The best ski runs in Canada for fresh powder
It’s all about the powder — every skier knows that. But how do snow-seekers find untracked turns on each new mountain? You could follow an unwitting local to a secret stash — or read on for 10 essential deep powder runs in Canada.
Flute Bowl - Whistler
The best way to find fresh tracks is to earn your turns -- and Whistler's hike-in-hike-out Flute Bowl offers a legitimate backcountry feel without the need for avalanche training. After a 30-minute pack to the top, drop in from an epic cornice or ski to the south side for a (usually) mellower entrance.
Sun Rype Bowl - Big White Ski Resort
Ride the Gem Lake Express and take Kalina's Rainbow to the Sun Rype Bowl, a spacious intermediate-friendly expanse known for collecting Okanagan champagne powder. Finish with some tight turns where the bowl eases to trees, then carve back to the chairlift on a swooping groomer.
Attridge Face - Silver Star Mountain Resort
When the flakes are falling, head out early to Attridge Face, a classic black-diamond that weaves through trees on Silver Star's Front Side. A quick ride back up the Alpine Meadows Chair makes for fast powder laps before the area gets tracked-out.
Gil's Hill - Sun Peaks Resort
Long renowned by backcountry enthusiasts, Gil's Hill is now officially in-bounds at Sun Peaks -- fully patrolled and avalanche-controlled -- though this steep, 500-acre glade stays mostly untracked thanks to its hike-in access. Ask a local for their favorite line; sharing the best of Gil's is a mountain tradition started by the run's namesake, Gil Marini.
Cedar Bowl - Fernie Alpine Resort
Fernie locals have a motto: "Haul Back. Boom! Repeat." They're talking about Cedar Bowl--fall-line paradise on a powder day, with natural rollers and huge views. And the motto? It refers to the Haulback T-Bar, which scoots skiers 460-vertical-feet back to the top of Cedar Bowl for repeat laps (boom!).
CPR Ridge - Kicking Horse Mountain Resort
Step off the Golden Eagle Express and carve the downy powder of double-black-diamond CPR Ridge in Golden, BC. The glades on the right side are your best bet. Your quads will get a rest as when it eventually morphs to a speedy groomer leading to the gondola base, nearly 4,000 vertical feet below your first turn.
Geneva - Kimberley Alpine Resort
From the top of the Easter Triple Chair, an easy groomed traverse leads to the Black Forest, one of North America's largest gladed ski areas and home to Kimberley's best billows. Here, the locals' choice is a run dubbed "Geneva."
Whitehorn 1 - Lake Louise Ski Resort
If you wake to a fresh dump at Lake Louise, ride up the Summit Platter to the Back Bowls as soon as the lifts open. First-tracks on steep-and-deep Whitehorn 1 await at arguably the best powder run in the Canadian Rockies. On the right day, it's better than the backcountry.
Les Bouleaux - Tremblant Resort
After a snowfall on Tremblant, locals head to Versant Soleil ("Sunny Side") to ski Les Bouleaux ("The Glades"). Tucked away beneath Les Soleil Chair and accessed from Ryan Haut, this tree-skiing area is notoriously tough to locate but well worth the effort.
La Belle - Mont-Sainte-Anne
Steep enough to be exciting, yet mellow enough to be welcoming, Mont-Sainte-Anne's South Side glade, La Belle ("The Beauty"), lives up to its elegant name. Make turns through a well-spaced mixed-wood forest with views of the St. Lawrence River beyond-- formidable!
Ready to hit the slopes? Check out Ski Canada for more information.
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