Mount Robson Provincial ParkLocationNearest cityCoordinatesAreaEstablishedGoverning bodyWebsiteUNESCO World Heritage SitePart ofCriteriaReferenceInscription
Mount Robson Provincial Parkis a provincial park in theCanadian Rockieswith an area of 2,249 km². The park is located entirely withinBritish Columbia, borderingJasper National ParkinAlberta. The B.C. legislature created the park in 1913, the same year as the first ascent ofMount Robsonby a party led byConrad Kain. It is the second oldest park in the provincial system.[2]The park is named for Mount Robson, which has the highest point in the Canadian Rockies and is located entirely within the park.
From May to September, the Mt. Robson Visitor Information Centre is open to the public, and is a common stop on theYellowhead Highway. The only commercial services within the park are at a combination coffee-shop gas station complex at the same viewpoint. There are two government campgrounds near the Visitor Centre and one nearYellowhead Pass.
The source of theFraser Riveris in Mount Robson Provincial Park. A dripping spring just west of a pond atFraser Passis the actual source of British Columbia's longest river. It is located 40 km (25 mi) south of the Yellowhead Highway at Lucerne Campground. There are no trails there and the best access is by helicopter fromValemount.
In 1990 Mount Robson Park was included within theCanadian Rocky Mountain ParksUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.[3]Together with the othernationalandprovincial parksthat comprise the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, the park was recognized for its natural beauty and the geological and ecological significance of its mountain landscapes containing the habitats of rare and endangered species, mountain peaks,glaciers, lakes, waterfalls,canyons, limestone caves and fossils.
Backpacking to Berg Lake/Mount Robson in the Rockies
This year I had the opportunity to join Nigel on some of his backpacking adventures back home in Edmonton. Having been told he'd be "slightly disappointed" (being such a chill person I knew this would not be a line to cross) if my plane arrived during an act he may really like at the Edmonton Folk Festival, so I arrived the next day. It was the same weekend at the Kitchener Blues Festival, so I had made the best of that here. I'd tell you something interesting happened on my flight or a funny story, but I suppose an uneventful flight is a good one. Getting to Nigel's parents' home, I immediately wanted to take their yard home with me; gigantic sunflowers, raspberry bushes and cherry trees everywhere. From their place, I had a very good view of the refineries, which really reminded me where I was. The day was pretty relaxed, packing stuff up and getting things organized for the trip, which Nigel and his dad were clearly experienced at and helped a bunch. I was also sleep deprived from the blues late night a few days before and waking up at 4am for my flight so I was ready to start catching up on sleep.
Starting the trip
Thanks to my mom for the knit portable Totoro, it got lots of likes at the airport
Mountain sheep!
Starting the hike
Nigel captured the sunny rain
Kinney Lake
View from Whitehorn campsite
Suspension bridge!
You can see the two colours of glacier water mixing (or lack of mixing)
Me on the suspension bridge
Tuesday we headed out at a reasonable morning time, threw our packs in the car and started the 5-6 hour drive along the Yellowhead Trail through to Jasper National Park. Jumping just over into BC, we get to Mount Robson Provincial Park where we had an almost comically grumpy park lady. The first 4 km are a wide, very well packed, and a constant shallow grade increased trail that is used by day walkers, hikers, and runners alike. The trail follows the creek (read: very fast and high flow creek) to Kinney Lake, the first of the available camp sites. It was around here where we got our first little blip of rain. Since it was large enough drops, we suited up, but the rain stopped not long afterwards and sunny skies broke through. Getting past the 6 km bike parking point, the trail gets hillier and the steep cliffs and drop offs start (but still in the trees). Crossing the flats at the head of Kinney Lake and collecting our first water from the creek (and me learning how to chlorinate it), we cross to the other side and onto a medium-level steep portion. We crossed a suspension bridge which lead to our first campsite at Whitehorn at 11 km. The site was in the valley between Mount Robson and Whitehorn where little white trickles of water were all individual waterfalls (and likely really large you just couldn't tell). The sites are apparently very well set up, even by Rockies standards, with lock boxes instead of bear poles, washbasins, and greywater pits. The din of the super active waters of the creek at our campsite was relaxing. Each dinner was the same but still really good; macaroni, a tomato veggie basil soup mix, and beef jerky. Tuesday night was the only clear night and we stayed out to watch the stars and the last days of the Perseids. Even though it was early in the night, we saw a few meteors which was awesome.
