Spring is here, the days are getting longer and after three months my journey as the Sun Peaks Snow Bum has come to an end.

I had the best season ever, amazing new experiences and tons of winter fun! I'll definitely miss these mountains, this lifestyle and above all the great friends I made here.

After 3 months in Sun Peaks I can say that this is not just a wicked place to ski. It's a very special community made of people from all over the world. From the friendly locals that can proudly say they've skied here since it was called Tod Mountain to the awesome crew and staff that come from overseas and choose Sun Peaks as their home for a winter, everyone here shares the same good vibe and passion for life in the outdoors.

Thanks to everyone that was here during this awesome winter season in Sun Peaks, you guys are part of some great memories I'm taking back home.

Coming from a country with no snow, after almost 90 days on the slopes, counting the time by chairlift rides and enjoying the fresh air on my face, I feel that Sun Peaks is my home mountain now, that is why I want to come back here for winters to come.

So I wish everyone a great summer and hope to see you all again next season.

And you guys know, whenever heading to Brazil, you'll have a couch to crash on!

See you soon!

Carpe Mountain.

Although we have been hit by some cold weather and there is snow on the forecast for the next few days, this is the last week of the ski season here at Sun Peaks.

The partying mood is in the air throughout the village. It is definitely time to make the most of the great skiing conditions we have right now, and of course, join all the events happening in Sun Peaks this week.

And people here seem to like partying just as much as they like sliding on the snow.

Bottom's Bar & Grill

Being able to spend this season here was such an eclectic experience. I got to know staff working in Sun Peaks and visitors from all continents possible (ok, nobody from Antarctica!)

Jardines

Nancy Greene's Cahilty Lodge

You feel like you’re part of a “nomad snow addict” crew and it may be a little weird when you stop and think that in a few days a lot of people will be gone, each one on their own journey, and you don't exactly know when, where or if you are going to see them again.

Mountain High Pizza

But that is part of the nomad lifestyle, and actually I'm pretty sure that most people that spent this season working here in Sun Peaks will come back. After all, we all have our jumpers with all the staff's names on it and I met lots of people who came for a season several years ago and ended up staying...

Globe Cafe & Tapas Bar

Bento's Daylodge

Sun Peaks Resort 'Lifties'

As I was told, this week is one of the best weeks of the season, so it's time to ski hard, party hard and of course join the Dummy Downhill, Slush Cup and Top to Bottoms race!

Not to mention my own going away party on Friday at Morrisey’s Public House from 4 – 7pm. Hope to see you all there!

It really is an awesome way to close the winter season!

Last weekend was my last one as the Sun Peaks Snow Bum. And it was so busy that I had no time to think about it!

Friday started with snow and it kept snowing all morning, so it was time to hit the slopes early and get some first tracks while they were still fresh.

If skiing on fresh powder is the dream of most skiers, snowmobiling in untracked powder is just as good as it gets. And that is what I experienced Friday afternoon on my first snowmobile tour.

The instructions were pretty simple: use your right thumb to hit the accelerator and get some speed and use the left hand to hit the brakes. Like on a bicycle, lean you body while using the handle bar to turn and voilá, you are good to go!

Riding those 4 stroke machines in the Sun Peaks backcountry was absolutely awesome. Fernando, our head guide, said it would be a tour full of adrenaline and he kept his promise. We explored several untouched snowfields, glade areas and steep hills. The views were breathtaking, and I could see the mountains from a totally new perspective.

We did get stuck in the deep snow a few times, but it was definitely worth it… after all, no pain no gain!

Overall another amazing new experience, totally recommended now that the snow is soft.

After a fast Friday on the sleds, Saturday was time to join the Telus Nancy Greene Corporate Challenge. It was a fundraising ski race, but like in any other ski race the diehard skiers and boarders take it seriously and push really hard.

Well, my team did a good job and we managed to stay in a respectable position. And I was not disappointed with my performance, since I could at least run the course in less than 1 minute.   

And of course, there is no better way to close a great weekend than having a great meal. This time I'm not talking about any restaurant here in Sun Peaks…

My weekend ended with a feast prepared by Barbara Olpinska, chef and creator of Upper Levels Catering, a unique catering service that is totally customized according to the customer’s preferences.

My meal included mini sausage rolls as appetizers, pork tenderloin with wild mushrooms, spaetzle, assorted vegetables and carrot cake for dessert.

Definitely a very special homemade meal that I enjoyed here in my cozy room at the Delta Residences! No need to worry about groceries, cooking, or going out. This was a real treat, and I totally recommend it!

Thank you Barbara, I’m glad this worked out at end of my stay after meeting you back at the Snow Bum welcome party at Masa's Restaurant in January !

Yep, I'll miss the weekends in Sun Peaks, but I already rescheduled my flight and I'll be here for the last weekend, no way I'd miss the slush cup and the last parties of the season! And if you’re around on closing weekend, drop by my going away part at Morrisey’s Public House on Friday, April 9 from 4pm – 7pm, it would be great to bid everyone farewell!

