By Colin Field
The next generation of turn earners go backcountry skiing in Sault Ste. Marie.
I love Bellevue Valley Lodge. It’s no secret. I love earning turns too. It’s a special kind of masochism I suppose, but I love being in the woods, working hard, and then enjoying the thrill of skiing through trees, bouncing over logs, and falling into soft, deep, bottomless powder snow.
After two visits to see Enn and Robin (owners of Bellevue Valley Lodge), I finally managed to drag my 10-year-old son and my wife away for a couple days of ski touring and Algoma Country hospitality. Would my family love it as much as I do?
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By Conor Mihell
Sault Ste. Marie is a great destination for an active winter weekend vacation in Ontario.
Cradled by the ancient mountains of the Canadian Shield and surrounded by freshwater seas, locals have always known the community of Sault Ste. Marie (pop. 70,000) to be an epicenter of outdoor adventure. Exceptionally snowy winters support vast networks of groomed cross-country ski trails, an incredible array of backcountry ski and snowshoe options, and a vibrant fat-biking scene. “The Soo” has emerged as a one of the best winter sports hubs between Quebec and the Rockies. This three-day itinerary is jam-packed for adventure travellers keen to play in the snow.
Day One
Stokely Creek Lodge located just off the Trans-Canada Highway, a mere half-hour drive north of Sault Ste. Marie, is a beloved destination for American cross-country ski enthusiasts who return year after year.
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By Martin Lortz
As a skier, there is no better way to start the day than to the rumble of a snow groomer outside your window and a landscape of fresh, overnight snow that gently rounds over the hard edges of yesterday. Actually, not just a layer of snow but 30 cm that fell in the last 24 hours. Yummy.
I’m getting ahead of myself. Where is this winter wonderland, you ask? We are at Searchmont Resort, nestled in the rugged Canadian Shield of the Goulais River Valley—about 45 minutes northeast of Sault Ste. Marie. With a vertical of 700 feet (228 metres), Searchmont can trade vertical stat jabs with the best in Ontario. But unique to this ski resort is the prolific snow-making machine known as Lake Superior, regularly pounding these slopes with winter storms to the tune of 132 inches (336 cm) annual snowfall on average.
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By Colin Field
The best snow, slopes, and tree skiing this side of the Rockies and the US border. Discover what makes Sault Ste. Marie one of Canada’s best places to ski
Dropping into the tree run to far skier’s right, I watch as the locals flow through the knee-deep snow. They dart between the trees, over jumps and into the air. I’m right there behind them, and we’re all whooping ecstatically. For skiers and snowboarders that chase powder, this is the dream. And when Searchmont gets snow, it is one seriously fun place to ski.
Just north of Sault Ste. Marie, Searchmont Resort has 700 feet of vertical, three chairlifts, and one Poma. It’s a friendly place that gets an annual average snowfall of 132 inches. The resort benefits from lake effect snow as cold air masses travel across Lake Superior and send the white fluffy stuff over Searchmont. Spending our first day tracking out the resort is the perfect way to start a trip in Algoma Country.
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By Colin Field and Mountain Life Magazine
Dropping in, we flow through the trees in knee-deep snow. The locals ride and ski through the woods like water down a stream: effortlessly. Their movements are beautiful to watch. We’re all whooping with joy; it’s impossible not to. We absolutely nailed the conditions today: blower Lake Superior-affected powder. And lots of it. We reach the bottom and without even speaking I ski through the non-existent lift line and hop right back on the chair. Glorious. Friends be damned, it’s a powder day.
With a vertical drop of 700 feet and an average snowfall of 132 inches, Searchmont Resort is the underdog of Ontario’s ski resorts. There’s no Starbucks at the base lodge. You can’t buy a Canada Goose jacket in the pro shop and there are no waterslides or amusement parks. But that’s part of its charm. It’s a ski hill. You come here to ski (or snowboard obviously). And that’s what everyone is here to do.
While Searchmont didn’t open in the winter of 2020/21, they’re stoked to fire up the chair-lifts and get those bull wheels turning again in 2021/22.
“There’s a lot going on,” says media coordinator Darren Sanderson. “We’re replacing our old double lift with a new triple and we are building a brand new triple, which will also feed into two new runs. Our goal is to make it so there’s more of a transition between our learning centre and the main runs.”
Not only that the owners that took over in 2018 have invested in a new restaurant called the Kiln and the new Caribou Café, and their villas are being completely rebuilt, both inside and out. Hopefully they’re ready for this sea-son. And perhaps most importantly, they’ve upgraded their snowmaking capability.
“In 2019 we had our earliest start ever, on December 7. It was partly because of those new snowmakers. Hopefully the weather co-operates so we can have a good start to the season this year too.”
Amen to that. Come on UlIr!
Visit the Searchmont website to learn more including info about season tickets and lift pass.
And read the full article by Colin Field in Mountain Life magazine here.