Wednesday morning was our second hike day with another 11 km, but this is where it got steeper. Walking upstream, we crossed the waters again and then made our climb through the Valley of a Thousand Falls (I hesitated telling my mom the name of this part of the trail before I left). Switchbacks took us through the trees with strategically placed lookouts for White Falls, Falls of the Pool, and Emperor Falls. All of the falls were impressive, but Emperor Falls wins by far. Being able to walk right up to them, there was less wind and mist standing right next to the falls than being 20 ft away. There was a very nice rainbow and secondary bow but we missed the photo op. once we spent a bunch of time around the falls, we walked on to reach the downstream end of Berg Lake, where Mist Glacier was readily visible. It's the dirtier of the lake-side glaciers but the colour between the seracs (the almost pillars of ice formed by cracks) was still deep blue. As we walked alongside the edge of Berg Lake, Berg Glacier became more visible. Our lunch spot was right on the lake's edge (~9 km), with the unseasonably warm temperatures preventing us from feeling cold whilst in t-shirts and shorts. It was in the timeframe for a few hours that the peak of Mount Robson was visible, which made for very awesome pictures. Walking 2 km further, we got to the Robson Pass campsite, where we spent two nights. Since we arrived at the campsite early afternoon, we went on a short day hike up to Mumm Basin. We didn't get to the caves but we got as high up at the trail goes on Mumm Peak. There were fantastic views of the surrounding mountains and we had crossed the border between BC and Alberta. After dinner we ventured out to Adolphus Lake, which we had seen on our hike up Mumm Peak and it was much more colourful (greens and blues) than Berg Lake (a blue-milky colour).
At Falls of the Pool
Emperor Falls
Me being silly right next to the falls, and yes that's all water
Mount Robson, clearly this is my wallpaper now
It was really cold water
Berg Glacier
The top of the summit, the ridged part of snow to the right progressively turned to ice throughout Wednesday
Duckies!
Our campsite at Robson Pass
There was a little rain overnight, but nothing too major. It still looked a tad cloudy in the morning, which lead us to bring our rain gear with us in our packs for the day hike to Snowbird Pass. Luckily, the clouds lightened up and past the 1-2 hour mark, there were only happy clouds. The trail followed the creek upstream of Berg Lake around Rearguard Mountain (attached to Mount Robson). Then you're scooted up a moraine on switchbacks (the most intense of the trip) and on the ridge that runs above Robson Glacier. So for about an hour, you're walking alongside a giant glacier. Apparently, the easiest way to summit Mount Robson (and it's not easy what with requiring expert ice climbing experience for the end) is going the long way around the back of this glacier and jumping over the crevices. At the end of the ridge we were walking along, we turned left and instant alpine meadow! It was so sudden and beautiful it was great. The super clear stream made for a great lunch spot, which was also an optimal spot to take off the hiking shoes and cool (really cool) off the feet. During this trip, we would pass and get passed by the same subset of campers from our campsite, which was silly and awkward at the same time. In the meadow, we saw marmots and golden ground squirrels, which look like giant chipmunks. At the end of the meadow, there were some small patches of snow and the skree started. The path at this point was a suggestion but kinda a guaranteed route up the skree to the pass. Getting to the top was a nice break in the climbing, and then walking just a little farther into the pass you realize why people do this trail. Standing on the edge of a skree cliff, the view opens onto an expansive icefield which I had never seen before. The huge patch of ice was scratched into by rocks and crevices emitted the burbling noises of under-ice creeks. In the distance were other large mountains, some capped with the remains of snow. We spent a while there, climbing the skree on either side of the pass to see just a bit higher (one of the guys, called Big Dave, from other group went down the skree cliff to get to the level of the ice). While hanging out there, we met a couple that were from the Netherlands and another that was moving to Edmonton, both of which were nice to talk to and share the experience with. When we finally decided to turn back, the climb down in some places took as long as the climb due to tricky terrain (dust-covered gravel was difficult for my shoes to grip onto). Coming back for dinner, we took a leisurely stroll to Berg Lake where Nigel and I made a game of trying to steer a stick on the water by the waves from a rock thrown in the water.
