Hudson Bay, The Ultimate Off-The-Track Ski Adventure

Alf Alderson ventures into the wilds of Northern British Columbia and discovers Hudson Bay – think zero lift queues, charm in abundance, and a sense of really being ‘out there’.

Exploring Northern BC

Northern BC. For any skier who enjoys getting off the beaten track, that phrase has an undeniable attraction. The ski hills here may not be as big and glitzy as their better-known counterparts to the south, but what they lack in size they make up for in snow quantity and quality, absence of lift queues, and a general sense of being ‘out there’.

A Quiet Mountain Experience

Our arrival had effectively increased the number of skiers on the mountain by 50 per cent. Admittedly, we wouldn’t be skiing the deep pow for which Hudson Bay Mountain is renowned, but on the other hand, what we did ski we’d pretty much have to ourselves. ‘We’ consisted of myself, Brian and Ian, a fellow ski journo from eastern Canada. As a local, Brian would be guiding us around the mountain, which is modest in size (two drags, one triple chair), but nevertheless has a good range of terrain spread over 533m of lift-accessed vertical and 700 acres of skiable terrain. And – best of all – an annual snowfall average of around 400cm (13ft) every winter.

What that translated to on my visit was hooning down a selection of blue and black runs on both the south and north faces of the mountain with literally not another skier in sight. We made the occasional foray into the trees that line the side of every run in the hope of finding something softer than the hardpack of the pistes, but the unseasonal weather had done its worst and, unfortunately, of powder there was none. Particularly frustrating on a ski hill where pow is pretty much a given.

The Charm of Hudson Bay Mountain

I liked Hudson Bay Mountain’s secluded charm, nonetheless. On our way to lunch at Panorama Lodge, one of two eateries on the mountain, we skied between a collection of rustic A-frame cabins built by locals over the period since the 1950s, when people first started skiing here, and I was envious of the owners who, on bright, sunny powder days, had all this uncrowded terrain to enjoy.

A Vertical Adventure

And hey, get this, in really good conditions, if you’re prepared to skin to the summit of the mountain at 2,589m, you can descend through an open bowl down to the resort and on through the woods back to town on Jos’ Rotary Trail – that’s a massive 2,099m of vertical.

Maybe Hudson Bay Mountain ain’t all that small after all…

Essential Travel Info

Travel
Air Canada (aircanada.com) flies from London Heathrow via Vancouver to Smithers, return from Terrace, from £985 per person return.

Stay
The Bulkley Suites in Smithers (alpenhornbistro.com/bulkley-rental-suites) offers doubles from $CAN 129 (£72) per night, room only.
Skeena River House in Terrace (skeenariverhouse.com) offers doubles from $CAN 130 (£72) per night, room only.

Ski
Hudson Bay Mountain (hudsonbaymountain.ca) day lift pass from $CAN 79 (£44).
Shames Mountain (mymountaincoop.ca) day lift pass from $CAN 90 (£50).
For info on the Hankin-Evelyn backcountry area visit bbss.ca.
For more info on travelling and skiing in BC visit hellobc.com and travelnbc.com.

For the full story of Alf’s adventure in Northern British Columbia, including his experiences at Hankin-Evelyn, and Shames Mountain, check out Edition 195 of Fall Line magazine, available from our online store.