Here is the opening date for each of BC's ski resorts this season

Here is the opening date for every BC ski resort this season

Powder King Resort in Northern BC. (Powder King / Facebook)

It’s that wonderful time of year again. BC’s ski resorts are receiving fresh blankets of snow and are gearing up to welcome eager skiers and snowboarders back for another season.

In fact, two out of Vancouver’s three local mountains (Grouse and Cypress) are set to kick off the season this weekend and others are not far behind.

But it’s not only about those North Shore nights or Whistler weekends. BC is a big place with plenty to offer if you’re down for a drive or can fork over some green for a flight to the white stuff.

So without further ado, here are the opening dates of 31 BC ski resorts you should add to your winter bucket list – if you haven’t already.

Don’t forget to keep doing that snow dance.

Ski resorts nearest Vancouver

Grouse Mountain

(Grouse Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: Friday, November 10
What: Celebrating its earliest opening in almost 30 years, Grouse Mountain is the only North Shore Mountain accessible by public transit. The resort has 33 runs, many of them centred around The Cut, with spectacular views of Vancouver. With only 86 hectares of skiable terrain, it is small, but offers lots of variety for beginners.
Where: Grouse Mountain is just over the Lions Gate Bridge, a 20-minute drive from Vancouver, or take a shuttle or transit bus from downtown.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $61 for adults, or $48 after work
Trails: Green 40%, Blue 40%, Black 20%

Cypress Mountain

(Cypress Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: Friday, November 10
What: With its earliest opening date in 33 years, Cypress Mountain is the biggest of the North Shore resorts and good for getting some turns in after work. With 240 hectares of skiable terrain, it offers 53 runs and serious snowmaking systems. Plus there are delicious snowshoe and fondue tours.
Where: Cypress Mountain Resort is just over the Lions Gate Bridge, a 35-minute drive from Vancouver, or take one of the shuttle buses from downtown.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $55 for adults, or $35 after work
Trails: Green 13%, Blue 35%, Black 45%

Mt. Seymour

(Mt. Seymour/Facebook)

(Mt Seymour/Facebook)

Opening date: Friday, December 1
What: Mt. Seymour is the smallest of the North Shore resorts, with only 80 hectares of skiable terrain. But it’s a great family resort, with plenty of runs for beginners, four terrain parks, snowtubing, showshoeing, and toboggan runs.
Where: Mt. Seymour is just over the Lions Gate Bridge, a 40-minute drive from Vancouver, or take a shuttle from East Vancouver.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $56 for adults, or $33 after work, discounted rates for students
Trails: Green 40%, Blue 40%, Black 20%

Whistler Blackcomb

Blake Jorgenson snowboarding down Blackcomb earlier in 2016 (Whistler Blackcomb)

Opening date: November 23
What: Ranked best overall ski resort in North America for 2017, Whistler Blackcomb has everything from a dedicated beginner area to challenging powder-filled bowls. On a clear day, the views are incredible; this is a resort that will make or break you.
Where: Whistler is off the Sea-To-Sky Highway, about 120km north of Vancouver. A two-hour drive from Vancouver.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $109 for adults, may vary through the season
Trails: Green 18%, Blue 55%, Black 27%

Sasquatch Mountain Resort

(Hemlock Resort/Facebook)

(Sasquatch Mountain Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: Second week of December (tentative)
What: Formerly known as Hemlock until it rebranded last year, Sasquatch Mountain Resort is in the Lower Mainland, northeast of Mission and has more than 100 hectares of skiable terrain. The resort was closed for a long period, but has now reopened with a mix of 35 runs in the Douglas Ranges.
Where: Hemlock is off Highway 7, about 50 km from Mission. A 2-hour drive from Vancouver.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $53.33 for adults, or $43.81 for students
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 34%, Black 46%

Manning Park

(Manning Park Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: December 2
What: Manning Park Resort in the heart of the Cascade Mountain Range has 34 runs for skiing and snowboarding, in 57 hectares of skiable terrain. It also offers more than 60 km of classic skate and groomed cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails.
Where: Manning Park Resort is off Highway 3, about 70 km west of Hope. A 2.5-hour drive from Vancouver.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $55 for adults
Trails: Green 30%, Blue 40%, Black 30%

Ski resorts on Vancouver Island

Mount Washington

(Mount Washington/Facebook)

