Celebrating the Wonders of Winter
Winter's arrival transforms the Thompson Okanagan into a snow-capped wonderland, where families and friends can enjoy adventures, food, and beverages.
Sun Peaks Resort by Destination BC/Ryan Creary
Visitors see some of the best views in the Thompson Okanagan while celebrating one of the “coolest” seasons the region offers - winter. Winter blankets the region in frost-covered trails and snow-capped mountains while unlocking a variety of things to do while you stay a while in the Thompson Okanagan.
Fat Bike along the Snowy Trails
The snow-covered trails invite you to try a different type of biking: fat biking. Using a bike with oversized tires will allow you to bike through the snowiest conditions, so you don't have to hang up your helmet just yet! Check out the winter trails and let your fat bike take you around the beautiful Thompson Okanagan.
Fat Biking through a tunnel in Myra Canyon, Kelowna by Thompson Okanagan/Matthew Clark
Ice Fishing
Wintertime in the Thompson Okanagan doesn’t mean the end of fishing season for the dedicated angler. With warm socks, mittens, toques, and a bit of patience, you can catch a fish even during the coldest season of the year. Spend the day with Elevated Fishing Adventures and experience a fully guided fishing tour at Sun Peaks.
Mountain Resorts
There are seven mountain resorts for you to enjoy during your stay in the Thompson Okanagan. Each mountain offers a different view and landscape for you to traverse, regardless of whether you choose to snowboard or ski. Maybe you want to slow it down a bit during your stay? The mountain resorts in the region offer more than just snowboarding and skiing. Enjoy family fun activities like tubing, skating, and snowshoeing.
Snowboarding at Apex Mountain Resort by Destination BC/Ben Giesbrecht
Local Flavours for Après-ski (or Anytime this Winter)
Traditionally, après-ski or after skiing involves celebrating a successful day of skiing with a glass of champagne while enjoying great food and even better company at the ski lodge. However, the Thompson Okanagan offers a wide variety of local flavours for you to enjoy after any winter activity.
Farm-to-Table
Farms, orchards, and other local growers may have long finished their growing season while you are celebrating winter in the Thompson Okanagan. However, there is no shortage of local restaurants offering dishes made with regional produce.
Wineries
Although the vines have long stopped growing and the trees have lost their leaves, many tasting rooms around the region are open during the winter. Regardless of which area you decide to visit, there are wine trails throughout the region with plenty of varietals for you to try and enjoy.
District Wine Village
The wonder of the Thompson Okanagan winter has made its way further south into Oliver this year with District Wine Village’s new synthetic ice rink. Visitors can enjoy an afternoon of typical winter wonder skating on CAN-ICE, tasting delicious BC wines, or pair the two with skiing or snowboarding at Mount Baldy with their “Chill and Thrill” offer.
About the author
Nadia is a proud former Thompson Okanagan tourist who now lives in beautiful Kelowna, BC. She hopes to tell the stories of the region’s beauty and hidden treasures while rediscovering the destination she spent enjoying on family vacations.
Festive Season in the Thompson Okanagan Through Photos
Explore the visuals of celebrations around the Thompson Okanagan ranging from grand to quaint, exhilarating to peaceful, and everything in-between.
Many communities throughout the Thompson Okanagan go to great lengths to put together wonderful celebrations in the snowy months of the year to raise levels of joy & cheer. These celebrations range from grand to quaint, exhilarating to peaceful, and everything in-between.
While I could spill oodles of digital ink describing each affair and its uniqueness, I think that the energy & emotions related to each celebration are better communicated through the photos you’ll find in this post.
Be sure to check out the links if an event catches your eye! These celebrations offer quite a bit more than these lovely visual captures.