Marmot!
Me standing in snow between the meadow and the skree up to Snowbird Pass
Reef Icefield at Snowbird Pass
We made it!
Back down!
Robson Glacier
Friday morning was our last day there and we were going all the way down and out in one go. Of all of our days on the trip, we naturally woke up the earliest on this day, which gave us lots of time to get down the trail and drive back. I suppose we were one of the first groups on the trail that morning because we saw the most wildlife on this morning. I spotted a pika (pie-ka), think large cute mouse but part of the rabbit family, in the skree and was chirping. I spotted a grouse and as I turned a corner in the woods I came within a few inches of one and I didn't notice until I was beside it. Like the day before, the downhill climb was more technical than the physical grunt of getting up. Going down the mountain and seeing the same sights over again was somewhat of a farewell victory lap, which was nice. My trail shoes, not the same ruggedness as everyone else's hiking boots, held up great but my feet were started to give up 1-2 km to the end. We got back, changed, and drove back to Edmonton to be welcomed by a very excited Nigel's mom.
Saturday Nigel slept in, but I think I was still riding an energy high from the trip so I woke up super early (I'd pay for this lack of sleep later). Picking some raspberries from the garden, Nigel's mom and I made smoothies for breakfast. once we finally got ourselves in order for the day, Nigel and I borrowed his parents' bikes and we travelled along the river path to the Old Strathcona market where the Fringe festival was also taking place. We walked around there and on Whyte Ave. Along the way we found a band, Great North Blues Band, that was playing some swing tunes so we danced which was awesome. Oh ya and we got gelato! Mmm pistachio. I got a tour of UofA where I got to see their campus that is clearly better than UW's (sigh). We started biking downtown and then we got caught in an intense hail storm where the hail was splitting in two when it hit the ground. It made a crazy loud sound hitting my helmet and hands so we found shelter near the provincial legislature where kids were running around in the fountains. Making the rain break into a food break, we ventured out again as the rain lifted, stopped by to look inside city hall which was super pretty and had a glass pyramid on top. We headed back through the downtown and we were back in time to pack up the rest of our stuff for our flight and have dinner.
I can say enough good things about the trip, I was super fortunate to have lovely hosts!
Oh and I had estimated that there were 25 bridges and Nigel said 30, I counted (honestly) 24 :D
Berg Lake is located within Mount Robson Provincial Park, at the foot of the north face of Mount Robson (photo shows south face at sunset), the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3954m.
Berg Lake can be reached by following a marked hiking trail for 22 kilometres from the parking lot. To reach the parking lot, follow the Yellowhead Highway (#16) west from the Jasper townsite for 84 km (53 miles) to the Mount Robson Viewpoint centre. Here you will find gas, camping, a café and convenience store. on the north side of the highway follow a two-lane paved road for two km, ending at the good sized parking lot. Although some people go to Berg Lake on day one, consider making it a two-day hike (biking to the 7 km point helps a bit) and, you will want a full day or two at Berg Lake, minimum. Although the trail is easy to follow, this is wilderness, and be prepared for weather changes, bugs, and wildlife (i.e. bears). Bring first aid gear, sunscreen, good boots, food, and lots of water even if you are not spending the night.
[2]
[3] There are reminders from BC Parks about hazards along the trail at various locations.
[4A] This photo shows the rise in elevation from the parking lot which is almost 900m altitude. The altitude at Berg Lake campsite is slightly under 1700m. For those with asthma or other medical conditions it would be an extremely difficult hike after Kinney Lake as the oxygen level thins. It could be managed safely provided one used the general rule of thumb method of not ascending more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) per day to sleep, as well as approval from your family doctor.