Opening date: December 8
What: Mount Washington is the closest mountain to Vancouver that you’ve probably never visited. With the Pacific Ocean on one side and Strathcona Park, the resort on Vancouver Island boasts more than 689 hectares of skiable terrain and 81 runs.
Where: Mount Washington is located off Highway 19, just outside Courtenay on Vancouver Island. A 5-hour drive from Vancouver, including a 4-hour ferry ride.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $85 for adults, or $69 for students
Trails: Green 14%, Blue 35%, Black 52%

Mount Cain

(Mount Cain Alpine Park/Facebook)

Opening date: December 9th or 10th (weather permitting)
What: Mount Cain is a hidden gem nestling on the north end of Vancouver Island, with 21 runs and few lineups. It also has the highest base elevation of any coastal ski hill in BC, Alaska and Washington State, second only to Whistler.
Where: Mount Cain is off Highway 19 on Vancouver Island, about 130 km from Campbell River. A 6-hour drive from Vancouver, including a 2-hour ferry ride.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $49.50 for adults
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 45%, Black 35%

Ski resorts around the Okanagan

Mount Baldy

(Baldy Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: December 8, 9 or 10 (weather permitting)
What: Mount Baldy is in the Okanagan Highland, between the Monashee Mountains and the Okanagan Valley. The resort offers 22 runs for skiing and snowboarding, over 200 hectares of skiable terrain, plus a ski-in ski-out village of 150 ski cottages.
Where: Mount Baldy is off Highway 3, about 80 km south of Penticton. A 5.5-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 50 minute flight to Penticton then 1.5. hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $50 for adults
Trails: Green 33%, Blue 46%, Black 21%

Apex

(Apex Mountain Resort)

Opening date: December 2
What: Apex Mountain remains one of the hidden gems of Canadian skiing, famous for its light, dry powder snow. About half an hour outside Penticton, in the Okanagan, it covers 450 skiable hectares, with more than 115 marked and unmarked runs.
Where: Apex is just south of Penticton off Highway 97, very close to Penticton Regional Airport. A 5-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 45-minute flight.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $78, or $64 for university students
Trails: Green 16%, Blue 48%, Black 36%

Big White

(Keiran Barret/Big White Ski Resort)

Opening date: November 23
What: Hailed as British Columbia’s second most popular ski resort, Big White has 118 designated Alpine trails and more than 25 km of Nordic trails. A little ways past Kelowna, Big White has 1,100 hectares of skiable terrain.
Where: Big White is located off Highway 33, 60 km east of Kelowna. A 5-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 45-minute flight to Kelowna, then 1 hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $99 for adults, or $87 for students
Trails: Green 18%, Blue 54%, Black 28%

SilverStar

(SilverStar Mountain Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: November 23
What: SilverStar Mountain Resort has four different mountain faces to enjoy in the northern Okanagan and a total of 132 runs, ranging from beginners terrain to steep, deep double-black diamonds in the uncrowded backside of the mountain.
Where: SilverStar is off Highway 97, about 70 km north of Cranbrook. A 5-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 45-minute flight to Kelowna.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $92 for adults, or $75 for students
Trails: Green 15%, Blue 40%, Black 45%

Ski resorts around Kamloops

Sun Peaks

(Sun Peaks Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: November 18
What: Sun Peaks is Canada’s second largest ski area, with 1,728 hectares of skiable terrain, spread over three peaks near Kamloops. On top of 12 lifts, 135 trails and 16 gladed areas, there’s also nordic skiing available, and terrain and tube parks.
Where: Sun Peaks is located off Highway 5, about 50 km from Kamloops. A 4.5-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 45-minute flight to Kamloops.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $92 for adults, or $83 for students
Trails: Green 10%, Blue 58%, Black 32%

Harper

(Harper Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Harper Mountain is a family-owned mountain just outside Kamloops, offering more than 160 hectares of skiable terrain. The resort has 16 runs over 1400 vertical feet of elevation, plus terrain and tube parks, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.
Where: Harper is off Highway 5, about 25 km from Kamloops. A 4-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 45-minute flight to Kamloops.
How much: Single day lift tickets range from $20.95 to $44.76 for adults
Trails: Green 25%, Blue 50%, Black 25%

