72 Hours in Smithers with Dax Justin

Feb 12, 2017

Three snowy days in Smithers and I'm a convert

This leg of our SkiNorthBC expedition brought us to a little place called Smithers, located in northwestern B.C., halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers has a small but mighty population of just more than 5,400.

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I did a little digging and discovered that it was founded in 1913 and eagerly adopted a strong Alpine culture. A town bylaw even requires businesses in the downtown area to construct buildings in an Alpine style.

Looking to get the most out of your visit to Smithers? Make sure to check out Tourism Smithers official website.

I wanted to kick off my time in Smithers by meeting and skiing with some residents, locally nicknamed Smithereens. Little did I know that I would become smitten with the town and its people.

I discovered this place has the whole package, generous people and a warm alpine attitude. After spending time with the people and views of Smithers, I could easily live here permanently.

Meet Taylor Bachrach, Canada's powder-shredding mayor

Photo: Dax Justin

Taylor Bachrach is not your typical mayor, but thats probably because of where he lives. He grew up on skis and has lived here for about 12 years here with his family after falling in love with the place. "We moved here for the mountain, Bachrach says. My wife and I wanted to be in a mountain ski town with a great community. We felt signals from the universe that this was the place to be to raise our family. This place has a generosity of spirit like nowhere else."

Bachrach is no slouch on the slopes. I had trouble keeping up with him as he shredded it up, cutting fresh lines all over the mountain. My excuse? I was too busy looking at the gorgeous views.

Eat & drink: Aspen in the Riverhouse Lounge

Photo: Dax Justin

You can keep your ski boots on and settle into this local institution for the warm fire, some pub fare and cold beverages after your snowy adventures. The huge menu caters to all appetites and each night has a food theme.

Meet Alex Cuba

Photo: Dax Justin

Alex Cuba is one of Smithers most famous residents and I had the opportunity to meet the multi-award winning musician while I was there. Aside from his music sung in English and Spanish, I learned his other big love is his family. He ended up living in Smithers after marrying his wife Sarah who is from Smithers. You can tell he loves this community and that it has become his escape from touring and the music industry. What's more everyone around town seems to have immense respect for him because of his dedication to his family. I heard from more than several people that he can often be seen playing outside with his kids.

Looking to get the most out of your visit to Smithers? Make sure to check out Tourism Smithers official website

Unreal views on and off Hudson Bay Mountain

I had the pleasure of teaming up with talented videographer Chris Wheeler for a sunrise photo and video shoot at Hudson Bay Mountain in Smithers. It's an experience I'll never forget for a number of reasons. It was my first snow cat ride. It was pitch black and we were on the side of a mountain. And the other was that we didn't have matches or a lighter to spark up the wood stove in our cabin. But that was OK. We huddled in and talked, thankful to see the first golden rays of morning as we headed out for the first tracks shoot. We watched the sun come up and then skied down the mountain. What an exhilarating start the day with no one else around us. I bet you could hear us whooping it up for miles getting to experience this amazing alpine experience.