[4B-First portion of trail before Kinney Lake - click to enlarge]
The Berg Lake Trail is well marked, progressing in several stages, appropriate for various abilities.
[4C-Berg Lake Trail bridge - click to enlarge]
Past Kinney Lake it is considered a difficult trail; for less fit hikers break the hiking into sections by stopping at one or more of the seven campsites along the trail: Kinney Lake, Whitehorn, Emperor Falls, Marmot, Berg Lake, Rearguard, and Robson Pass. Each campground has a cluster of tent pads for a single tent up to 10’ x 10’ and 1 to 6 people (all ages) per pad. Some of the campsites require a reservation with BC Parks.
[5-Berg Lake Trail - First 7km is like this]
A day hike to Kinney Lake and return takes approxi-mately 2.5 hours. The trail winds through old-growth cedar/hemlock forest as it follows the Robson River to Kinney Lake. The hike offers incredible scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities.
The first stage of the hike takes you on a very wide and well marked trail to Kinney Lake. Big trees, some interpretive signs, and rushing water characterize the first 5km. The trail climbs gradually alongside the Robson River (a tributary of the Fraser River) for 4.2 kilometres before reaching Kinney Lake where there is a primitive campground and a rest area. This is a nice destination for those out for a day hike.
[7- Kinney Lake - 7km mark]
The trail continues generally northwest, past the north end of the lake (bike lock up) where a sign offers two options: take the rocky boulder-strewn flood plain in the lowlands (not always passable, but shorter and easier), or, take the longer trail on the higher ground. Both reconnect with the main trail at the end of the lake (and a larger bridge). At 8.5 km cross a bridge to the Robson River’s west bank. Proceed onto a broad alluvial plain. At 9 km begin the steep ascent of Whitehorn Hill.
[8- Looking back to Kinney Lake, Robson River and gravel flats about 9km in trail]
Shortly afterward you will face an uphill section, with switchbacks, which flattens out and carries on for a few more kilometers to the Ranger station and Whitehorn Campground -- near the suspension bridge. This is another great day one stop from Kinney Lake. on the west bank is a ranger station. Cross to the east bank and arrive at Whitehorn campground. It has a spacious, open-air cooking shelter.
[9- Whitehorn campsite and ranger station]
[10- leaving White-horn campsite]
[11- one of the suspension bridges - click to enlarge]
In the next few kilometres, you then cross two steel bridges over the Robson River. The first is a suspension bridge. The next stage continues on 1 km beyond the campground and then 4km of daunting steep uphill towards Berg Lake via Emperor Falls. There are many lookouts in the Valley of a Thousand Falls.
[12 - Waterfall in Valley of a Thousand Falls - click to enlarge]
At 11.8 km cross another suspension bridge, back to the river’s west bank. Heading north, begins a steep ascent with switchbacks. The trail continues generally north, into Valley of a Thousand Falls.
[13- Looking back down to White-horn Campsite]
[14- Indian Paint-brush]
[15-looking back on trail up to White Falls]
[17- river below White Falls]
Over the next few kilometres, you will pass White Falls as the trail gains 450 m in the next 3.5 km along the rugged Robson River gorge.
[18-White Falls - click to enlarge]
[19- above top of White Falls, lowest of the three]
[21- Falls of the Pool]
After Falls of the Pool comes the magnificent Emperor Falls.
[22- Emperor Falls - click to enlarge]
At 15.4 km take the short spur to pay homage to the mighty Emperor.
[22B-Mt Robson from Emperor Falls campground - click to enlarge]
Near Emperor Falls campground, at approximately 16 km, the trail levels. It heads northeast, then curves east entering rocky terrain in the upper Robson River Valley.
[23-Going around and above swampy area]
[24- Scree trail above swampy bit of valley]
[25- Mist Glacier] The cliffs of Mt. Robson now dominate the scene. Mist Glacier is soon visible to the east. Will reach Marmot campground at 18.8 km.