Summerland Light Up - December 18 - Annual
Location: Summerland, British Columbia
Season of Trees - November 26-December 23 - Annual
Location: Mission Hill Family Estate, West Kelowna, British Columbia
WildLights Festival - December 10, 2021-January 3, 2022 - Annual
Location: BC Wildlife Park, Kamloops, BC
Joyride by Caravan Farm Theatre - December 3-January 2 - Annual
Location: Armstrong, British Columbia
New York New Years - New Years Eve - Annual
Location: Stuart Park, Kelowna, BC
Peak Pride - January-March - Annual
Location: Big White Ski Resort, SilverStar Mountain Resort, Sun Peaks Resort
Vernon Winter Carnival - February 4-13, 2022 - Annual
Location: Vernon, BC
Magical Winter Sleigh Rides
Locations: Horse Drawn Okanagan - Armstrong, British Columbia - December 21 – 24, and 26 – 29, 2021
Okanagan Sleigh and Wagon Aventures - SilverStar, British Columbia - Annual December 4th-April
Credit: @horsedrawnokanagan
Credit: @horsesofsilverstar
Winter Markets in Boundary - All Winter
Locations: Greenwood, British Columbia
Grand Forks, British Columbia
Written by Darnel St.Pierre
After graduating from university & completing a collegiate athletics career in 2020, Darnel returned home to Kelowna and started rediscovering his hometown. With endless wineries to discover and adventures to be experienced, he couldn’t be happier with his current chapter. Showcasing the Thompson Okanagan through tourism marketing has brought Darnel immense joy as he looks to grow alongside the tourism industry.
Exploring Vernon in the Winter
With a mix of indoor and outdoor activities, a visit to Vernon is a great way to spend a winter weekend.
A Mix of Indoor & Outdoor Activities Makes Vernon a Great Place to Visit in the Snowy Season
While the Okanagan is beautiful in all seasons, the short days of winter, along with the occasional cloud inversion, can have a person searching for blue skies, or a fun indoor activity! Fortunately, if you are in the Vernon area, there are plenty of things to do to escape a grey, chilly day!
One of our favourite things to do in Vernon is head to the Okanagan Science Centre. The Science Centre is a great place to bring kids, allowing them to learn and blow off some steam. With multiple themed rooms, rotating exhibits and workshops, there are endless ways to enjoy the Centre. We love letting the kids loose in the activity room, whether it’s climbing the rock wall or seeing how far they can jump (in comparison to different animals) there’s lots for them to do! It’s also an affordable family activity.
Locals tip - If you purchase a season’s pass, you can use it at almost any Science Centre across North America, including Science World in Vancouver! Or, if you’re travelling from Vancouver or Edmonton and have passes to Science World, you can use them here!
Another great indoor activity is a visit to one of the breweries, wineries or cideries. One of our favorite spots to stop is BX Press Cidery on East Vernon Rd. It’s a cozy tasting room with tons of local art and goodies to shop for. The staff are super accommodating and excited to give you a history lesson on the cidery and the region it lives in. BX Press does their best to keep all the ingredients local, seasonal and creative. I recommend the Hostler for a nice refreshing sip - but try them all!
For the weekend warriors, looking to get some blue sky in their day, there is often a wonderful escape. Head up the hill, get above the clouds and enjoy the bluebird skies and snowy hills of Silverstar Mountain Resort. Only a 25-30 minute drive from downtown Vernon, this local gem is a great place to take a family. With affordable prices and plenty of non-skiing options, Silverstar a great choice. We love taking the kids for a skate or a zip on the tubes at Tube Town. There are great places to eat or to have a hot chocolate by a fire when you’re done flying down the hills. There is also a great shuttle service from lower parking lots, ensuring you will be able to get to the Village quickly, as well as Tube Town and Brewer’s Pond.
While you’re in the area, a stop at the Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is a must. With 105km of beautifully groomed trails, it’s a paradise for anyone who likes to cross country ski, or snowshoe. You can rent gear right there, as well as take part in regularly scheduled lessons and workshops. Keep an eye out for wildlife and some stunning sunsets while you’re in the area. Yearly memberships are a great way to get your family out, but if you’re in town for a brief visit, a day pass is great way to go, and very affordable.
Be sure to catch at least one day of the Vernon Winter Carnival. This unique 10-day festival runs February 1 - 10 this year and has been serving the North Okanagan for over 50 years. This year’s theme is “A Pirate’s Carnival,” and will feature a large Chili Cookoff and the 10th annual Winter Carnival Blues Festival, as well as the ever-popular hot air balloons flying high above Vernon. There’s no question that regardless of your age, you’ll find something to enjoy. The energy is contagious, the joy is infectious and the community coming together is inspiring. Tickets for the big events are on sale here.
