Cross-country skiing doesn’t get any better. BC’s Silver Star Mountain and adjacent Sovereign Lake Nordic Club connect to offer 65 miles of daily groomed trails. If you’re going to try to ski them all, you’d better take a picnic.
From Silver Star Village cross-country skiers can take the Comet, Alpine Meadows, Summit and Silver Queen ski lifts during regular operating hours to the upper trails, or use the cross-mountain trails that gently wind up towards Paradise Camp and the connecting trails to Sovereign Lake.
Mountain View Cabin
The first warming hut built on the Silver Star cross-country trail network, the Mountain View Cabin is an easy cross-country ski or snowshoe from Silver Star Village. A great place to warm up by the fire for a family lunch and catch a glimpse of just a few of Silver Star’s 131 marked downhill runs. www.skisilverstar.com.
Black Prince Cabin
Built by British Columbia Parks in 1988 this cozy cabin is a favorite lunch stop. Half the fun is feeding the Canada or Gray Jays, also known as Whiskey Jacks, when they swoop in to eat right out of your hand. Most winter Sundays a rag tag bunch of locals, from as far away as South Africa and Australia, gathers for a gourmet lunch complete with sandwiches toasted on the woodstove, wine and candles set on a linen covered table…all carried in over an easy 45-minute rolling trail from Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre day lodge. Snowshoe dinner events are also offered. www.sovereignlake.com.
Chaptik Cabin
The most recent addition, Chaptik Cabin, built in 2014 at the junction of several Silver Star and Sovereign trails serves as the perfect location for a quick snack on the way to the stunning views from Alder Point. The climb from Silver Star Village provides a great classic or skate ski workout. Alternatively, follow the exhilarating roller coaster ski trail down from the top of the Alpine Meadows chair. www.skisilverstar.com.
Wild Horseman’s Cabin
For an unforgettable dinner in the pristine Canadian wilderness, Wild Horseman’s Cabin, built by local Felix Zirbruggen with lumber milled at his farm along the Shuswap River, can be accessed from Silver Star Village along Bridle Path trail by snowshoes or cross-country skis. Don’t forget your headlamp. But perhaps the most authentic way to travel through the woods is the magical 20-minute horse drawn sleigh ride. www.skisilverstar.com.
