The sun had just broken through the clouds at the top of Granite Mountain, and it was too glorious a sight not to pause and take it all in. So, I stopped mid-slope and watched as the light changed, dousing Paradise Basin in a sparkly brilliance. My ski host, Mike Ramsey, swerved over and did the same. Our reverie was interrupted when a trio of skiers appeared out of nowhere, barreling down the hill and dropping into pockets of fresh powder below.
“What are these people doing on our mountain?” Ramsey says, deadpan.
We were on the largest of the five peaks at Red Mountain Ski Resort in Rossland, British Columbia, and I hadn’t seen another skier. As a newcomer to Red, I attributed the thin crowds to the bad weather. That morning, a thick fog had wrapped around the mountain, making it impossible to see more than a ski pole’s distance ahead.
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But as the day progressed and the clouds gave way to a robin-blue sky, I began to wonder what was going on. I had grown up snowboarding at Banff Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, so I knew how congested the ski resorts of the Canadian Rockies could get. And although I expected Red to be less busy — its remote location in the West Kootenays, a 2½-hour drive from Spokane, Wash., or a 7½-hour drive from Calgary and 8½ hours from Vancouver, practically guaranteed it — I never could have imagined that a major ski resort could feel so undiscovered, as if I was skiing in the wild.
Nor did I expect a local skier to take me around all day — for free. But that’s one of the many complimentary or discounted services that make Red a bastion of affordability compared with other top ski destinations in North America. For just about $8, you can take a snowcat up Mount Kirkup to enjoy pristine backcountry. (A similar service could cost you up to $500 at other resorts.) A bunk at the Nowhere Special Hostel, a two-minute walk from the chairlift, will only set you back $32 a night. And while lift ticket prices at other major ski resorts fluctuate throughout the season, shooting up to around $140 during popular holiday periods, a single-day pass at Red will cost you about $99 all season long.
During our morning together, Ramsey, a 66-year-old retiree from the greater Toronto area, showed me some of his favorite runs and “secret” spots, and he gave me a history lesson about the resort. In the 1890s, Scandinavian miners such as Olaus Jeldness came to work the region’s rich deposits of gold-copper ore, bringing skiing along with them. The first chairlift on Red Mountain, built in the late 1940s, was designed after the aerial mining trams, using salvaged materials from a tungsten mine in Northern B.C.
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I asked Ramsey why the resort was so uncrowded. His explanation: Skiers in the region are spoiled with choices, and reaching Red requires driving past other world-class ski spots, such as Fernie Alpine Resort. Why go the extra distance?
The more he and I explored, the more grateful I was to have a local showing me around. Roughly 70 percent of Red’s runs are unmarked and off-piste, making it easy for novices like myself to get lost or stranded in the trees. Apart from its legendary steeps and 300 inches of snow per year, Red is also renowned for its old-growth forests of hemlocks, cedars and silent firs, which pose a thrill for local experts like Soleil Patterson, a retired ski racer who competed for the BC Ski Team.
“Our tree skiing is some of the best in the world,” she says. “And there’s very little traversing. From the minute you get off the chair, you can go. There’s no need to hike or sidestep.”
Before breaking for lunch, Ramsey led me to the Constella: A Cabin Collective, the slopeside hotel where I would be spending the night. The property, which opened in December 2020, is located on the brow of Granite and features a fireplace-warmed clubhouse and six Nordic-style cabins with bunk beds. I asked him whether he had stayed there. “No,” he chuckles. “I live here. I can have the wilderness in my backyard any night.”
The new hotel was partly funded by a successful crowdfunding campaign that Red launched in 2016 in response to Vail Resorts’ takeover of Whistler Blackcomb. For a minimum investment of about $800, people could buy shares in the hill and receive perks such as lift tickets and season passes, depending on the tier of ownership. The crowdfunding campaign — the first by a for-profit ski resort — raised more than $2 million and drew commitments from 820 investors, 150 of whom are local, Red says.
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Aside from being a financial success, the campaign also put Red on the map. It was the first time many Canadians, including myself, had heard of the ski resort. I remember being impressed by the campaign’s tagline of “Fight the Man. Own the Mountain,” a feisty pitch that announced Red as a force to be reckoned with and that raised a fist to the conglomerates gobbling up independent resorts across North America.
