Big White Ski Resort is reopening its RV campground in the Black Forest Day Lodge this summer.
After keeping the campground shuttered through summer 2020, the resort made a few COVID-19 safety improvements in the winter. Now, the resort is set up with outdoor washrooms and other modifications to ensure the health and safety of guests.
In addition to the re-opened campground, the Big White is sprucing up its amenities in hopes that people who love the outdoors will pick the mountain as their go-to spot this summer.
With the pandemic encouraging people to enjoy outdoor activities more and more, the resort says it has already been getting calls from people inquiring about having picnics in the alpine. The resort will be adding more picnic tables to its alpine area to accommodate more people while maintaining social distance.
“Imagine having a picnic at 6,600 to 7,200 kilometres above sea level. It’s amazing. The wildflowers will be just incredible,” Michael J. Ballingall, senior vice president of Big White Ski Resort, told Capital News.
Although the resort doesn’t open until July 1 for the summer season, Ballingall said the time to start preparing is now.
“Our biggest problem right now is snow — we have too much of it,” he explained. By the end of the second week of May, the resort will have to make a substantial financial decision whether or not to start removing the snow out of the forest to clear it for the trails. It’s something that Ballingall anticipates will cost tens of thousands of dollars.
“Last year, it delayed our opening by two weeks. When you’re only open for two months in the summer, two weeks is a long time,” Ballingall stated.
“A busy day for us in the summertime is between 500 and 600 people, compared to over 10,000 visitors in the winter.”
Ballingall said he’s also looking at getting a new disc golf course installed in the plaza area.
He reminds the public that although the temperature at Big White is normally 10-15 C lower than it is in the valley, the sun is more intense, so even if you’re going for a walk, be prepared with sunscreen. He also noted visitors should be prepared with an extra jacket.
Big White Ski Resort opens for the summer on July 1.
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