In the 1960s, Sun Peaks boasted North America’s longest double chair lift. But boasts can be bested and subsequent ambitions to remain at the top sunk the ski resort financially. Enter the Nippon Cable Company of Japan which made the shrewd move of acquiring the entire resort in 1992. They seem to have had even shrewder management of the village ever since. The Swiss-themed pedestrian village has a winding promenade of restaurants and outdoor stores, most of which are owned by locals. And like the surfing outpost of Tofino, chain stores are rare. The result is a more vibrant local culture than Mt Washington or Big White where a resort corporation owns every outlet.
We spent three restful days in Sun Peaks celebrating my father-in-laws 80th birthday. To the great dismay of at least one child, one morning we took the chair lift into the alpine area and hiked another 2 kilometres to the summit of Tod mountain. The view was stunning, with snowy peaks dotting the horizon in nearly every direction. The snow even lingered in patches towards the summit and I became the willing target of many snowballs.
One downside to all this grandeur is the ubiquity of mosquitoes. They followed us in clouds and feasted on any exposed skin. We returned back down the mountain smiling but itchy.
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