Over sandwiches and soups at the base lodge’s Keen Coffee & Wine, Ramsey told me how he had found his way to Rossland in 1994. Like many transplants, he had come to ski — and had ended up buying a home. He found Rossland’s tightknit, multigenerational community endearing, and he appreciated the fact that nobody ever asks for your full name or cares about what you do for a living.
This sentiment was echoed by Red’s chief executive, Howard Katkov, a serial entrepreneur from San Diego whose investment group bought Red in 2004.
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“For the first three years, nobody asked me what I did,” says Katkov, who first traveled to Rossland in 2000, three years after selling teen cosmetics brand Jane to Estée Lauder. The town’s authenticity and low-key charm instantly won him over, reminding him of California’s Mammoth Mountain, which only had two T-bar lifts and two chairlifts when he grew up skiing there.
“It was like a secret surf spot,” he says of Rossland.
The plan was to build a home and retire. Instead, Katkov bought the resort from six local owners who had taken over in the late ‘80s, back when Red was still operating as a community ski club. Since then, new chairlifts have gone up; condos and overnight accommodations have been built; single-family neighborhoods have sprouted; and more than 1,500 skiable acres have been added. It’s fair to say that there have been mixed reactions to all the development.
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“There have been a lot of shifts,” says Patterson, who grew up in Rossland, “most of them for the better.”
From a visitor’s perspective, it appears as if Red has gone to great lengths to preserve its old-school spirit. There’s no Starbucks or Sephora on the main street, and you certainly won’t see anyone sporting a belted Chanel ski suit on the slopes. The place to buy boots and poles is Butch Boutry’s eponymous ski shop, opened by the former coach of the Canadian National Ski Team in 1975. Boutry and his wife, Enza, still run it today. And if you want to caffeinate before hitting the slopes, there’s Alpine Grind or Seven Summits Coffee.
Also on the main street is the former Bank of Montreal, a historic building designed by the same architect behind British Columbia’s legislative buildings. Today, the bricks-and-granite structure is home to businesses including Quoynary Canada, an art gallery and creative marketplace selling oil landscapes and handmade jewelry, and Olea Floral, a botanical wonderland overflowing with dried bouquets and lifestyle products. During our afternoon in downtown Rossland, my sister and I and our boyfriends popped into shops and chatted with store owners.
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“You’re staying at the Constella?” a shopkeeper exclaims. “You’ll have to pop back in on your way out of town and let me know how it is!”
Back at Red, there were plenty of non-skiing-related diversions to keep us busy. We considered spa treatments and handcrafted cocktails at the upscale Josie Hotel. And we climbed up the stairs of the base lodge to Rafters, a historic après-ski spot, for poutine and Caesars (a sort of Bloody Mary). But we were itching to get back on the hill, so after an hour inside, we suited up and made our way outdoors.
On the chair up Granite, I sat next to a middle-aged man who was visiting from Boise, Idaho. He was an avid skier who had been coming to Red for years, and he always stayed at the same quaint yet slightly outdated inn near the hill. Surely, he had noticed that there were plenty of newer accommodations, across many price points, closer to the slopes. But in Rossland, as in many small towns, tradition seems to rule.
When I reached the top of the mountain, I rejoined my group. We agreed to split up, so everyone could make the most of our last few runs of the day. My sister and her boyfriend conquered the steep Ruby Tuesday chute, while my boyfriend and I glided down Rino’s Run. At one point, we came across a group of skiers who were sitting in a snowbank, skis up, drinking beers and watching the sun set. It was an unhurried, chilled-out scene that I couldn’t imagine playing out at any other ski resort — and it made me think of what Ramsey had told me earlier that day about some locals refusing to stand in the lift line, not even for five minutes. “They’ll just come back later in the day,” he says.
During our night at the Constella, my group hung out and drank in the wood-clad clubhouse, playing Jenga and socializing with other guests. There was a young family visiting from Austin and a group of local skiers who were celebrating a 30th birthday. Wine bottles were passed around, and trays of freshly baked cookies were shared. I couldn’t remember the last time I had so much old-fashioned fun.
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At one point in the evening, I stepped outside. The clear sky was filled with stars, and there wasn’t a sound in the valley. I wondered what I was missing in town or at the bottom of the hill. (I had heard there were some cool breweries to check out.) Then again, I thought, inhaling the crisp mountain air, did I really care? The moon shone brightly enough to illuminate the snow-blanketed Paradise Basin, and for a moment, it felt as though the mountain was mine.