Revelstoke

Skier Leah Evans in Revelstoke (Zoya Lynch/Revelstoke Mountain Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: December 2
What: Revelstoke is legendary. The star of seemingly every single snowboarding movie ever made, it was named Canada’s best ski resort this year. With a total of 208,413 hectares of skiable terrain (not a typo), this is a beast to be reckoned with.
Where: Revelstoke is off the Trans-Canada Highway, about 200km east of Kamloops. A 6-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight direct to Revelstoke, or 45-minute flight to Kelowna, then 2.5-hour drive to Revelstoke.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $70-$88 for adults, varying through the season
Trails: Green 7%, Blue 45.5%, Black 47.5% (not including heli and backcountry)

Ski resorts in the Kootenays

Phoenix Mountain

(Phoenix Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: December 22
What: Phoenix Mountain Ski Resort is a small community-owned ski area in southern BC, near Grand Forks. With 18 designated runs, it has alpine terrain for all skill levels ranging from beginner to advanced, as well as cross country trails.
Where: Phoenix Mountain is off Highway 3, about 50 km west of Grand Forks. A 6-hour drive from Vancouver, or 50 minute flight to Penticton then 2 hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $36-$39 for adults
Trails: Green 22%, Blue 39%, Black 39%

Panorama

Heliskiing at Panorama ski resort (Panorama/Kyle Hamilton)

Opening date: December 8 (tentative)
What: Panorama Ski Resort nestles in the Purcell Mountains, with views of the Rockies. With 1,214 hectares of skiable terrain, you can glide down corduroy cruisers and blast through freshly gladed, powdery paradise to your heart’s delight.
Where: Panorama is off Highway 95, about 150 km north of Cranbrook. A 9-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1 hour 25-minute flight to Cranbrook then 2-hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $92 for adults ($79 online)
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 55%, Black 25%

Whitewater

(Whitewater Ski Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: December 8
What: Deep in British Columbia’s Kootenay region, Whitewater has more than 623 metres of steeps, deeps, chutes, bowls, and glades, and 81 marked runs, all beneath the ski resort’s majestic Ymir Peak. There’s cross country and snowshoeing too.
Where: Whitewater is located off Highway 6, just outside Nelson. An 11-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 70-minute flight.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $76 for adults, or $38 for beginners’ access to green runs
Trails: Green 10%, Blue 32%, Black 58%

Red Mountain

(Red Mountain Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: December 9
What: Red Mountain Resort in Rossland offers visitors 110 runs spread across three mountains, with everything from wide-open groomers to steep, powder-filled glades. There are 1,700 skiable hectares, in-bounds cat-skiing, and 360° descents.
Where: Red Mountain is off Highway 3, extremely close to the US. A 7-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 2 hour 45-minute flight to Spokane, WA, then 2.5 hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $89 for adults, or $76 for students
Trails: Green 18%, Blue 31%, Black 51%

Ski resorts in the Canadian Rockies

Fernie Alpine

(Fernie Alpine/RCR)

Opening date: December 1
What: More than 1,000 hectares of skiable terrain, 142 named ski and snowboard runs, five alpine bowls, four cross country and snowshoe routes and a beginner’s area, all just outside the small mountain city of Fernie in The Canadian Rockies.
Where: Fernie Alpine is located on the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3), about 5 km before you hit Fernie itself. An 11-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1.5-hour flight.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $99.95
Trails: Green 30%, Blue 40%, Black 30%

Kicking Horse

(Trent Bona/Kicking Horse Mountain Resort/RCR)

Opening date: December 8
What: Just outside Golden, Kicking Horse has more than 120 runs and more than 1,100 hectares of skiable terrain. It also has the fourth highest vertical drop in North America – 1,260 m – and there’s even the option to heli-ski.
Where: Kicking Horse is located off the Trans Canada Highway, just outside Golden. An 8-hour drive from Vancouver; no airports nearby.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $99.95
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 20%, Black 60%

Kimberley

(Raven Eye Photography/Kimberley Alpine Resort/RCR)

Opening date: December 9 (tentative)
What: Kimberley claims to be North America’s largest gladed terrain, covering more than 728 hectares, with 80 named runs and glades. In the Purcell Range of the Canadian Rockies, it also offers cross country, dog sledding, and snowshoeing.
Where: Kimberley is located off Highway 95, just north of Cranbrook. An 11-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1.5-hour flight.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $72.95
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 42%, Black 38%

Fairmont Hot Springs

(Fairmont Hot Springs/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort doesn’t just offer golf courses, hot springs, and winter lodges – you can also ski and snowboard in its Columbia Valley ski area. It has 12 runs and two terrain parks to keep you amused before you soak in the springs.
Where: Fairmont Hot Springs is off Highway 95, about 110 km from Cranbrook. A 9-hour drive from Vancouver, or 1 hour 25 minute flight to Cranbrook then 1 hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $47 for adults
Trails: Green 25%, Blue 40%, Black 35%

