Whitewater Ski Area

Trail Maps

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Cradled in BC’s legendary Selkirk Mountains, renowned for epic winters, Whitewater’s dependable dry snowfall totals over 12 meters a season.  That’s close to 40 feet.  And there’s more.  Factor in the 5,400ft/ 1,640m base elevation and the 2,044ft/ 623m vertical drop and you have one memorable ski experience.  Whether you choose to experience the new Glory Ridge chair or the originals Summit andSilver King, you will not be disappointed at Whitewater Ski Resort!
Whitewaters Mountain Tours are a great way to see the mountain and learn about navigating around the terrain while learning about the various services that Whitewater offers.

For those looking for a different style of skiing, Whitewater Ski Resort also offers 13km of Nordic Trails.

WHITEWATER ALPINE TRAILS

Glory Ridge Trail Map
Glory Ridge 2013

Whitewater Ski Resort – Glory Ridge Trail Map Legend
More Difficult
51. Summit Ski Way
52. Tailings
53. Claim Jumper
54. Morning Glory
55. Ramble On
56. Back Side Ski Way
57. Leave Some
58. Take Some
59. Back Side Ski Out
60. Nickel & Dime
61. Goldigger
62. Silverline
Most Difficult
63. Buckshot
64. Fuse
65. Bound For Glory
66. Jack Leg
67. Single Malt
68. Det Cord
69. Back Burner
70. Faceplant
71. Trash Glades
72. Jack Leg Glades
73. Lower Jack Leg Glades
74. Ramble On Glades
75. Old Growth Glades
76. Copper Corner
Extreme
77. Backside Bowl
78. Giddyup Gully
79. Backside
80. Knee Deep Glades
81. Brake Line

Summit Trail Map

summit side trail map

Whitewater Ski Resort – Summit Trail Map Legend
Easiest
21. Hummer
More Difficult
22. Joker
23. Motherlode
24. Sleeper Ski Way
25. Paydirt
26. Bonanza
27. Gold Pan
51. Summit Ski Way

Extreme
47. Terra Ratta
48. Diamond Glades
49. Sproulers
50. Kuba’s Corners

Most Difficult
28. Catch Basin
29. C Shaft
30. B Shaft
31. A Shaft
32. Enchanted Forest
33. Catch Basin Ski Way
34. High Grade
35. Powder Keg Bowl
36. Galena
37. Quicksilver Glades
38. Blast
39. Sleeper
40. Blast Skiway
41. Ignitor
42. Diamond Drill
43. Dynamite
44. Glory Basin
45. Summit Chair Skiway
46. Parking Lot Skiway

Whitewater Ski Resort – Silver King Trail Map

silver king trail map

Whitewater Ski Resort – Silver King Trail Map Legend
Easiest Trails
1. Silver King Skiway
2. Quartz Skiway
3. Upper Concentrator
4. Kootenay Flats
5. Little Mucker
6. Yankee Girl
7. Crystal Skiway
8. Sluice Box
More Difficult
8. Sluice Box
9. Canadian Belle
10. Huckleberry Trail
11. Jackpot
12. Silver Ledge
13. Racers Line
14.Yankee Girl

 

Most Difficult
15. Nugget
16. Tramline
17. Concentrator Trees
18. Lower Concentrator
19. Kootenay Belle
20. Rockers

RP Rail Park

WHITEWATER SKI RESORT – WHITEWATER NORDIC TRAILS

Whitewater Ski Resort - Ski BC Powder

Aerial View from Ymir Peak looking West at Whitewater Ski Resort

Whitewater Ski Resort - Ski BC Powder

Aerial of the new Glory Ridge Terrain at Whitewater Ski Resort

New Glory Ridge Terrain

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“Whitewater Ski Resort really surprised and amazed me. It skied much bigger than the statistics implied. The mountain has great groomers, and some of the best tree runs I’ve seen! The people were very friendly and helpful. I would love to go back there again, hopefully with a lot of friends!”