Reid is a writer based in New York City. Her website is siobhanreid.com. Find her on Instagram: @siobhanmreid.
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If You Go
Where to stay
Constella: A Cabin Collective
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877-969-7669
Situated on the side of Granite Mountain, the recently opened property has six Nordic-style cabins (with bunk beds and two-piece bathrooms) and a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse with a wood-burning fireplace. Cabins from about $278 per night.
4306 Red Mountain Rd.
250-362-5155
Many of the 106 rooms in Rossland’s four-star hotel, located just steps from the chairlift, have dead-on mountain views. Other draws include a luxurious spa, cedar-barrel saunas, a ski concierge and a restaurant and lounge serving locally inspired dishes and handcrafted cocktails. Rooms from about $262 per night.
Nowhere Special Hostel
4255 Red Mountain Rd.
250-362-7000
Whether you want an all-female dorm or a private suite with a kitchen, this modern hostel has something for everyone. Amenities include a shared laundry room and lounge, WiFi, a community kitchen and an outdoor area with a firepit and barbecues. Rooms from about $32 per night.
What to eat
4300 Red Mountain Rd.
250-362-7384
Dine on pub food and listen to live music at this lively, family-friendly spot on the third floor of the base lodge. For years, powder hounds would bring their own sleeping bags and camp out in the low-ceilinged space. Your order: poutine and a lemon-pepper-rimmed Caesar (Canada’s answer to a Bloody Mary). On your way out, admire Rossland’s wall of fame, featuring photos of local Olympians including Nancy Greene and Kerrin Lee-Gartner, among others. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entrees from about $12.
Velvet Restaurant & Lounge
4306 Red Mountain Rd.
778-457-5227
thejosie.com/rossland-velvet-restaurant-lounge
This clubby restaurant and lounge wouldn’t be out of place in Aspen. With stylish interiors, a glass-walled kitchen and locally inspired fare, it’s perfect for people-watching after a day on the slopes. Entrees from about $23.
Alpine Grind Coffee House & Eatery
2104 Columbia Ave.
250-362-2280
Soups, bagel sandwiches, pizzas and espresso-based drinks are on the menu at this inviting cafe. If you’re short on time, grab a scone. (The Kalamata olive and rosemary variety is one of the flakiest and most flavorful I’ve ever had.) Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Seven Summits Coffee
1807 Columbia Ave.
250-231-2760
Pop in for a flat white and a salt-sprinkled brown-butter cookie at this modern coffee shop and roaster. There’s outdoor seating if you want to linger (and don’t mind the cold). Open daily 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
What to do
Red Mountain Ski Resort
4300 Red Mountain Rd.
250-362-7384
With 3,850 skiable acres across five snow-covered peaks, Red is known for its tree skiing, pristine powder and 360-degree descents. Although the resort has long catered to intermediate, advanced and expert skiers, nearly 20 percent are beginner runs, making it a ski destination for the whole family. Open through April, depending on snow conditions. Full-day lift tickets about $99 for adults, $69 for seniors, $83 for college students, $79 for youth ages 13-18, $49 for youth ages 7-12, and free for adults 75 and older and children 6 and under.
Quoynary Canada
2004 Columbia Ave.
250-777-4605
Set on the first floor of the Bank of Montreal building, designed by acclaimed British architect Francis Rattenbury, this art gallery and creative marketplace features a rotating collection of paintings and sculptures. Textiles, jewelry and other objects are for sale in the grand space, which boasts exquisite crown moldings and other original details. Open Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Free.
Olea Floral
2002 Washington St.
250-368-7765
Floral designer Olivia Jellie sources many of her blooms from the nearby village of Fruitvale. Her trendy floral shop sells beautiful dried bouquets, tropical plants and fresh arrangements, as well as soaps, candles and edible flowers from makers in British Columbia. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Butch Boutry Ski Shop
2080 Washington St.
250-362-9516
The longest-running business in Rossland is Butch Boutry’s Ski shop, run by the former head coach of the Canadian National Ski Team and his wife, Enza. The shop boasts the biggest ski wall in the Kootenays — as well as the largest selection of technical clothing — so you’re sure to walk out with something. No rentals available; gear is only for purchase. Open Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Information
PLEASE NOTE
Potential travelers should take local and national public health directives regarding the pandemic into consideration before planning any trips. Travel health notice information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s interactive map showing travel recommendations by destination and the CDC’s travel health notice webpage.
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