March 2017
Grand entry to the Copper Point Resort. Photo Credit: Copper Point Resort
This deal is too good not to share! From $130.00 per adult the Ski, Stay & Soak package includes your stay at the fabulous Copper Point Resort, two adult lift tickets at Panorama Mountain Resort and two Radium Hot Springs Mineral Pool Passes. With kids in tow, you can top up this package with kids lift tickets and extra pool passes. This offer is available until April 1, 2017, so hurry!
Panorama Mountain Resort – Just LOOK at that view!
Ski at Panorama Mountain Resort
After spending a day at Panorama Mountain Resort it quickly became one of my happy places. You know, that special spot that just makes you sigh with deep contentment as soon as you arrive? I grew up skiing all the mountains of Alberta with the occasional jaunt to the Kootenays and this was my first visit (of many future visits) to Panorama Mountain Resort in the Columbia Valley of British Columbia. It may have helped that we had gorgeous weather, the kids were in a full day ski camp and there was a plethora of mouthwatering food options for a couple of die-hard foodies. It was the ultimate trifecta for the perfect Panorama experience.
Our day started with dropping the kids off at the Discovery Program which runs from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm with a dozen other kids their age and a capable instructor. At this point in our children’s alpine careers we have one who doesn’t trust his own abilities and is extremely nervous; paralyzed by fear. The other is fearless and gives me a heart attack when she points her skis straight down the hill and blasts full tilt until she runs into something to stop her. For the sake of all our sanities we enlisted professional help to get the kids’ skills where they need to be. Whether it’s stretching their insecure boundaries or reigning them in, we knew the pros could handle them far better than we could.
After the kids were settled, we grabbed a steaming cappuccino at Lusti’s to get the juices flowing before heading out. Lusti’s Cappuccino Bar is located inside the on-site rental shop and offers great coffee and freshly baked goods. Ask for their Swiss Special – Kaffe Mit Schnapps – after 11 am if you are looking for some liquid courage to help brave the slopes.
Lots of Blue and Green runs for beginner skiers.
I was feeling a little wobbly since it has been two years since I last skied. Tackling a blue run from the get-go made me feel a wee bit nervous until I got off the second chair lift and saw the magic sign: Easier way down. A good place to start for a first run. My other favourite run was duly named Oldtimer. Sigh. We stopped mid-day for a grown up lunch at the T-Bar and Grill, where we feasted on an artisan burgers and local craft beer.
Refueled and rested, we gladly hopped back on the high speed quad. The smell of a wood burning stove from alpine cafes wafted as I sailed down the hill. I didn’t get a chance to stop because there are only so many meals a girl can enjoy in a day but I made a mental note to indulge in the simmering fondue and an open fire on my next visit. While we only covered a smattering of the 120 trails, the conditions were amazing and we were worn out long before we had a chance master them all. One day is just not enough. With internal promises to increase our strength and endurance before our next visit we zipped back down to our awaiting kids.
One of the many ways to access the huge Discovery Zone area at Panorama Mountain Resort
The rest of us were exhausted and ready to quit for the day but I couldn’t get my daughter off the Discovery Zone learning area. I tried to bribe her with hot chocolate but she shrugged nonchalantly that she had hot chocolate twice that day already. Darn that awesome ski school. I finally had to dig deep into the parental arsenal of bribery and entice her with candy from the candy counter inside the lodge gift shop. My husband and son were already waiting nearly an hour in our vehicle for our little trooper to tire out and it just was not happening. Thankfully the bribe of Toxic Waste Sour Candy won over the slopes, albeit this was after 7 hours of non-stop fun. If you are a beginner skier you can purchase a reduced ticket to only ski the Discovery Zone which includes the Discovery Quad, new Little Ripper Carpet, Red Carpet and Silver Platter. This is not your miniscule bunny hill, it’s a huge area with loads of easy runs and is a great area to spend time learning until you get comfortable enough to tackle the other parts of the mountain.
Panorama Mountain Resort Contact Info:
Telephone: 1-800-663-2929
Website: www.panoramaresort.com
Getting there: Check out this handy map.
View of the fully equipped kitchen and dining area. Photo Credit: Copper Point Resort
Stay at Copper Point Resort
Copper Point Resort is our home away from home in the Columbia Valley. We love coming here in the summer to enjoy the lake and summer activities in the area. Only 30 minutes from Panorama Mountain Resort, it’s the perfect retreat for winter trips as well. Copper Point is pet friendly and offers suites as well as adjoining rooms for large groups and families. I love the full kitchen, including oven and dishwasher that help keep our food costs low. That and we love to lounge in our pyjamas sipping coffee over breakfast to ease into our day before venturing out to our activities. It’s the little things. We treated ourselves to a couple of meals in town and on the ski hill during our stay but all other meals we made in our room. If you are not inclined to cook, the on-site Elements Grill restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and has one of the best patios around.
The underground heated parking is a huge bonus, saving the usual cold runs back and forth between vehicle and room to fetch random items and keeps ski gear warm for the hills without having to lug it into the room in order to avoid toe-cicles the next day.
Our kids have fallen in love with Copper Point as well. The indoor pool and hot tubs located both inside and out were a a big hit with the kids. My son luxuriated in our suite’s second bedroom and kept kicking his sister out of his private space. Our daughter slept on the queen-sized pull out couch with her very own big TV and a cozy fire place in the living room. She told us she felt like a princess. Not only did our little princess have her own television, we all had our very own. Four televisions for a family of four might seem a little excessive in the two bedroom unit but at least there won’t be any fights over what to watch! Also one of those TVs is actually embedded in a master bathroom mirror. The mirror TV is totally gimmicky but I’ll admit to watching a home reno show while doing my hair. Multitasking at its finest.
Copper Point Resort Contact Info:
Telephone: 1-855-926 7737
Website: www.copperpointresort.com
Address: 760 Cooper Rd, Athalmer, BC V0A 1A0
Radium Hot Springs. The perfect place to soak after a long day of skiing and only 15 minutes from the town of Invermere.
Soak at Radium Hot Springs
For the perfect après ski head to Radium Hot Springs. I always thought best feeling in the world was when the ski boots came off after a full day of skiiing. I was wrong. The best feeling in the world after skiing is soaking in a hot tub. A mineral infused one at that. You know what’s better than a hot tub? A hot pool were the kids have the space to burn off any remaining sugar that might be coursing through their veins from the earlier bribery. It’s the kind of experience we just can’t get at home, and that is the whole point, isn’t it? Located just 15 minutes away from Copper Point Resort this family friendly facility offers plenty of space to relax whether you soak in the expansive hot pool or cool off with the kids in the swimming pool. If you need a little extra TLC, book a therapeutic massage at the Pleiades Spa.
Radium Hot Springs Contact Info:
Telephone: 1-800-767-1611
Website: www.hotsprings.ca/radium-hot-springs
Address: 5420 Highway 93, Radium Hot Springs, BC
