 Poster: A snowHead
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hello
Looking at these three resorts for end of Feb next year. any advice on how to split 10 days skiing between them. we will fly in to Kamloops and out of Kelowna ( or the other way round) and will have a car. any advice gratefully received. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Your choice 
All are great Canadian resorts which should be better known in the UK - the transport arrangements don't help. Sun Peaks we've not been to since the Morrisey expansion, so can't really comment on the skiing there, but if we wanted an Austrian village we'd have gone to Austria... Silver Star looks initially to be limited, but tie up with one of the locals via the ski hosts program you'll find there is some seriously knarly skiing there. Big White is the biggest of the three with the most extensive skiing, but does tend to be the busiest (and can suffer in poor weather). You will not be disappointed by the snow in any of them.
If you want a specific recommendation, then 3 days at Sun Peaks, 3 at Silver Star, and 4 at Big White. Note the SS and BW were under the same owners (not sure if this is still the case) and recognised each others lift tickets, so buying a 7-day pass for SS and BW may be a better deal than buying separately for the 2 resorts: but do check before you buy.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Sounds great. End of feb should have great snow and be quiet and not too cold. Been to all three. Really liked them. As Rob W said , not much in it.
Think silver star has the best glades but I may be wrong.
Split anyways would work out well!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Good choice of resorts, Sun Peaks is about 50min drive from the airport at Kamloops. It takes about 2hrs 30 mins to drive from SP to Silver Star, it takes about 2 hrs 40 mins to drive from Silver Star to Big White. It takes about 1 hr 20 mins to get to Kelowna airport from Silver Star.
Driving between resort can be done in an evening after skiing as long as you know exactly were your going to in each resort and can pick up keys or check-in in the evening.
We have been visiting these resorts for the last 10 yrs.
We normally spend most time in Sun Peaks then Silver Star, then Big White. if possible miss Big White over the weekend.
Sun Peaks and Big White have a similar amount of skiing and Silver Star is a bit smaller.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Go for it darbyrw! Any combo will be great - all are great ski areas with excellent snow. We flew in and out of Kelowna and visited all three (plus some catskiing) in a New Year 2013 trip. We also did the night skiing at Big White and Silver Star, which was very cold (free hot chocolate at Big White) but great fun. Silver Star is the smallest area but we still had a great one and a half days there - some fantastic deserted cruising runs for blasting about.
One word of advice: You absolutely MUST make sure your hire car has snow tyres - there's a lot of very empty, very snow covered, wilderness roads out there. Despite e mails to our hire company (in Kelowna) we arrived to find our allocated car didn't have snow tyres - which would have made some of the ski road ascents impossible. After producing our emails we were upgraded free to a bigger car with snow tyres, so we got there in the end.
Here's my trip report : http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=2191690&highlight=rtip+report#2191690
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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thanks very much for all you replies
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thanks very much for all you replies
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I meant to mention one other thing darbyrw. We didn't stay at any ski areas (with the exception of Mustang Powder Catskiing Wilderness Lodge) but stayed in valley towns like Vernon and Kamloops. Motel accommodation (in the likes of Super  was very reasonably priced and it and it made for some interesting/varied nights out as well.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Staying in a ski/out is so much easier saves all that driving. We stayed in Kelowna and skied in Big White once. Not doing that again.
It took over an hour and a half to drive each way then parking ..... Pay the difference stay up the hill.
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I've not skied Silver Star but have the other 2. Friends who have skied SS recommend it as the most challenging of the 3. Sun Peaks is an excellent area and you get a feel of travelling around with 3 mountains. Generally the grading overstates the difficulty though the washing machine themed runs on Morrisey are fairly steep. As for the village, I understand the posters comments about the Austrian village and I was sceptical. It's been desigend as a kind of generic alpine style. I hate tacky but actually found it quite attractive and not at all tacky. Big White is excellent with degree of difficulty roughly getting more tricky as you go right to left. The exception being the Cliff which offers some great steep but short descents. The laypout of both mountains is very skier friendly and maximises your time on the hill.
I hired a car for my visits to each area and wouldn't rely on a bus, particualrly at Sun Peaks where it only operates at weekends. One tip, if you're self catering buy your food in Kamloops, Vernon or Kelowna. On hill grocery stores are small, badly stocked and ridiculously expensive. Big White's shop could barely offer enough to put a meal together.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just picked up on this. We have skied Big White - loved it, apart from the day it was -38 and the relatively poor nightlife and limited restaurant options ! We are thinking about Sun Peaks for March next year.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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holidayloverxx, I'm sure there are lots of people who have been but if I can help with any other info, just PM me!
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Ade57, cheers
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You know it makes sense.
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We are looking at Delta Resort in Sun Peaks - any views?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Very nice ski in ski out, 4*+, a couple of different eateries in the building and the pizza shop is just across street The supermarket is under the residence part its were there are some studios and 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos ( delta residence). then there are 3 different types of hotel rooms. Its the nicest hotel on the mountain. It has a lovely swimming pool overlooking the slopes . The beer/wine store, the chocolate shop are both under the residence very handy.
We have not stayed in the delta we usually stay in a condo near the base of Morrissey.
We have eaten there had drinks in the bar, we have walked through a few times and friends have stayed in the residence part. PM if you want , we have been skiing there for 12yrs.
Will be there in feb.
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Poster: A snowHead
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joneski, lovely, thanks. just getting a price war started between ski independent and frontier ski 
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