At 19.1 km, the Hargreaves Glacier/Mumm Basin trail forks left, ascending generally north-northwest. Bear right on the main trail, heading generally northeast, paralleling the northwest shore of Berg Lake. Reach Berg Lake campground at 21 km.
[26- Berg Glacier on Mt. Robson, Berg Lake]
When you reach Berg Lake you are treated to views of Mt. Robson and the Emperor Face. You can also watch the Glacier calve into the water. The turquoise colored Berg Lake is dotted with icebergs even in the middle of summer. There is primitive camping and a BC Parks hut at Berg Lake.
[27]
The Hargreaves Shelter (photo) serves backpackers who want to cook indoors. Just 100 m past the campground, immediately after the Toboggan Creek bridge, the trail to Toboggan Falls forks left and ascends generally northwest. If you want more privacy than is available at Berg Lake, and you’re willing to forego quick access to the shelter, continue up the main trail, past the lake’s northeast end, to Rearguard campground, at 22 km.
There are other trips to Hargreaves Lake, Tobbogan Falls, Mumm Basin, Snowbird Pass (closed in May and June due to caribou calving), the toe of the Robson Glacier, and Moose River which will be covered in later posts.
The Texqakallt, a Secwepemc people (also commonly known as the Shuswap) are the earliest inhabitants of the area, call it Yuh-hai-has-kun or The Mountain of the Spiral Road. The Shuswap are a First Nations group located in the area around Kamloops.
The B.C. legislature created the park in 1913, the same year as the first ascent of Mount Robson by a party led by Conrad Kain.
The first recreational trail was built in 1913 by Jasper outfitter Donald "Curly" Phillips along the Robson River to Berg Lake.
This park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, together with the other national and provincial parks that form the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, for the mountain landscapes containing mountain peaks, glaciers, lakes, waterfalls, canyons and limestone caves as well as fossils found here.
Shuswap Lake (pronounced /ˈʃuːʃwɑːp/) is a lake located in south-central British Columbia, Canada that drains via the Little River into Little Shuswap Lake. Little Shuswap Lake is the source of the South Thompson River, a branch of the Thompson River, a tributary of the Fraser River. It is at the heart of a region known as the Shuswap Country or "the Shuswap", noted for its recreational lakeshore communities including the city of Salmon Arm. The name "Shuswap" is derived from the Shuswap or SecwepemcFirst Nations people, the most northern of the Interior Salish peoples, whose territory includes the Shuswap. The Shuswap call themselves /ʃǝxwépmǝx/ in their own language, which is called /ʃǝxwepmǝxtʃín/, but the ethnonym’s original meaning is now lost.[1]
Shuswap Lake consists of four arms, forming a shape reminiscent of the letter H. The four arms are called Salmon Arm (southwest), Anstey Arm (northeast), Seymour Arm (north), and the main lake (west). Shuswap Lake connects to Little Shuswap Lake via the Little River, which flows from the end of the west arm.
To the north-west it is fed by the Adams River, which drains Adams Lake. Shuswap Lake connects to Mara Lake at the Sicamous Channel. The Shuswap River connects via Mara Lake. In the south-west the Salmon River flows into the lake at Salmon Arm. The Eagle River runs down from the Eagle Pass in the Monashees to enter the lake at Sicamous, in the east. The Seymour River empties into the northern end of the Seymour Arm. In addition to these rivers, numerous creeks feed the lake, including Scotch Creek, which runs south to the north shore of the main arm, near the community of the same name.
The central interior plateau of British Columbia drained by the Fraser and Okanagan rivers is part of the Shuswap terrane in British Columbia and northern Washington state. It is dissected by numerous elongated, glacially-overdeepened lake basins which are formed by the same mechanisms as coastal fjords.[4][5]
Like many other lakes, Shuswap Lake has a local lake monster legend attached to it. A 25-foot long serpentine creature, known as the Shuswap Lake Monster or "Shuswaggi", is reported to live in the lake.[6]
This is the last of my photos from our trip to Canada last month. It kind of makes me sad to say that because it seems so final. Like, even though we've been back from vacation for some time, now that I'm sharing the last of the photos its really over. Really, really over.
