Ideally located midway between Manning Provincial Park and Hemlock Valley, Hope is within easy driving distances to the region's two family-oriented skiing resorts, though Manning Park also has plenty to offer the more experienced Nordic and downhill skier. Rentals and lessons for both snowboarding and skiing are available at both resorts.
Winter action focuses in and around the Manning Park Resort which offers cozy cabin and lodge accommodation as well as amenities such as an indoor pool, sauna and hot tubs. With 35km/21.74m of groomed cross-country trails and designated telemark and snowshoe trails, the Nordic area combines easy one kilometer/0.6 mile paths with intermediate loops and advanced 3.1km/1.9m adventures through forests laden with snow.
There is a fee to ski the groomed trails - Nordic day passes include one complimentary ride up the T-Bar/Handle Tow; the backcountry trails are free.
Guided Snowshoe Tours
Ask the Nordic Centre about its three-hour guided snowshoe excursions. Tours are matched to ability levels and guides share tips on techniques and winter survival as well as information on the park's natural history and heritage. There's hot chocolate, too.
Trail Etiquette
Whether novice or expert, trail etiquette is important to remember: always ski on the right; don't walk on groomed trails; yield to skiers coming downhill; shout 'TRACK' to pass by skiers and always pack out whatever is packed in.
Manning Park - Alpine slopes
With a rise of 1,790m/5,868ft, downhill skiing is equally varied, with 40% of runs geared to the intermediate level. The remainder is evenly split between beginner and advanced. Some runs are challenging enough to have attracted a dozen members of the Russian World Cup mogul team in 2009 to polish their technique before participating in the world championship. Several national and international athletes trained on these slopes for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Other mountainside activities include snowboarding, a toboggan hill and tube park. Overnight resort guests can also enjoy outdoor skating; the rink has night-lighting until 10pm.
Hemlock Valley Ski Resort
Located about a 45-minute drive away, Hemlock Valley is a smaller resort and an affordable alternative to some of the region's big-name mountains. It has 35 runs, a vertical drop of 397m/1,300ft for downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing and a tube park. On-hill ski-in/ski-out accomodation is available.
Although almost half the alpine runs are rated expert, many of them are shortcuts between less difficult routes making them ideal for those intermediate skiers wanting to stretch themselves to the next level, one short run at a time.
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