SilverStar, BC Jan 8&9, 2025

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Pretty decent.

I'm heading in to Mustang later today and hit SilverStar this year (vs Revy). For me it all comes down to one lift - powder gulch.

I put blue dots on the below map roughly at the top of the runs I skied. Tried at end of day to get one off each as legs were tiring.

Set up was small amount of new in prior week (14cm/5.5in) with a very minor front moving through. 1cm prior to opening and 2cm more during the day with snow going in and out. Peaks of sun at times but never for long and never clear. The 1" new softened things just a touch more and place is skiing nicely. I think based on Tony's records for Big White that they are pretty close to exactly normal YTD snow.

Lots of very similar steep bump runs on the backside (Powder Gulch). Still enough variety to have fun for a few days. Frontside has a couple low angle blue lifts with good vert. Gondola and Alpine meadows have some steeper frontside, but both are under 1K vertical so somewhat ignored... good skier go to the back, the rest hit comet and silver woods (mostly).

Thoughts from locals: better snow than Big White; lots of 5cm-12cm days, rarely more than 20cm at one time.

Terrain wise biggest issue is the traversing. Very long traverse to get to and back from a fair bit of the runs. Far right on the map Starburst area you cannot lap from the lift for example.

Easy drive up from Vernon vs higher priced lodging at the mountain. Clearly purposebuilt mini-village but cute. Disappointed the only backside eating place is sit down only. No way to grab a snack once back there. Will post pics in a reply

 

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Powder Gulch lift

Sit down only

3 wise men

Home run T-bar

This gondola runs nearly empty all the time (mostly ski Comet 6pack instead)

Crazy double chute Stardust (2nd chute over ridge).

Despite the yellow marginal conditions sign, this had several untouched inches of snow...

Best sun of the day. Village as seen from alpine lift

 

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Best sun of the trip at the start of day 2. Didn't last long. Mostly foggy with some breaks...

Turns out starlink is a bit too good now... Next TR in a few days...

 

[Tony Crocker]

For me it all comes down to one lift - powder gulch.

Thoughts from locals: better snow than Big White;

That's an interesting comparison. Big White gets more snow but has primary south exposure. We know that prevailing weather keeps the sun away much of the time though. Silver's Star's front side faces south also, and it is much smaller than Big White's. Putnam Creek is north facing but its base is 1,000 feet lower than Big White's low point at Gem Lake. That would be some tough skiing if melt/frozen. Since EMSC was at Silver Star, there has been little new snow plus the high wind day Thursday. It's January and it still might be good, but we are showing discretion and taking tomorrow off.

 

[EMSC]

That's an interesting comparison.

It is. I have never skied any of the Okanagan resorts previously and so have no context as to normal for SilverStar or the other resorts. Only able to relate what I heard on the lift from the many (many) retired locals skiing mid-week.

 

[ChrisC]

Lots of very similar steep bump runs on the backside (Powder Gulch). Still enough variety to have fun for a few days. Frontside has a couple low angle blue lifts with good vert. Gondola and Alpine meadows have some steeper frontside, but both are under 1K vertical so somewhat ignored... good skier go to the back, the rest hit comet and silver woods (mostly).

Silver Star's backside has a ton of terrain, so if you get 4-6 inches of snow, it is very easy to find unskied terrain, even on frontside areas.

I thought Apex had good snow and a ton of terrain from the Quicksilver lift, similar to Silver Star's backside.

Big White had good snow in certain areas - westerlies blowing in on the Cliff Chair and perhaps the Powder Chair.

Sun Peaks was OK up high, but it faces south and then primarily parallel groomers.

 

[ChrisC]

Best sun of the trip at the start of day 2. Didn't last long. Mostly foggy with some breaks...

We mostly had light snow without any sun breaks. Nice to see what it looks like.