For more information and to plan your next trip to Vernon visit: TourismVernon.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Ferguson is a BC born and raised photographer, currently living in Kelowna. When his camera isn't strapped to him, you can usually find him at the beach with his family, skipping rocks or if it's cold enough, strapping on some skates and hitting a frozen pond.
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Adventure Travel in the North Thompson Valley
Tuck into a cozy backcountry alpine cabin after spending the day surrounded by 360 degrees of wilderness.
Backcountry Hut Trips
Tuck into a cozy alpine cabin after spending the day surrounded by 360 degrees of wilderness. Despite the thin air, vast views and sheer isolation never cease to energize me.
Backcountry hut trips can provide some of the most rewarding adventure travel experiences. Luckily for us, BC is home to a wealth of these lodges - they exist in a variety of forms, some as comfortably-catered cabins and others as rustic outposts.
Hiking in Mount Robson Provinvcial Park
Photographer: Nic Collar
Within the Thompson Okanagan, the North Thompson is a mecca for seasoned adventurers. The best spots aren’t always the easiest to get to, but that’s what makes it rewarding. In this article I’m going to identify three North Thompson backcountry lodge trips worth talking about.
Backcountry Lodges of British Columbia
First, when choosing a backcountry hut to visit, research is key. Access and facilities vary greatly. The Backcountry Lodges of British Columbia Association (BLBCA) make up an extensive network of remote accommodation generally situated in the alpine, above the treeline. Visiting a hut within this association helps to ensure that visitation is properly regulated, lodge operations are sensitive to the environment and are within adherence to BC wildlife and employment guidelines.
Due to remoteness, those who run or visit these lodges are experts in using alternative energy systems, responsibly treating water, and ensuring that visitors tread lightly on the natural environment.
With the exception of some transportation (like helicopters), all activities within the backcountry network are non-mechanized. Leaving the smallest footprint possible is a value that is vital to the preservation of these remote experiences.
In Wells Gray Provincial Park, you’re amongst giants. Whether they be old growth forests, untouched mountain ridges, or the famous wildflower meadows - this is a vast playground. There are three lodges that exist within this set: Trophy Mountain Lodge, Fight Meadow Lodge and Discovery Cabin. If you’re new to the backcountry, let Wells Gray Adventures take care of the details. Their packages include guiding, accommodations, catering, and transportation to and from the trail head.
These huts are available year-round. In the winter, this area has one of the most consistent snowfalls in BC - and terrain exists at a variety of levels. Access via helicopter and snowcat are available.
The Monashee Chalet is located south of Blue River. This dormitory-style hut is basic, but let’s face it - you’re not coming all the way here to relax inside. In the summer, the chalet sits beside a lake and a backdrop of endless alpine hiking. In the winter, this area is known for tree skiing and can be reached by touring or snowmobile.
BLBCA advises that guests booking the chalet will be required to provide a resume of their backcountry lodge experience, guided tours are not explicitly offered.
Set amongst subalpine meadows and lakes, this lodge is on the boundary of Mount Robson Provincial Park and has a sunny exposure to spectacular views.
Dave Henry Lodge accommodates up to 10 people in a semi-divided room format. In the summer, guided hikes or horseback rides can be arranged through the owners. When the snow flies, guided ski packages are also available. The owners also operate Swift Creek Cabins, which are located 14 kilometres northwest of Dave Henry, and make for a great hut-to-hut trip.
Backcountry Safety
It may go without saying, but the backcountry is remote and conditions can be unpredictable. Take the proper precautions before setting out and be prepared. Visit BLBCA Safety Training & Resources.
Winter adds a layer of complexity to travelling in the wilderness. Ensure that you go with a reputable guide or have the proper experience and certification. Check backcountry conditions before departing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meghan Reading is a Canadian travel photographer. She grew up in the rocky mountains of Alberta but now calls British Columbia home. While she looks forward to continuing to explore the world with her camera, her favourite destination will always be her own backyard.