The Sun Peaks village is really compact and that’s what makes it so "warm". Restaurants and hotels are all aligned along a main village strip with the walkways and shops.

One of my favorite places to eat here in the village is Chopstixx. As a big fan of Asian food I usually head there, located in the Heffley Boutique Inn, for some flavourful sushi, a spicy meal of noodles or a huge rice and wild salmon bowl.

This means I had passed by the Heffley Boutique Inn several times before I finally got to stay there a few days back.

Felipe and Ian, two fellow Brazilians I met here, work at the Inn and had already let me know how comfortable and nice the rooms are, knowing I would be staying with them sometime during my stay at Sun Peaks, and what an awesome hot tub and spa they have.

They had promised me that I would have an amazing stay there, and they were right!

Indeed, this is a very exclusive hotel, it has only 26 rooms and that is why it's in the boutique category. The Heffley Inn is totally decorated with an eclectic Euro-Canadian design, a mix of west coast native art with Tyrolean paintings.

And my stay there couldn't be more eclectic: I got the standards of German accommodations with all the amenities possible, the feeling of a true Canadian mountain, a delicious Asian restaurant aside the lobby and friends that I was able to talk to about soccer in Portuguese at the front desk.

Thank you for the great stay!

Life in Sun Peaks is just as good as it is intense.

I arrived here less than 80 days ago and I'm proud to say that my season pass is reaching 70 days of skiing so far.

Add to this several other winter activities, lots of partying and a sore shoulder that was hit by a rude tree, and you can believe me when I say my body is totally winterized.

And since I don't usually refuse free meals or free massages, I was so glad when I found out I was going to spend a morning at the Sun Peaks Spa in the Kookaburra Lodge.

I know a spa treatment isn't normally part of the whole "Bum" experience, but as the Sun Peaks Snow Bum, I get to enjoy the best of everything, including some relaxation time!

My morning started in a Zen room with a 45 minute Sports Massage, a combination of hot stones, deep tissue massage and stretches. That combined with relaxing music, relieved my tight muscles and made me feel sleepy. I was so relaxed that I could stay there the whole day, but I also had a facial (I had never had one before!) which was also relaxing and soothing, and then acupuncture.

Actually, the acupuncture session was focused on my sore shoulder and I've got to say that those tiny needles are really powerful. By the end of the session my shoulder pain was almost completely gone and it feels so much better!

Thanks to the therapists at the Sun Peaks Spa. With everyone starting to shift into spring mode, I'm all set for another ski season. Bring it on!

When you take a look at one of the Sun Peaks post cards or at the images on the website, you always see a nice Tyrolean style clock tower in the heart of the village, with the chairlifts and the slopes in the background.

More than a landmark, this clock tower is a meeting point and it determines the official time here in Sun Peaks. From the base of both Sundance and Sunburst lifts you can look at it to make sure you still have a few hours left of skiing or to find that the day is almost over and the après is coming up.

The Clock Tower is part of the Coast Sundance Lodge, one of Sun Peaks’ historical hotels which probably has the best location in town!

Although most accommodation at Sun Peaks is completely ski-in ski-out, the Coast Sundance Lodge is the most ski-in you can get. You go from brushing your teeth to riding the Sundance Chair in a matter of seconds. That is just TOO COOL, especially on a powder day like the ones we got early in March!

Besides having all the great amenities possible such as full kitchen and fireplace and gym, the Coast Sundance Lodge is located in the same building of places like Bolacco Café, Vertical Juice and Bottom’s Bar & Grill. Not having to leave the building to have a good meal or coffee is definitely convenient but the best thing is to be able to sit in the hot tub, looking at the chairlifts while warming up for a Tuesday Local's night at Bottoms.

And after a few drinks there is no need to freeze in that short walk home to the hotel…just ride the elevator up and there you are!

This past month has been really intense here in Sun Peaks. Now I only have a couple of weeks left as the Snow Bum and I’m realizing that this experience is coming to an end. It is sad, yes, but I have a good time remembering my past weeks here…skiing every day, the places I’ve stayed at, people I’ve met and the parties I’ve been to.

At first I thought that staying at various hotels and moving around would be a little bit of a hassle and that it could be tiring. But besides having the chance to stay and get to know practically every hotel in the Village and feeling at home in each one, it is nice to be able to link some memories with the hotel. It actually makes my stay feel longer than it is.

When I moved to the Hearthstone Lodge I found that there couldn't be a better location to stay. Besides being next door to Jardines, the best place to get your skis waxed, and great restaurants such as Tod Mountain Coffee house & Crêperie and Bella Italia, I could have a pizza at Mountain High without leaving the building!

My room was really cozy and spacious with a beautiful view of Mt. Morrisey. And all 70 rooms at the Hearthstone have a full kitchen, gas fireplace, cable TV, and high speed internet access. My stay there was impeccable!

The Hearthstone Lodge also hosts the Welcome Reception with Nancy Greene. Every Sunday, the Olympic Champion welcomes new guests and shows them around to what the resort has to offer. It is a pleasant event with free apple cider and representatives of the Adventure Centre and Snow Sports School there to answer questions.

