Photo © Steph Malette
What’s more tiring: skiing or hearing about skiing? Your partner has been bragging about Kootenay winters for years: “Last year it snowed 80 centimetres the week I went to Whitewater!” Enough already.
Now she’s raving about how the mountain kept its grassroots vibe even after adding a new lift in 2023, boosting the terrain to 3,247 acres where she never crosses a track until noon on a powder day.
And that was before she got into cat-skiing. Then heli-skiing. Then ski touring. Apparently, there are more backcountry operations around Kootenay Lake than anywhere else in the world, and the terrain is “unmatched.”
So what’s left for those of us who prefer not strapping planks to our feet?
Plenty, it turns out!
Ever been to Ainsworth Hot Springs? It’s a natural delight whose rejuvenating waters work magic to peel back big-city stresses. Or you can go even deeper at an Ashram, in true Kootenay fashion.
Eat, Drink, Repeat
If your idea of après is a pint and a plate, you’re in luck: three breweries in Nelson and another in Kaslo keep the taps flowing.
Nelson also punches well above its weight in food, boasting more restaurants per capita than Vancouver, San Francisco, or Manhattan. In just four ornate city blocks, you can find everything from artisan wood-fired pizza to global fusion.
A walking tour feels especially storybook in winter, highlighted by centennial Victorian architecture and dozens of curated murals. Getting around on foot is quick and quaint, with time to escape into one of many independent bookstores or cafés, many of which roast their own award-winning beans. Locals joke they have coffee for blood, and one sip proves the point.
Art is also on tap all winter long at the Oxygen Art Centre, as well as galleries and artisan studios. The Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery will take you back to the frontier years, as will a visit to the SS Moyie Sternwheeler up in Kaslo—the oldest intact vessel of its kind in the world. Kaslo’s Langham Cultural Centre showcases contemporary and traditional exhibits, a cosmopolitan amenity in an impossibly cute village framed by snowcapped peaks and a placid lake.
Nights That Never Cool Down
Back in Nelson, shows at the Capitol Theatre feature local and national talent in dance, theatre, and musicals. Music pulses all winter at venues like Bloom Nightclub and Spiritbar—Nelson is a sleeper hub for electronic artists worldwide.
If you prefer to keep it simple, there are plenty of pubs, as well as the Canadian staple of a good old hockey game. The Nelson Leafs, a Junior A championship team, seldom disappoint.
Supporting the home team has new meaning these days, even when it comes to picking a getaway. Not everybody loves sliding on snow, but everybody loves winning. Visit Nelson and Kootenay Lake, and it’s bragging rights for all.
Book your trip today at nelsonkootenaylake.com
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Nestled in the southeastern corner of British Columbia in the Kootenay region, a valley surrounded by the Selkirk, Monashee, and Purcell mountain ranges, our communities sprang up along the Kootenay River and Kootenay Lake over one hundred years ago.