Read skier and snowboarder-submitted reviews on Hudson Bay Mountain that rank the ski resort and mountain town on a scale of one to five stars for attributes such as terrain, nightlife and family friendliness. See how Hudson Bay Mountain stacks up in the reviews, on and off the slopes, from skiing and family activities to the après scene. Read up on pros, cons and other comments in reviews left by fellow skiers and riders. Don't forget to submit your own Hudson Bay Mountain review! Scroll to the bottom of this page to let other travelers know about your skiing and resort experience.
Reviews for Hudson Bay Mountain
Total (2.9)
A ski resort's overall star rating displayed here is not calculated based on a simple average but takes several factors, including the age of a review, into account.
I love Hudson bay mountain. rarely long line ups or busy runs, There is a trail to town that is great once you do it a few times so fun, the view is amazing, I wish the cost was not so much but that is every ski hill... overall beautiful place and no major complaints.
sea27sky
A great community/regional area with great snow stays filled in due to the dry location on the leeward side of the Coast range. Lots of off-piste steeps, shallow too for the int. skier, not very good grooming though. Best cabin community in Canada. I skied whistler all my life and most areas in N. America this satisfies my retirement skiing. Quiet, chilled, nice snow, backcountry, and people.
Walt Witman
Great family ski hill. Slow chair and two T-bars. Have not had much for snow in the past few years so it may never have been about the powder. But, no lineup!
Grooming is fair to poor. They don't often groom side to side. More often just 3 of 4 passes.
Sometimes dangerously.
Services lack a bit but is a small mountain.
On thing I must say. There is a sign to have dogs on a leash. The on hill mangers dog is never on a leash runs freely and you are expected to entertain it. Have fun!
Karl Anthony
This mountain is killer value. I was up during the Skier Cross week last year, and even got to race the course, after the National Team members ran it. Elk Stew for lunch, and a great party with a band at Apres.
It's like Skiing in the 80's. This mountain still has an open Downhill race, Slush cup, and a bunch of other events that other ski hill have cancelled...
Jim
Keep in mind I'm comparing to what I consider to be the best resorts in North America - this resort would be rated way higher if I was comparing to out East. Also keep in mind I'm talking about in-bounds skiing.
The hill was a bit disappointing for me. I guess the town isn't as big as I thought it was, so for its size it's a pretty decent hill. But the amount of snow was less than I thought they'd get up here (see their website for averages - they're right about average this year). The variation of terrain is very limited - there has been hardly any thinning of the forest done through the trees (which naturally are too dense to ski through for the most part) so you either ski down the three gladed tree runs, or ski down actual runs that are open or groomed. I guess if you're a beginner or like open runs, that's fine, but if you're more advanced and want some steep treed runs, there's not much for you here to explore. There's also not a lot of steep - it's pretty mellow slopes in bounds. I think the hill would really benefit and attract more visitors from out of town if they thinned out some more trees - the problem is without doing so, after every dump, things get tracked out right away. If you thin out the trees more and there's more room to ski, the snow would stay better for longer after the storms. Again, just my opinion.
The good things about the hill is it's a nice local feel - not too many tourists and not a 'scene'. There is also supposedly good backcountry access from the lifts - I didn't get a chance to do that because I was alone. There is also absolutely no crowds - it was a sunny nice Sunday afternoon and there was not one person on the whole lift, and just a couple families using the T-bars. Maybe that's because the snow quality right now isn't great - but still, absolutely no one on the whole side of the mountain I was skiing on. It's also not too expensive - one of the cheaper hills around - but again, it's not a major destination for a lot of skiers yet.
In summary, I think there's more potential here and if the resort does some work, it could be a lot better. But compared to where I spend most my time further south in BC, the terrain and snow was a bit disappointing. After a big dump, it would be fun to rip down some of the runs. Once they're tracked out or groomed, there's not a lot of exploring to do through the trees and I think that limits the fun potential. No crowds, cheap tickets, chill environment, and good access to backcountry are reasons why you'd go here. Not to experience steep and crazy runs in bounds.
Pat Wright
I was returning from Alaska in April and hoping to make some turns along the way. I spent 3 days at Hudson Bay. The weather was a bit variable but I got a couple of small dumps and got to ski powder all one day. Hudson even has a real live double black and lots of interesting runs for a two day stay.The food and bar are well above average for a small town ski hill.Smithers is a very friendly and pleasant town. If your in the area give it whirl.
Most ski areas count the great days on one hand. Not Smithers. Tons of light snow result in the most consistenly good skiing I have experienced anywhere. Great snow, no crowds, lots of potential, interesting terrain, hidden secret stashes and good backcountry along with a world class cross country facility and ice climbing make Smithers an exceptional experience. Lots of great music and arts provide after ski entertainment. Easy access via one of the two airlines (Jazz or Hawk Air), or a long drive (13 hrs) from Vancouver, Edmonton or Calgary. Shames mountain just down the road is the bonus to enjoy while in the area.
The town offers swimming pool, climbing wall. gym, movie theatre, bowling, great food and inexpensive accommodation.
Ski & Ride Smithers is a community/family ski area, not a glitzy resort area where you show off your expensive new ski outfit. The snow is champagne powder, with a good balance of beginner, intermediate and advanced runs. This is a place you can take your kids or grandkids and they can really learn to ski. You won't wait in long lines, except maybe during Christmas week, and you won't find yourself on a crowded run full of too many people.
A new lift has been purchased for installment in 2008 and the community has begun work on a run from the bottom of the chair lift all the way to town, in the valley below. The apre ski lodge is funky, true, but the food and drinks are great and the local people are very friendly. The service is good, the snow is awesome, the lines are short, the prices are right and this little unassuming gem is a welcome change from the crummy snow, high prices and glitzy attitude at some of the fancier ski resorts in BC.
Ski Smithers is a funny little place, to say the least! On a powdery day its good fun although there are no really long runs to get into. There are a few nice "bowls" on the East side but thats about it as far as black terraine goes. You can tell that this place is run on the edge, so to speak, I mean, it feels a little like skiing back in about 1965 with only rickety tbars and one third hand triple chair. There isnt much on the mounatins as far as apres ski goes, you really need to get off the mountain at quittin' time to avoid the possibility of going into a ditch after dark and not being found till morning!
Aside from the 1960s era ski lodge and creaky lifts, the biggest issue with Ski Smithers is the long road up to the mountain from town. Its actually really close as the crow flies but takes about 25-30 minutes in the winter to get up there depending on the snow conditions. A few years ago there was talk of further development up at the mountain but that seems to have evaporated at present time. What you do get at Ski Smithers is great snow, great views and a truely cool town to go along with it. Dont expect big resort style skiing here, but do expect to have alot of space to yourself at a reasonably good price for a lift ticket.
It wont ever be a destination ski area unless the road is vastly improved and a few million bucks are pumped into facilities and that likely wont happen. At least you will always be able to afford a nice hotel room and good food.
Rate this Resort
Share your experience at resort Hudson Bay Mountain to help other skiers.