Ski resorts in Northern BC

Powder King

(Powder King/Facebook)

Opening date: November 25
What: Nestled in the pristine northern wilderness of Pine Pass, Powder King is a family-owned resort, with 405 hectares of terrain that ranges from breathtaking drops for the adventurous skier, to the gentle groomed slopes of beginner runs.
Where: Powder King is off Highway 97, about 200km north of Prince George. An 11-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight to Prince George, then 2-hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $66 for adults
Trails: Green 37%, Blue 38%, Black 25%

Hudson Bay

(Hudson Bay Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: November 24.
What: Hudson Bay is a wilderness resort that rises spectacularly above Smithers in northern BC, offering abundant powder over 118 hectares of skiable terrain. It may be small, with only 36 runs, but its got a continuous mountain vertical of more than 1 km.
Where: Hudson Bay is off Highway 16, right above Smithers. A 13-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1 hour 45-minute flight direct to Smithers.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $60 for adults
Trails: Green 25%, Blue 55%, Black 20%

Murray Ridge

(Murray Ridge Ski Hill and Terrain Park/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Murray Ridge near Fort St. James is a small, community run ski area and terrain park, with the longest T-bar in North America, and perhaps even the world, spanning around 2 km. It’ll take 12 minutes to ride it to the top, if you can hold on.
Where: Murray Ridge is off Highway 16, just north of Fort St. James. An 11-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight to Prince George, then 2-hour drive
How much: Single day lift tickets are $42 for adults, or $35.50 for students
Trails: Green 27%, Blue 33%, Black 40%

Tabor Mountain

(Tabor Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Tabor Mountain is a small community ski resort near Prince George with 73 hectares of skiable terrain and 21 mostly beginner or intermediate runs. A friendly park for first timers if you’re in the area.
Where: Tabor Mountain is off Highway 16, about 20 km east of Prince George. A 9-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight to Prince George, then 15-minute drive
How much: Single day lift tickets are $44 for adults, or $40 for students
Trails: Green 25%, Blue 50%, Black 25%

Purden

(Purden Ski Village/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Purden Ski Resort is a small ski resort near Prince George with 25 runs spread over more than 1,100 vertical feet of powder. It’s the biggest ski area in central BC, with gladed areas and wide cruisers; its longest run is more than 3 km long.
Where: Purden is off Highway 16, about 66 km east of Prince George. A 9-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight to Prince George, then 45-minute drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $63 for adults, or $50 for students
Trails: Green 20%, Blue 55%, Black 25%

Shames Mountain

(Shames Mountain/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Shames Mountain is a small community ski area near Terrace, with 28 runs and an abundance of natural glades. Shames receives 12 metres of snow every year, making it one of the deepest, most consistent snow packs in North America.
Where: Shames Mountain is off Highway 16, about 35 km west of Terrace. A 16-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour 35-minute flight to Terrace.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $52.38 for adults
Trails: Green 26%, Blue 50%, Black 24%

Ski resorts in the Cariboo

Troll

(Troll Ski Resort/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Troll Resort is a small family-run ski area in the Cariboo region, with 35 runs ranging from gentle beginner slopes and long fall-line groomers to steep gladed tree runs. There’s also a large terrain park and a rustic log day lodge with a huge fireplace.
Where: Troll Resort is off Highway 26, about 40 km east of Quesnel. An 8-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour 20-minute flight to Quesnel.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $50 for adults, or $45 for students
Trails: Green 11%, Blue 32%, Black 57%

Mt. Timothy

(Mt. Timothy Ski Area/Facebook)

Opening date: TBA
What: Mt. Timothy Ski Area is a remote ski resort run by a non-proft society near Lac La Hache in the Cariboo region. The mountain has 35 runs, from easy going beginners slopes to double black beasts, amazing snow, and reportedly no lineups.
Where: Mt. Timothy is off Highway 97, about 89 km from Williams Lake. A 6-hour drive from Vancouver, or a 1-hour flight to Williams Lake, then a 1-hour drive.
How much: Single day lift tickets are $45-$50 for adults, or $33-$38 for students
Trails: Green 11%, Blue 49%, Black 40%