Cross-country ski enthusiasts can rejoice further.
SilverStar Mountain Resort opens a majority of its trails for the new season Friday at 8:30 a.m.
Tickets and season’s passes for Nordic skiing can be purchased at the village ticket office and, starting Nov. 22, at the Brewer’s Pond Nordic Centre base.
“We’ve got excellent early season conditions,” said new nordic coordinator Murray Farbridge, who comes to the north end of the Okanagan from the south end. He held the same position and coached at Penticton’s Nickel Plate Nordic Centre.
“We have about 75 per cent of the upper and lower trails open.”
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Voted the No. 1 cross-country ski resort in Canada by USA Today, Silver Star boasts 105 kilometers of cross-country skiing trails between the resort and Sovereign Lake. The Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre opened for its season earlier in November.
Monday will mark the start of the Star’s popular Super Camps.
“We’ve got more than 400 skiers registered,” said Farbridge. “They come for great, early season skiing, and get three-to-five days of coached sessions.”
On Nov. 24, the Star will host a special Turkey Trot race day to mark the arrival of the resort’s new gondola lift, installed prior to the summer seasons.
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Skiers will race 10 kilometres on cross-country skis from the top of the gondola to the SilverStar village, then enjoy a U.S. Thanksgiving-themed feast. You can register for the race at skisilverstar.com.
There is currently 100 centimetres of snow at the summit for the SilverStar nordic trails. More snow is in the forecast for Thursday.
* Sovereign Lake had a record opening weekend, with 1,001 day tickets sold, and all three days of the long weekend setting records.
As usual in the early season, there are visiting teams. The BC Talent Squad was at the centre for the weekend, along with Telemark and Larch Hills. The Alberta World Cup Academy arrived on Monday for a week of skiing.
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