Superb Snowboarding and Luxury Resorts in the Columbia Valley

Posted on February 11, 2014  •  2 minutes  • 424 words

I recently took a weekend trip to Columbia Valley, in beautiful British Columbia. My girlfriend and I were set on experiencing some of the famous snowboarding of the Purcell Mountains. With dozens of mountain resorts within a close distance perfect for skiing and snowboarding, we opted to check out Panorama Mountain Village, and the Fairmont Hot Springs Ski Resort.

A Scenic Sunset Drive Through Columbia Valley

The Columbia Valley is  only a 10 and a half hour drive from our home in Saskatchewan. We were incredibly fortunate with safe and clear highways, which allowed us both to enjoy the scenic drive much more. Our drive west through the Rockies and into the Purcell Mountains was stunning. Somehow we managed to time it perfectly, so just as we were on the last hour of our trip, we were greeted with a superb sunset. We were surrounded by the silhouettes of mountains as we pulled into the small town of Radium Hot Springs. After a brief 10 minute tour of town we came across the Bighorn Meadows Resort, a luxurious all-season resort in conveniently located close to just about everything in the Columbia Valley. As luck would have it, this was to be our stay for the weekend. Checking in was a breeze, and within no time my jaw was dropped & I was gushing over the suite. Heated bathroom floors, jacuzzi, king sized bed, kitchen, and a gorgeous patio view of the Purcell Mountains, leaving this place wasn’t going to be easy come Sunday. The alarm sounded and we were greeted by a beautiful winter sunrise. After some coffee we proceeded to pack up for a day on the slopes. My girlfriend, being a novice snowboarder, was incredibly intimidated by the size of these mountains. Having snowboarded these parts almost a decade ago I was able to assure her that if young Brian could survive it, so could she. Up until now, she had only ever experienced the small valley snowboarding found in Saskatchewan. She laughed nervously, but it was clear she was excited to see what it’s like in the “big leagues”. We suited up, grabbed the gondola, and proceeded to the chalet of Panorama Mountain Village. We stared up at the panorama of mountains, and laughed at how well named this place is. Getting good photos of this place was going to be a breeze. Stay tuned for a photo essay of the Columbia Valley! Special thanks to Columbia Valley Tourism and Bighorn Meadows for hosting us in this beautiful part of Canada.