Get the ultimate Sun Peaks Nordic skiing experience with local trail tips

Straight off the top, if you are looking for views when you're Nordic skiing, Sun Peaks is the spot.

Grab a to-go lunch from Ohana Deli within the Burfield base area and ski your way out to the McGillivray Lake cabin, making for the perfect half-day cross-country ski adventure. 

Getting there, you have options. Most direct and easiest would be McGillivray Lake Trail. 

For a little more adventure on your way, "Great Grey" is a beauty blue cruiser that—with a few extra trail connections—will get you there and back within about two to three hours, depending on how much time you spend over lunch. (For full trail directions, see the Sun Peaks nordic ski map in our "when you go" section.) 

If you are looking for a bit more adventure on your way to the cabin, do like I did the other day: head down the backside on the blue run starting from the top of Morrisey; a cross-country ski run called "Holy Cow." 

You can get in an extra lap here, given your Nordic ticket includes two runs up the Morrisey quad chair.

And that's just the start—keep reading for more Nordic skiing tips to Sun Peaks, after you enter the contest below for a shot at winning a Sun Peaks Nordic ski getaway.

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For more beauty views, Sun Peaks Nordic Ski Club member and former Tourism Sun Peaks CEO Arlene Schieven has the following suggestions on the trails to ski (and she knows given she works with media folks all the time looking for those "kodak moments".) 

Four top Sun Peaks Nordic ski trail picks

Arlene Schieven dishes the trails she loves for great skiing and views:

1. Cottontail towards the Morrisey lift, coming back towards the resort. "This is a 'must view,' as you get the ski resort in the background," she explains. The trail has very easy access, either starting at the village or from parking lot five, which is home to the East Village Nordic Centre (you'll find Nordic ski rentals and/or lessons here at the Centre as well). 

2. Blue Grouse, on the section just after the junction with Chickadee (coming down), always has good grooming. This isn't too far from McGillivray Lake cabin.

3. 'The Five-Way Junction' this would be a good opportunity to meet up with other friends who are out for a ski as it is the meeting of five trails (McGillivray Lake in both directions, Fox Trot, Moose Track and Whiskey Jack).

4. Phil's Way (coming down). A nice open trail that always seems to have nice warm light to recharge your batteries.

Phil's Way is named in honour of Phil Youwe, who for the past 30 years has maintained these trails and built out Sun Peaks' Nordic appeal. 

"My three decades at Sun Peaks Nordic is passion coming through given I live down the road 15 mins at Heffley Lake," says Youwe. "I grew up skiing here. 

Ski Sun Peaks Nordic trails for epic cross-country 

Start planning your next Nordic getaway, at Sun Peaks

"Sure I enjoy downhill and even backcountry skiing but our Nordic ski trails are some of the best."  

"You gotta love the views ...and the grooming is great!"

Ha! No bias here, given one of Youwe's top roles is heading up the grooming team who set and maintain the 37 kilometers of trails daily (19 kms of backcountry ungroomed trails on top of this). 

Outside of Schieven's suggestions, Youwe has his own picks for Sun Peaks Nordic adventures not to miss. 

"If there was only one trail that I could do, it would be the section of En Garde to McGillivray Lake trail," recommends Youwe. 

"There is something about that section of trail as it's just got a nice easy classic climb to it. With the trees all covered in snow it's a spot that makes you feel you are somewhere special."

Youwe went on to suggest Moose Track as his close second trail not to miss here, "it's another nice trial that doesn't get skied a lot. It features a cool creek crossing and the dog sleds come across there."

Yes, Sun Peaks does offer Dog Sled tours, via the friends at Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures. 

If you are lucky, you will see them in action on the trails! Or, make it a double deluxe day by skiing your way to an Ohana lunch at the McGillivray Lake cabin and then book an après dog sled adventure.

When you go 

Ski trail map  start planning your Nordic outings at Sun Peaks now, here is the full trail map.

Getting to Sun Peaks 

From Edmonton stop at Jasper for some Nordic skiing in the Rockies en route, then keep coming west on the Yellowhead Highway and then south on Highway 5 for a total of about five hours. 

From the Lower Mainland you are about a four-and-a-half-hour drive along the Coquihalla Highway. 

From Kelowna to Sun Peaks is about a three-hour drive straight north on Highway 97 and consider a stop in at Sovereign Nordic Centre, and/or SilverStar on your way past.

Staying at Sun Peaks

Tourism Sun Peaks offers up all the details you need. 

Where to eat 

Forget cooking, Ohana Deli Sun Peaks has got you. Open until 8pm every day, they have all you need to keep fueled up on a huge array of homemade foods.

"It's like never-never-land around here," explains Bobbe Lyall, Ohana Deli's owner. "We are a town built on top of a mountain and it's been exciting to watch it go from zero to a full-on snow globe … with a golf course! I gotta plug that for summer," Lyall exclaims given her partner is the superintendent for the Sun Peaks Golf Course.

After all these adventures, a place to sit and chill may be in order, saddle up to a dirty chai or a glass of fresh BC apple cider at Vertical Café within Sun Peaks pedestrian village (makers of all kinds of delicious bowls and killer breakfast sandwiches too). 

And after all this, settle into the Sun Peaks Spa for a nice relaxing massage, and WHAM: like Groundhog Day, you get up that next day and do this all over again, because that is what life is when you go cross-country skiing at Sun Peaks Resort.

Remember to enter to win your trip, to make it that much sweeter.