Mark Baechle, Blue Ridge Ski Club

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from whitewater ski resort website.

Butters

Butters is rapidly becoming one of the most popular mountain bike trails in the Slocan Valley. Access is up a steep logging road which if you are not super fit you should definitely consider shuttling this one. The climb is relentless and a little rocky. Take the first left to access lower Butters which is a little steeper and technical than Upper Butters. Lower Butters is mostly blue with some black diamond sections. Upper Butters starts from the second left and is nice and flowy. Small signposts at the trailheads but helpful to have the GPS trail information particularly for accessing the top of lower butters.

London Ridge

Location: Bear Lake on Hwy 31A.
Time: Full Day
Distance: 5 km
Elevation Gain: 1000m  (3,500 feet)
Map: 82
Avalanche Exposure: Complex

London Ridge is a popular early season destination for the south facing alpine slopes. There are also some huge north facing runs on the Kane Creek side of London Ridge. Park at Bear Lake parking area and cross the road and ascend the old mining roads through the trees until reaching sub-alpine and very steep and exposed terrain with few safe options. There are some alternate options accessing London Ridge through the same access as Whitewater Creek trail.

Backcountry Skiing Daily Preperation

Check the avalanche forecast every day, even if you’re not going into the backcountry. It’s critical to stay on top of current conditions. It helps to know when a layer has been loaded past the tipping point and avalanches are occurring. Follow the entire season in order to recognize trends in stability, weather patterns and snowfall.

Follow the weather. Weather creates snowpack, which means that following the weather can aid in your understanding of the snowpack. Consistent tracking of the weather allows you to observe trends, for example, specific loading patterns for your region, a dry spell that drives facet development, a big wind event that tips the scales and causes widespread avalanching. Knowing the weather history is knowing the snowpack history.

 

Track avalanche activity. Where have avalanches occurred? Is there widespread avalanche activity? Avalanches in specific locations? How deep are these avalanches? Tracking avalanche activity over a season allows you to better forecast areas of stronger and weaker snowpack. Knowing what has avalanched previously can give you a sense of areas of greater or lesser concern.

Make a plan before you leave the house. After reading the avalanche forecast, recording the weather for the past 24 hours, and looking to see if there was any recent avalanche activity, decide what your objective for the day might be. Ask yourself the following questions:

 

  • Is the terrain appropriate for the conditions?
  • Is the terrain appropriate for the group?

 

Be prepared. Don’t leave the house without making sure you have all of the necessary gear for the day. Carry a beacon, shovel and probe. Make sure your shovel is big enough that it could actually dig your partner out in case of an avalanche. Carry a first aid and repair kit. Take along at least one communication device that has a fully charged battery. Before you begin ski touring, check to see that everyone in your group is well equipped. Do a beacon check and hold a discussion of the plan before you leave the parking lot.

 

Have an opinion. You might be wrong. You might be right. Either way, you should have an opinion on stability, snow quality, and the day’s plan. Treat this opinion as the day’s hypothesis, to be tested and proven or disproven. You don’t learn about snow and avalanches if you don’t have an opinion.

Have an opinion and test it.

Adjust your plan if conditions are different than you anticipated. Nothing is set in stone. If you are confused or observing conditions that don’t match your forecast and day’s hypothesis, back off. Choose simpler terrain.

Share the wealth –- report your observations. Report snow and weather observations to the forecast center at the end of the day. It’s important to contribute to the community pool of knowledge.

Review your tour at end of day. Be critical of your decisions. Did you make good ones? Did you get away with something? This reflection improves the next day’s hypothesis and drives learning. Ask the hard questions and don’t be afraid to honestly critique your decisions.

Kututle Bowl

Location: Whitewater Ski Area.
Time: Full day
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: Long
Elevation_Gain: lots of meters
Map: 82 F/6
Avalanche Exposure: Complex

Climb to the summit of Half Dome, or the notch between Ymir Peak and Half Dome and descend into Kututle forever. There are tons of lines out here and a more wilderness feel than any of the other touring areas around Whitewater.