.

Sun Peaks, located in interior British Columbia, is Canada’s second-largest ski resort by skiable acres, and yet it flies under-the-radar for many skiers.

The resort itself is an anomaly, and more closely resembles a European resort with its own ski-through village filled with locally-owned cafes, shops, and eateries. The terrain follows suit.

Steeps, deeps, groomers, and plenty of interior B.C.’s light and dry snow awaits the American adventurer without the fear of long lift lines and over-crowded slopes.

Sun Peaks is defined by well… its peaks!

Three mountains rise from either side of the valley floor to form Sun Peaks’ expansive terrain. Each peak has a unique personality in and of itself that creates a ‘choose your own adventure’ feel for skiers and riders.

To better explain the variety and size of Sun Peaks, keep reading for our mountain-by-mountain breakdown.

Mt. Tod

Mt. Tod is the ‘OG’ mountain at Sun Peaks, having first opened in 1961.

The resort’s forefathers were stunned by the towering ‘Top of the World’ area above Crystal Bowl and the endless opportunities for alpine descents. Their vision was the first building block to creating Canada’s second largest ski area.

Advanced skiers can take their pick on Mt. Tod.

Challenging terrain can be found nearly 360 degrees off the top of the Burfield and Crystal lifts in the resort’s alpine areas. These above tree line landscapes offer unobstructed views of the valley below and endless opportunities for ‘pick your own adventure’ lines.

Skiers looking to test the structural integrity of their knees on exhausting yet smile-inducing steep and deep trails should look towards runs like ‘Kookamungas’, ‘Chief’, and ‘Challenger’. These are classic Sun Peaks runs (which was originally known as Tod Mountain before expansion) that have been making legs sore since the 60s.

If you’re feeling adventurous, take a short hike into ‘Gil’s’ off-piste area in the alpine of Mt. Tod. This expansive zone rewards skiers who don’t mind earning their turns with powder leftovers for days after the storm.

One of the nicest parts of Sun Peaks, and especially Mt. Tod, is that nearly all of these advanced/expert runs have beginner and intermediate runs accessed from the same chairlifts. Meaning, you can pick and choose when you want to push yourself, and take a break when your quads feel like they’re hot enough to cook a platter of poutine.

Mt. Tod makes for an excellent place to ski with the family for this reason as well. Advanced skiers can duck into the steep and deep and meet the rest of the family back at the lift.

It doesn’t get much better than that, eh?

Mt. Morrisey

Mt. Morrisey takes inspiration from one of Batman’s rivals ‘Two-Face’. No, one side of the mountain isn’t burned, but the duality of the terrain is worth noting.

The skier’s right side of the mountain is loaded with Sun Peaks’s most pleasing groomed runs.

Rather than clear cut wide-open paths, these Blue and Green rated groomers are littered with sensibly spaced trees that gives skiers a feeling of blissfully descending through a meadow.

Essentially, Sun Peaks asked: ‘How can we make skiing groomers fun for everybody?’ and hit the nail on the head with trails like ‘The Sticks’, ‘Still Smokin’’, and ‘Mid-Life Crisis’.

The skier’s left side of the mountain is where Morrisey dons a more intense look.

The majority of these runs are Black or Double-Black rated due to their pitch and exciting terrain features. Runs like ‘Lint Trap’, ‘Static Cling’ and ‘Agitator’ offer incredible views of the village below while requiring focus and precision from advanced skiers.

Morrisey is one of the best places on the mountain to stack vertical whether you’re cruising cord through a meadow or hanging on for dear life in the steep and deep.

Sundance

Sundance is Mt. Tod’s little brother, but don’t be mistaken, it offers plenty of fun for the whole family, no matter your ability.

The majority of these runs are Blue-rated groomers, but Sun Peaks makes excellent use of the gladed terrain in between the trails. ‘Lonesome Fir’, ‘Three Bears’, and ‘Bug Out’ are towards the mellow side when it comes to gladed skiing, but they’re fun nonetheless. They’re perfect for giving your legs a break after sending it on Mt. Tod without sacrificing the fun of skiing fresh powder through the trees.

Terrain park skiers and riders will find a fun and progressive series of features under the Sundance Express. These are the only parks on the mountain, and they’re laid out in a way that riders of all abilities can challenge themselves from top-to-bottom.

Here’s an inside scoop that might encourage you to check out the terrain regardless of your ability- The Sundance Express spins a half-hour earlier than the Sunburst and alpine lifts on Mt. Tod.

It’s an ideal place for your first lap or two of the day.

Sun Peaks Stats/Info:

Let’s be honest, all of this talk about Sun Peaks’ various terrain is intriguing, but we’ve yet to cover the most important thing- the actual stats. Without further ado, feel free to marvel at Sun Peaks’ impressive stats!

Vertical: 2,894'

Skiable Acres: 4,270 ac. (second largest in Canada)

Average Snowfall: 237 in.

Lifts: 13

Trails: 139

Glades: 19

Alpine Bowls: 2

What more can we say? Sun Peaks is a gem of a destination that checks all of the boxes for the American skier looking for an adventure.

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