Panorama Ski Resort
Encyclopedia
Panorama Mountain Village is a ski and golf resort located in the Purcell Mountains
of British Columbia
, Canada
. Part of the Columbia Valley
sub-region of the East Kootenay region, it is a popular tourist destination
known for its rolling cliffs and spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains
. It is owned by Panorama Mountain Village Inc.
In 1973, lots were sold near the base of the hill for development to raise money for the hill. Using the funds that they earned from the lots, the Horizon Double Chair was installed in 1975. The Horizon ran about 3 quarters of the distance of the present Champagne Express.
In 1978 the hill was purchased from Messerli and associates by Alan Graham and Cascade
development Group. Graham funded the Toby and Horsethief lodges, completed in 1979, that greatly increased lodging in the area.
In 1979, the Toby Double chair was built, and in 1980 the Sunbird Triple Chair was completed. Both still operate to this day.
In 1984, in the continued effort to make Panorama into a resort, hotels began opening near the base of the hill, and Tennis Courts were installed.
In 1985 Panorama hosted the World Cup, and the Champagne T-Bar was built to bring skiers to the top of the races. The Champagne T-Bar ran from the top of the Horizon double to where the Champagne Quad Chair runs today.
In 1989, the Old wooden T-Bar was replaced with the Mile 1 Express, and development continued at the hill base.
In 1993 the hill was purchased by Intrawest, whose massive pockets would pay for much more development at Panorama, and the Greywolf Golf Course. Also, in 1995 the Summit T-Bar was opened. In 1998, a very innovative lift system called a Pulse Gondola was installed by Doppelmayr Lifts from the lodge on Toby Creek up to the main base area to bring skiers and pedestrians from the lower village and day skier parking lot up to the upper village snow front.
In 2004, the Horizon double chair and Champagne T-Bar were replaced by the Champagne Express, and the Summit T-Bar was replaced by the Summit Quad. Plans currently exist to replace the Sunbird Triple Chair with a quad chair, but that will likely not happen for some time.
In November 2008, the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup returned to the resort with Giant Slalom and Slalom races held on Old Timer and Hay Fever respectively.
On Jan 28, 2010 Intrawest agreed to sell Panorama Mountain Village to a group of local business people led by Rick Jensen. The group was said to be paying $27.5 million. The deal is due to close in February. The buyer group is made up of 18 people, most of whom own homes in Panorama.
The ski resort is of average size for North America, with 2847 acres (11.5 km²) of skiable lift-served terrain. This places it somewhere in the top ten in terms of area. It also has one of the largest vertical drops in North America, at 4000 feet (1,219.2 m). In terms of continuously skiable vertical drop, it is 5th behind Revelstoke Mountain Resort
, Whistler-Blackcomb
, Jackson Hole
and Kicking Horse
.
, which has an extensive range of trails for all levels of difficulty. With approximately 20.5 km of trail for classic and skating and 6.6 km for Classic only. At the center of the Nordic center there is the Hale Hut, which sells a most needed cup of hot chocolate.
It is also home to Greywolf golf course
, which winds along the Toby Creek Canyon.
The only way to access Panorama is via a road from the town of Invermere, located approximately 18 kilometers away.
Purcell Mountains
The Purcell Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. They are a subrange of the Columbia Mountains, which includes the Selkirk, Monashee, and Cariboo Mountains. They are located on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench in the area of the Columbia Valley, and on...
of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Part of the Columbia Valley
Columbia Valley
The Columbia Valley is the name used for a region in the Rocky Mountain Trench near the headwaters of the Columbia River between the town of Golden and the Canal Flats. The main hub of the valley is the town of Invermere. Other towns include Radium Hot Springs, Windermere and Fairmont Hot Springs...
sub-region of the East Kootenay region, it is a popular tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
known for its rolling cliffs and spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
. It is owned by Panorama Mountain Village Inc.
