A week before leaving Brazil all my friends were saying: "Come on man, you are gonna ski for three months!? You'll get bored of that!”
After two weeks in Sun Peaks I can tell you - no way you get bored in this place! Everyday is a new adventure with different people. Having skied every single day since I arrived at Sun Peaks, I decided that the National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week was a good excuse to try something new… snowboarding!
Actually, I had tried it about nine years ago, but had never taken any classes so Saturday morning I headed to the Sun Peaks Sports School where I joined the first snowboard class of my life. I was doing reasonably well, even got some compliments from Graham, my group instructor, about my heel turns. After two hours I had almost mastered "the falling leaf", the beginner movement for sliding like a pendulum. But then came the toe turns and I fell several times. After a few hours my knees, butt and wrists were totally destroyed. I even hit my head on the snow! I'm glad I always wear a helmet!
I definitely needed a break and since Sunday I was leaving the Cahilty Lodge and checking into the Sun Peaks Lodge, I made it my first day off the slopes. Apparently there is not a single average room in the neighborhood, because Sun Peaks Lodge is also a great place!
With a Tyrolean atmosphere, the Sun Peaks Lodge recently went through a complete renovation from top to bottom. It has always been owned by Germans and since 2004, Silvia and Mario have run this property and its terrific restaurant, The Steakhouse. I was lucky enough to be invited by this nice couple for dinner, and what a dinner it was! Mario told me they only serve AAA Canadian Red Angus beef, so after I had an amazing baked philo wrapped brie as an appetizer I was ready for the steak. WOW that was a huge New York steak with mushrooms!
During our meal, they explained that the chapel located at the top of the Sunburst Chairlift is also part of Sun Peaks Lodge, as it was built by Peter Stumboeck, the previous owner of the lodge. The design of the paintings in Franziscus Chapel, or "Mid-Mountain Chapel" came all the way from Bavaria, as well as its bell, which rings year round to celebrate weddings, the weekly Sunday mass, and Christmas and Easter services.
Totally full I headed to the Sunday Nancy Greene’s Welcome Reception, where all new guests were introduced to Sun Peaks - its history, terrain and all the resort activities. There are so many things to do, things that I didn't know existed like snowshoe golf!
It couldn't get any better because at the end of the reception I was invited by Nancy herself for some runs together the next day, what an honor! For about an hour and a half I had a private session with the champion! She showed me some great glade areas that I still hadn't skied and gave me several tips on my skiing.
Could anyone get bored with that?
Thiago,
the Snow Bum
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