At the Hearthstone, I had the chance to celebrate my birthday and watch the final competitions of the Olympics. The hotel has a very warm feeling to it, and the staff is extremely friendly. I am very grateful for having been able to spend those days there, exercising in the fitness room, relaxing in the hot tub and best of all… skiing out from the lobby door. Thanks to the Hearthstone! I hope to be back soon!

Every weekend Sun Peaks presents us with a new source of adrenaline and last Sunday was no different. The Shredidential Election ’10 presented by Oronge took place at the Sun Peaks Terrain Park.

It was a slopestyle event open to skiers and snowboarders of all ages. We had the opportunity to see 70 amazing talented riders showing their tricks in an awesome battle for great prizes.

The entrants had two runs in the qualifiers, taking their best run of the two to try to be in the top 5 and go to the finals. In a competition like that when they say "run" they are talking about a mix of rails and 3 huge jumps that you perform on, non-stop.

And the Rockstar Energy Terrain Park crew did a great job preparing the event's slopestyle course. They totally rebuilt the 30 foot jump in the middle of the park and also set new rail features for the joy of all who were present.

Those guys have skills! Watching these skiers and boarders pushing their limits totally made my day! The loud music and the free energy drinks were the right fuel to make the competition even more intense! Back flips, 540's, indie grabs, all kinds of twists... and of course there were a few crashes.

Everyone got hooked with the athlete performances, with other skiers and snowboarders on the mountain stopping by the Terrain Park to watch the show.

This was another Sunday with plenty of action, great weather and lots of fun! Have I mentioned I am having a GREAT time?!!

Since I arrived here in Sun Peaks I've joined various activities that the resort offers besides skiing. They were all breathtakingly fun – dog sledding, wine tasting, snowshoeing… and that just names a few!

Last Thursday I joined the Fondue Dinner and Evening Descent which takes place every Thursday at sunset. It was one activity I hadn't yet joined and I cannot believe I waited this long! Fondue matches perfectly with the winter season, as there is no better way of getting together with friends around a table to enjoy this fun and "mountainous" meal.

Everyone met at the bottom of Sunburst chairlift around 5pm and rode up to the Sunburst restaurant already really hungry. When we arrived there we were surprised by a huge table already set with more than just the fondue pot with a few pieces of bread - this was a totally rich meal, with a variety of food including vegetables, beef, pork, chicken and shrimp to dip in a pot of delicious cheese fondue or Portobello mushroom sauce. Totally yummy!

With live music we had the chance to dance with our boots on and have nice chats while drinking great wine.

Of course, everybody saved room for the dessert. Who doesn't love chocolate fondue? Especially if besides fresh fruits, it is served with cookies and marshmallows!

But the best part was still to come, although a little TOO full, and after a couple of glasses of wine, we skied down the 5 Mile run in pitch dark using head lamps to light the way.

 
It was an amazing new way to face the mountains, everything was completely quiet, and we were skiing the freshly groomed corduroy by instinct, just enjoying the sound of our skis scratching the snow.

A memorable evening, a wonderful dinner and a thrilling descent in the dark with good friends. Next Thursday, I think I might just go again!

Thiago,

the Snow Bum

I was lucky enough to be here in Sun Peaks between March 4th and 7th to watch the 2010 Subaru Velocity Challenge FIS World Cup of Speed Skiing, the only speed skiing race in North America.

Simply put: It is the fastest non-motorized sport on earth, and it was one of the wildest sports events I've ever witnessed.

Forty of the fastest skiers on the planet from 9 different countries came to Sun Peaks to try to exceed their limits. We are talking about guys like Simone Origone, who owns the speed skiing world record, reaching an unbelievable record of 251.4km/h on a pair of skis!

Watching them preparing their gear was a show in itself! They wear tight rubber suits, Darth Vader helmets and wax their 240cm skis for several minutes non-stop.

But the best part of the show of course happened at the steep, icy and treacherous Headwalls Speed Track. The 300 meters long course has a pitch of 38 degrees, making the skiers accelerate from 0km/h up to 175km/h in 7 seconds! And that is the easy part, the tough job is stopping from 175km/h to 0 in another 7 seconds... 

Watching the skiers up close by the fence was an amazing experience, the sound they made while passing was similar to a sports car on an autobahn. Just incredible!

Just like normal skiers, speed skiers are also prone to crashes, and when this happens it's really scary to watch. I witnessed two of them, and also a near crash followed by an unbelievable recovery. I've got to say that for a few seconds my heart jumped to my mouth. Fortunately, the netting slowed the skiers down and the medical team was ready and close to the crash. And in the end it was not really serious and all the skiers had confirmed their presence in next year's Velocity Challenge.

Thanks to John, Mike and all the Velocity crew and volunteers for the all the information you gave me and for letting me watch the race really close to the course. And congratulations to all the racers, you guys are impressive skiers and provided such a wicked weekend!

Thiago,
the Snow Bum