History
Panorama was founded in 1962 by Guy Messerli, of Invermere, and some friends. The original hill consisted of just 1 rope tow, which ran up the bottom of Old Timer. In 1964, a platter was purchased from Sunshine Village, and installed to replace the rope tow. In 1969, the platter was moved to its present location on the bunny hill, and an extremely long wooden T-Bar was installed that ran up the present Mile 1 quad location.In 1973, lots were sold near the base of the hill for development to raise money for the hill. Using the funds that they earned from the lots, the Horizon Double Chair was installed in 1975. The Horizon ran about 3 quarters of the distance of the present Champagne Express.
In 1978 the hill was purchased from Messerli and associates by Alan Graham and Cascade
development Group. Graham funded the Toby and Horsethief lodges, completed in 1979, that greatly increased lodging in the area.
In 1979, the Toby Double chair was built, and in 1980 the Sunbird Triple Chair was completed. Both still operate to this day.
In 1984, in the continued effort to make Panorama into a resort, hotels began opening near the base of the hill, and Tennis Courts were installed.
In 1985 Panorama hosted the World Cup, and the Champagne T-Bar was built to bring skiers to the top of the races. The Champagne T-Bar ran from the top of the Horizon double to where the Champagne Quad Chair runs today.
In 1989, the Old wooden T-Bar was replaced with the Mile 1 Express, and development continued at the hill base.
In 1993 the hill was purchased by Intrawest, whose massive pockets would pay for much more development at Panorama, and the Greywolf Golf Course. Also, in 1995 the Summit T-Bar was opened. In 1998, a very innovative lift system called a Pulse Gondola was installed by Doppelmayr Lifts from the lodge on Toby Creek up to the main base area to bring skiers and pedestrians from the lower village and day skier parking lot up to the upper village snow front.
In 2004, the Horizon double chair and Champagne T-Bar were replaced by the Champagne Express, and the Summit T-Bar was replaced by the Summit Quad. Plans currently exist to replace the Sunbird Triple Chair with a quad chair, but that will likely not happen for some time.
In November 2008, the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup returned to the resort with Giant Slalom and Slalom races held on Old Timer and Hay Fever respectively.
On Jan 28, 2010 Intrawest agreed to sell Panorama Mountain Village to a group of local business people led by Rick Jensen. The group was said to be paying $27.5 million. The deal is due to close in February. The buyer group is made up of 18 people, most of whom own homes in Panorama.
Statistics
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Revelstoke Mountain Resort is a ski resort on Mount Mackenzie, just outside Revelstoke, British Columbia in Canada.When complete, the resort will offer about 20 km² of skiable terrain and a vertical drop of 1,845 meters , with 21 lifts and 115 ski and snowboard trails. Revelstoke now offers...
, Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort located 125 km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. By many measures it is the largest ski resort in North America; it is 50% larger than its nearest competitor in terms of size, has the greatest uphill lift capacity, and until 2009, had...
, Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski resort at Teton Village, Wyoming. Located northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. The region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.-Ski area...
and Kicking Horse
Kicking Horse Resort
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is a ski resort located 14 km outside of Golden, British Columbia. It features what is currently the fourth highest vertical drop North America, at . It is only shorter than Jackson Hole. In total the resort includes over of skiable lift-served terrain...
.
Amenities
At the bottom of the ski hill there is the Beckie Scott Nordic Center, named for Canadian Olympic gold-medal skier Beckie ScottBeckie Scott
Rebecca "Beckie" Scott, MSM is a retired Canadian cross-country skiing athlete and as of February 23, 2006, an International Olympic Committee member by virtue of being elected to the IOC Athlete's Commission along with Saku Koivu....
, which has an extensive range of trails for all levels of difficulty. With approximately 20.5 km of trail for classic and skating and 6.6 km for Classic only. At the center of the Nordic center there is the Hale Hut, which sells a most needed cup of hot chocolate.
It is also home to Greywolf golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
, which winds along the Toby Creek Canyon.
The only way to access Panorama is via a road from the town of Invermere, located approximately 18 kilometers away.
External links
- http://www.panoramaresort.com/
- http://www.greywolfgolf.com/