Oct 1, 2008
Author: Peter Moynes
“Dates and hours of operation may vary and are subject to the whims of Mother Nature.”That’s what the message said. It was late December, circa ’93, and I was trying to find out the night-skiing hours for the Salmo Ski Hill. I don’t recall having the Internet at my home back then, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. The old-school, tape-recorded answering machine provided little to go on but afforded much insight into the vibe of the Salmo Ski Hill and the volunteers who run the place.
For many, Salmo is not really a destination. At first glance, to the unknowing traveler, it looks like a place only suitable to stop for fuel and beer. Look deeper, and you’ll a find an eclectic little town noted as much for its Canada Day smash-up derby as for its modest and unassuming nugget of a ski hill, located just outside town.
Incorporated in 1962, the hill is operated as a nonprofit society and run by locals Wally and Sheri Huser. The staff is comprised of volunteers, many of whose children shred the hill on a near daily basis. Imagine growing up in a place where, just as you were getting home from school, someone at the ski hill was stoking a fire in the daylodge and preparing the lifts for you and your buddies’ arrival. The whole hill is lit, and the terrain is diverse enough for all to enjoy.
If it’s organized activity you’re looking for, or a chance to improve your skiing, the Salmo Ski Racers, a group of some 50 kids, ages 5 to 14, under the tutelage of Coach Logan, meet twice a week at night and weekends to hone their racing skills.
“The kids are stoked” says Coach Logan, “Their friends are here, they’re shredding, and it beats doing homework.”
Though not as vertically endowed as the other ski hills in the area (Red Resort and Whitewater are both within 50 kilometres), Salmo makes up in heart for what it lacks in vertical. Everyone knows everyone here, and there is a real sense of community that you don’t get at most resorts.
“This place has always been important to the families of Salmo” says one local resident. “We spend our weekends here as a family. Our friends are here; the kids are happy. It’s a really a great time.”
Depending on the year, the ski hill may host the Salmo Smoker, an event where skiers compete head-to-head for cash prizes. First it’s a lung-busting 100-metre dash in ski boots, then a two-hour lapfest on the T-bar down a sweeping GS course to see who can pump in the most runs in the allotted time. The event draws athletes, hippies, families and other sorts from the town and surrounding area. Some years the event runs, and some years it doesn’t. It’s tough to know.
I called the hill recently to find more information for this story and got that same old machine stating in that same old raspy voice that the hill wasn’t open until, well, there was snow. No “check our website for more details.” No sponsored halfpipe event it was required to be open for. It just wasn’t open.
It’s refreshing to me that, in this age of information, where everyone, including my grandmother, has a website, the best way to find out what skiing in Salmo is like is to simply show up. It’ll be worth your time.
DNA
Elevation: 945 m
Vertical: 340 m
Terrain: Four trails (all open for night skiing)
Snowfall: 300 cm
Lifts: One T-bar, one tow rope
Adult Ticket: Cheap. No one answered.
Season: December to late March
Info: (250) 357-2323
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