Located 2.5 hours north of Spokane and six miles over the Canadian border among the jagged peaks of the Kootenay Rockies region in interior BC sits Rossland. In summer, it’s a mountain biking, hiking, and golf destination to rival Whistler. But Rossland is best known for its winter exploits, namely the legendary Powder Highway. Skiers in the know get some seriously wide eyes when talking about this still-hidden spot of endless powder stashes. And at The Josie, the top luxury boutique hotel in Rossland, slopeside at Red Mountain, that experience comes paired with plenty of high-style, high-comfort touches that helps turn your ski weekend into one you’ll share on plenty of chairlift stories back home. Time to drop into your first run on this weekend itinerary in Rossland, BC.
Friday
6 p.m. | Check-in at The Josie
As Noble House’s newest luxury boutique hotel and the first to debut in British Columbia, The Josie is first and foremost, a ski-in, ski-out hotel at Red Mountain. Decidedly playful with its Get Lost Adventure Center and Spa Terre (whose treatment rooms overlook the ski mountain), it also features the high-design elements in the common areas and The Velvet restaurant that you’d come to expect of a Noble House hotel. For your options of Rossland, BC hotels, it is decidedly more modern, and with finer details, than anything available in town before it opened its doors.
7 p.m. | Dinner at The Velvet
After dropping your bags in your room overlooking Red Mountain, it’s time to head downstairs to The Velvet for dinner. Chef Marc-André Coquette’s menu brings together a community of farmers, wineries, and other suppliers to deliver a diverse set of locally-inspired, carefully crafted dishes, ranging from pork miso ramen to pickled eggs and Kusshi oysters. Savor a local craft pint or fine bottle of Kootenay Gewürztraminer while poring over a Red Mountain trail map, plotting tomorrow’s plan of attack for the trails right outside.
Saturday
8 a.m. | Coffee and a Bite among the Local Set at Alpine Grind
If you’re antsy and up early before the lifts start spinning, get a quick taste of downtown Rossland at Alpine Grind, the town’s preeminent café that is a five-minute drive from the hotel. No doubt, you’ll see other others in ski bibs headed to Red, but also likely a crew who has parked their fat bikes right outside for a winter ride or ice climbers fueling up before diving into the backcountry (remember: this is a town where Gore-tex is de rigueur and never goes out of style). In addition to your local roasted coffee, grab one of their baked goods or their highly recommended egg frittata on a grilled bagel before heading back to The Josie to boot up.
9 a.m. | Ski Out the Back Door at Red Mountain
The Josie’s super-convenient locker space on the second-floor feeds directly out to the lifts in just a few strides. Before you go, chat up the hotel’s resident ski concierge for some tips on where to start your morning runs. Three peaks collectively boast 2,900 acres of lift-serviced terrain, 2,900 vertical feet of skiing, and 300 inches of annual snowfall – what all those stats suggest is that if you’re looking for some powder turns, you’ll find them. Experts will find their fare among the glades skier’s right off the Motherlode Chair on Granite Mountain or among the cleverly named The Chute Show section off Grey Mountain. Intermediates will be happy skier’s right off Grey Mountain or running laps on the Paradise Chair side of Granite Mountain or lower on Red Mountain.
2 p.m.| Shop in Downtown Rossland
Although your trip is first and foremost about the skiing, it’d be a shame to not experience some of what this charming downtown has to offer, so hand your skis over to the ski concierge and head into town for a few hours. These are local shops run by locals – no chains here – so it’s as much about chatting up the owners as it is finding something to buy. Some highlights: Out of the Cellar, (gift shop full of finds from across the Kootenay region), Feather Your Nest (full of duvets and bedding so cozy you’ll want to curl up for a nap), and Powderhound Sports (one of the many outdoor gear shops). End the quick tour with some tastings at Rossland Beer Company, which uses mountain-filtered water in their four staple options, plus rotating seasonal lineup of beers.
4:30 p.m. | Après for Your Body at Spa Terre
Skiing, then some walking around town? Phew! It’s time to give those muscles some TLC…because you’ve got a big ski day tomorrow too. A full-body massage tailored to your specific needs back at The Josie’s Spa Terre overlooking the mountain will get you feeling warm and relaxed like no après cocktail can. Make sure to book ahead of time for weekend appointments – this is a very popular way to end a Saturday ski day.
8 p.m. | Dinner at The Flying Steamshovel
No reason to high-brow it when there’s an opportunity to spend some more time in town with the locals – and admittedly, plenty of other tourists too. “The Shovel,” as it’s known in Rossland, will fill you up with 14 craft beers on tap and a menu full of hearty passed plates, plus a wide selection of tacos and burgers. If you’re up for it, get in on a game of Neglin, the Kootenays game where players circling a stump take their turn trying to bury the head of their respective nail into the wood. Newbies beware.
Sunday
9:30 a.m. | A Bucket List Checked: Cat Skiing
Of course, you didn’t come to interior BC to solely ski inbounds! But the thing about cat skiing is that you’re only as fast as the slowest member in your group of 12. That means that when you get in a group of varied ability levels, it can kill the high that this sort of epic experience promises to deliver, while you wait at the bottom for the last of the group to finish their run. Luckily, Big Red Cats runs four cats a day on 19,300 acres of powdery backcountry terrain, allowing them to group you by ability level. They’re the only snowcat operation in British Columbia to do so, which means little to no waiting and more runs. That truly can make all the difference to have this bucket list item meet its expectations. Check out The Josie’s Bucket List Backcountry Cat Skiing package, which includes lodging deals and gourmet packed lunch from The Velvet along with your days of cat skiing.
The Josie