I mentioned before that our days mostly consisted of doing relaxing things, but we also spent a lot of time hiking and spent two days doing a good bit of kayaking, to avoid being totally sedentary. We hiked several trails around the lake, but my favorite was hiking to the top of Copper Island. It's an island with an elevation from bottom to top of about 450 feet and the circumference was somewhere around 2 miles. It was amazing getting to the top and seeing the beautiful views provided by the elevation.
Out of all the photos from our trip, I think this one is my absolute favorite.
In addition to the hiking and walking trails, we spent the better part of two days doing a lot of kayaking. The first time we went out, we only paddled about two miles from the cabins, but the next day we decided to venture out a little further and paddled to a small little waterfall about six miles away. I know, six miles doesn't sound too far but when you're travelling over water with only your arms for propulsion - it's damn far. But it was definitely worth it!
The waterfall wasn't huge but it was very pretty and so, so cold. By the time we got there, the water coming off the fall was colder than our water bottles. We didn't try to climb it or anything, actually we only spent about five minutes there because a huge thunderstorm came rolling up and we started high-tailing it back to cloudless, sunny areas of the lake.
So that concludes the recapping of our adventures in Canada! Our next vacation will be to LAS VEGAS at the end of September. We've already booked our rooms (using AirBnb for the first time) and decided on one of the shows we'll see while we're there (Mystere by Cirque du Soleil) but I'm definitely open to suggestions of what else to do while we're there!
What are your favorite types of vacations? Calm, relaxing, and go with the flow, or adventurous, sight-seeing, and always moving?
Revelstoke was founded in the 1880s when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was built through the area; mining was an important early industry. The name was originally Farwell, after a local land owner and surveyor. In yet earlier days, the spot was called the Second Crossing, to differentiate it from the first crossing of the Columbia River by the Canadian Pacific Railway at Donald. The city was named by the Canadian Pacific Railway in appreciation of Lord Revelstoke, head of Baring Brothers & Co., the UK investment bank that, in partnership with Glyn, Mills & Co., saved the Canadian Pacific Railway from bankruptcy in the summer of 1885 by buying the company's unsold bonds, enabling the railway to reach completion.
The construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962 further eased access to the region, and since then tourism has been an important feature of the local economy, with skiing having emerged as the most prominent attraction. Mount Revelstoke National Park is just north of the town. The construction of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, a major new ski resort on Mount MacKenzie, just outside town, has been underway since late 2005, and first opened during the 2007-2008 ski season. Revelstoke is also the site of a railway museum.
Revelstoke BC is situated in prime black bear and grizzly bear habitat. In 1994 the Revelstoke garbage dump was fenced with an electric fence excluding bears from feeding on the garbage. The population of bears that had been feeding at the dump turned to town to forage for food and many were destroyed as 'nuisance bears'. The destruction of so many bears led to the creation of an education program meant to keep bears wild and the community safe.
Revelstoke holds the Canadian record for snowiest single winter. 2447 cm of snow fell on Mt.Copeland outside town during the winter of 1971-72. That works out to just over 80 feet of snow. The townsite received 779 cm and snow levels were higher than many roofs around town by more than a few metres.[2]
Revelstoke's economy has traditionally been tied to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and it still maintains a strong connection to that industry. However forestry, construction, tourism and retail have increased over the past decades. Today, telecommuters, freelancers, tech workers and entrepreneurs play an increasingly important role in Revelstoke's success. The city is served by Revelstoke Airport and was one of the first Canadian cities to have fibre internet installed.
Revelstoke is also the location of the Revelstoke Dam which was constructed on the Columbia River, and completed in 1984. In 1986, to offset the economic effects of the completed hydroelectric project and the temporary closure of the local sawmill, the City of Revelstoke undertook a downtown revitalization program and it was completed with marked success.
