Winter 2021-22 Opening Day Update

Updated November 19, 2021

Thanks to the hard work of our grooming and snow making teams, in addition to a top up from Ullr yesterday, we’re happy to announce that the Village Platter will also be opening tomorrow to provide terrain for little shredders and beginners.

Here is the final list of what’s open to start the season:

Lifts Open

  • Elevation
  • Sunburst Express
  • Village Platter

Alpine Runs Open

  • 5 Mile
  • Cahilty
  • Gentle Giant
  • Sunbeam

Nordic Trails Open

  • Cotton Tail (west portion)
  • McGillivray Lake
  • Otter Loop
  • Vista

To help ensure a positive guest experience, the quantity of lift tickets available each day is currently limited due to the limited terrain on offer. Saturday has now sold out but tickets remain available for Sunday and into next week. Nordic tickets have not sold out for either day. 

Early season conditions are present on the mountain and throughout the Nordic network. We ask guests to make good choices and respect all terrain closures, which are in place for your safety and the safety of our on-mountain teams.

See you tomorrow!

 

Originally posted November 17, 2021

Opening Day is upon us! The snow has been a little slow to arrive this year, but that’s not going to stop us from being excited about heading up the chairlift for the first turns of the 2021-22 season this Saturday (November 20) as planned.

Terrain will be significantly limited but our mountain operations teams have been working tirelessly to make sure that there will be some runs available for you.

Pre-Season Chairlift at Sun Peaks Resort
Elevation will be turning on Saturday. Photo taken November 17, 2021.

Alpine Operations

The Sunburst Express and Elevation will open at 9:00am on Saturday. These lifts will provide access to Cahilty and 5 Mile. While the options are limited, we’re happy to report that 5 Mile will be open to the bottom due to the hard work of our snowmaking and grooming teams. Our on-mountain dining facilities, The Annex and Sunburst Lodge, will both be open this weekend and offering a selection of food and beverage items. The majority of the businesses in the village are also ready to welcome you back.

There is a chance that the Village Platter may open at some point during the weekend, but this is dependent on the weather conditions over the next couple of days. Stay tuned for further updates on Friday afternoon.

Please note, early season conditions are present on the mountain. We ask guests to make good choices and respect all terrain closures, which are in place for your safety and the safety of our on-mountain teams. More lifts and runs will open as soon as conditions permit and we’re working diligently to help make this happen. We also would like to remind everyone to please stay off the mountain completely before opening day.

Finally, we know there are some keeners out there who love to claim first chair bragging rights via a chilly night of camping. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and to help our teams focus on opening, overnight camping for first chair will not be permitted this year. You are welcome to head to the lift early in the morning though to stake your claim (make sure to bring some breakfast supplies!).

View of Dunn Peaks from Sun Peaks Resort
Mountain views await this weekend. Photo taken November 17, 2021.

Nordic Operations

Saturday is opening day for the Nordic network too! At this stage Vista, the western portion of Cotton Tail, and McGillivray Lake Trail will be open, groomed, and track set for you to enjoy. Additional trails may also open during the weekend, but again this is dependent on weather conditions.

Trails can be accessed from P5 and the Morrisey chairlift base. Please note, the Nordic Centre may not be open this weekend. Early season conditions exist on the trails so please ski with caution. Due to the conditions and limited trail choice, dogs and fat bikes are not permitted on the Nordic trails this weekend.

60th Anniversary Celebrations

Tomorrow, November 18, marks 60 years since the opening of Tod Mountain Ski Resort, the predecessor to Sun Peaks. We’re super excited to celebrate 60 years of skiing at Tod Mountain with you all this season!

To kick-off the celebrations, Alpine Images will be releasing prints from the commissioned 60 Years of Tod painting, ‘Dreams Aglow’, by Zuzy Rocka. Prints will go on sale beginning at 10:00am on November 18. Grab your piece of history in-store or via phone: 250.434.5764 or 250.851.1905. More info.

Join us tomorrow for some pre-season stoke at the Nod to Tod Party, which features a ski movie premiere and the official launch of our special 60th anniversary beer in partnership with Red Collar Brewing Co.

Lift Tickets

Due to the limited terrain, alpine lift tickets and Nordic day tickets are 50% off between November 20 and 26.

While we’re happy to get the ski and snowboard season rolling, our excitement is dampened by the tough times that many of our neighbouring communities in BC have experienced over the past few days. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the on-going impacts of the recent flooding and landslides. If your travel plans for this weekend have been affected by the recent weather events and/or current highway closures please contact our Guest Services team for information about lift ticket refunds or credits.

Buy Tickets Online

Season Pass and Lift Ticket Pick Up

If possible, we strongly encourage you to pick up your season pass or pre-purchased ticket before opening day. That way you can head straight to the lift on Saturday and avoid any potential wait.

If you are a returning pass holder from last winter, remember that our Mountain Cards can be re-used indefinitely and the same card can be re-loaded with season passes or lift tickets over multiple years. If you already have a Mountain Card and chose the option to re-load it while purchasing your pass, then your 2021-22 access has automatically been loaded onto your existing card, leaving you free to head directly to the lift on Saturday.

COVID-19 Policy and Procedures

We continue to be committed to the health and safety of our guests, employees, and local residents. Our focus this season is following all current government public health orders, as well as employing practices that we confidently believe are in the best interests of all to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Please take some time to review our current COVID-19 Policy and Procedures before you visit us this winter.

COVID-19 Policy & Procedures

Top