Lifts & Terrain
The skiing terrain at Silver Star can mistakenly give the impression of being compact. It seems that it’s small enough to be able to easily keep track of the family, but at 1,240 hectares, the size of the Silver Star terrain is certainly not petite. The ski resort is most suited to strong intermediates, but there is a mix of terrain for all ability levels. Whilst there is some double black terrain, Silver Star doesn’t cater particularly well for hardcore experts.
There are four main areas at Silver Star. Vance Creek on the front side is predominantly territory for beginners and intermediates, with fabulous groomed runs and corduroy galore. Attridge is a small area next to Vance Creek, and has gladed runs as well as groomed blue and black slopes. The relatively new Silver Woods area offers mainly intermediate gladed runs. Putnam Creek is the advanced zone on the back face, with mainly black and double black terrain.
Lifts
The lift infrastructure at Silver Star is impressive and continues to develop. There are 12 lifts, some of which are high speed. The Comet 6-pack Express is the main lift on the front side, there’s the new Alpine Meadows quad chair (replacing the T-bar), and two detachable high-speed quads (Silverwoods Express and Powder Gulch Express). For the kids, there are two magic carpets right next to the village.
Lift queues are not an issue at Silver Star due to the efficiency of the lift system. The front-side of the mountain is fairly well trafficked, but there are many runs on the back face where it is very peaceful. You can enjoy the serenity, and not contend with any “moving targets”.
Snow conditions
Temperatures at Silver Star are perfect, cold enough to keep the snow in pristine condition yet mild enough for pleasant chair rides. None of the lifts have built-in protection, but it’s not really needed as many parts of the mountain are sheltered.
The average annual snowfall of 7m+ is generally light and dry. The locals in Okanagan love to boast and call it “champagne powder”.
For the Beginner
Silver Star offers plenty of variety for beginners. First-timers and children can confidently ride the magic carpet next to the village. The Silver Queen chair is another great beginners’ area and can be convenient for those with accommodation nearby.
Intermediate Ski and Snowboard Terrain
Silver Star is very well suited to intermediates and strong intermediates, and is a great place to learn to ride those edges. There are lots of blue runs, including gladed areas to get the turns happening.
For the Family/Kids
There’s plenty for families, with quite a few lifts offering terrain for all levels so that the family can remain together. Silver Star has a lot to offers families including magic carpets, night skiing Thursday to Saturday, and easy ski-in ski-out access to the village and accommodation. Considering all the off-slope action as well, Powderhounds rated Silver Star the
“Best Family Resort” in Canada.
Park and Pipe Silver Star has recently seen some major shredder development with various TELUS park sites across the mountain. In addition to a slalom race course and skier/boarder cross course, there’s a half-pipe, terrain park, and a rail garden. There’s an assortment of table-tops and jumps of varying sizes for different levels of expertise.
Advanced Skiing
Gotta love the winch-cat grooming! Silver Star has some steep groomed runs which are fabulous for blowing off a bit of steam (and a few cobwebs). The Putnam Creek area is awesome, with the favourite run being Caliper Ridge under the Powder Gulch Chair. In addition to fast groomers, there are plenty of runs that are ungroomed to further challenge the advanced skier or boarder. The only downside of this area is that it is only serviced by one lift, so the cat tracks at the bottom become a bit boring and “ground-hog day”-ish.
For the Powderhound/Expert
The Putnam creek area has some great double-black diamond runs, which relative to other resorts might not be considered double-blacks, but nonetheless are gnarly and will challenge hardcore skiers. Freefall is a favourite, although the steep pitch is only fairly short. Some of the other great double blacks are accessed off the Home Run T-bar, so the ratio of lift time to challenging ski time is not great, but for those who love a good rest, this inconvenience won’t bother you. There are plenty of off-piste lines in Putnam Creek for some good powder stashes.
There is some unpatrolled backcountry terrain that is in-bounds, and if you’re happy with a 15-20 minute hike/traverse/pole out to Alder Point on a powder day, you’ll be rewarded with the ultimate in steep and deep.
Powderhounds might also find some untracked excitement in the Attridge area a few days after a snowfall.