A small ski resort featuring a single short lift has operated on Mount MacKenzie since the 1960s, and snowcat skiing was offered for higher altitudes. A strong movement pushed to expand the entire mountain into a single resort, and construction started in the early 2000s (decade).
Revelstoke Mountain Resort opened in the winter of 2007/8 and boasts North America's greatest vertical at 1,713 metres (5,620 ft).
The resort also offers 3,121 acres of fall line skiing, high alpine bowls, 13 areas of gladed terrain and more groomed terrain. Revelstoke Mountain Resort is also the only resort world-wide to offer lift, cat, heli and backcountry skiing from one village base. The resort will continue development, though economic conditions starting in late 2008 have deferred its initial plans.
Revelstoke has produced some talented athletes in winter sports, notably ice hockey.
The former local BCJHL team, the Revelstoke Bruins, had a number of future NHLers on its roster in the 1970s and 1980s, including Bruce Holloway, Ron E. Flockhart, and Rudy Poesc. The current Revelstoke Kootenay International Junior Hockey League team is the Revelstoke Grizzlies, the former KIJHL team of locally born Aaron Volpatti. Another notable professional hockey player for the Austrian Hockey League is Andrew Kozek who was also born in Revelstoke.
Norwegian immigrants brought skiing and ski jumping to Revelstoke, and by the 1910s, several ski jumping hills had been built around town. Revelstoke Ski Club was founded in 1914, and by the following year had reached 102 members. The pinnacle of the club was the annual Winter Carnival Tournament. The first tournament was held in 1915, and had, in addition to cross-country skiing competitions, ski jumping competitions for boys under 16 and the title of Champion of British Columbia. Nels Nelsen Hill, first known as Big Hill, opened in 1916. Revelstoke became an international center for ski jumping, attracting the world elite for the annual tournament.[3] Revelstoke's own Nels Nelsen set the world records in the hill, at 73 meters (240 ft) in 1925 and 82 meters (269 ft) set by Bob Lymburne in 1932.[4] The hill was completely renovated by 1948, leading to further international tournaments. The town even considered placing a bid for the 1968 Winter Olympics. However, throughout the 1960s, the interest for ski jumping was declining, with subsequent consequences for the number of spectators. The last tournament was held in 1975.[5]
Revelstoke Freeride World Tour
Due to the heavy snowfall in the area, Revelstoke is home to four heli-skiing and two cat-skiing operations. There are numerous backcountry skiing lodges in the area. Revelstoke is also a major snowmobiling destination.
In the summer, mountain biking, rock climbing and kayaking are popular activities.
In 2010, Revelstoke became part of a select group of ski resorts to feature the Freskiing World Tour. After a successful trial of combining European and North American skiing tours starting with Revelstoke in 2012, the Swatch Freeride World Tour, Freeskiing World Tour and The North Face Masters of Snowboarding announced a merger that combined all three tours under one unified global 5-star championship series. The six-stop world tour named the Swatch Freeride World Tour by the North Face includes freeride skiing and snowboarding at each stop starting with Revelstoke, Canada and ending with Verbier, Switzerland.
Starting in 2015 Revelstoke has hosted the Red Bull Cold Rush, fusing the disciplines of backcountry slopestyle, big mountain, cliffs, and alpine ski touring. The world’s premier skiers are invited to battle it out for a chunk of the $36,000 prize purse awarded in a peer-judged format to the most versatile, well-rounded athletes.
In 2011, Revelstoke locals Michael Curran and Stephanie Ells formed Revelstoke Roller Derby Association. The league provides the only affordable, year round team sport option for adult women in town. The leagues premier team, the Derailers, held its debut bouts in the summer of 2012 and won both home games.
Revelstoke experiences a Humid continental climate (Köppen) Dfb. The highest temperature ever recorded in Revelstoke was 40.6 °C (105 °F) on 17 July 1941.[7] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −34.4 °C (−30 °F) on 11 January 1909, 20 January 1935 and 18 January 1943.[8][9][10]
