Find skiing soul at Troll Resort
For 2023-24, Troll Ski Resort has offically announced its terrain expansion into the Pinegrove area, effectively doubling the terrain of this unique northern BC ski destinations. Now is the time to get to know this hidden gem. #SkiNorthBC
Somewhere in northern BC, between Wells and Quesnel on the Barkerville Highway... “The reality is it’s just not all about going downhill on skis,” says longtime Troll Ski Resort season pass holder Tyler Dinsdale. This is Dinsdale’s home mountain, he grew up on it, and it's served him well. But beyond just the mountain itself, the region's charm and its history changed his life.
“I was only coming back to help my dad for a few months, training his sled dogs to be ready for the annual Sled Dog Mail run,” explains Dinsdale. Troll Ski Resort was a hub for mail delivery, home to a roadhouse going back into the early 1900’s when this region was overrun by gold miners.
“Yes, no different than if you get a letter with an “airmail” stamp on it—around here the delivery of mail by dog sled is still a very legitimate way of getting your mail.”
Dinsdale, an international river raft guide who was paddling the world, came back to support his dad while his hip replacement took hold. While Tyler was here, he met his soon to be wife and now mother of his two kids.
It’s said “everything happens for a reason,” and for the Dinsdales, Troll Resort is the reason winter is fun.
A friendly Troll cheers, from the slopes to the hot tub.
“If you choose not to gain joy in the snow, you are going to have less joy and still the same amount of snow….so the choice is yours," Dinsdale quips.
"By spending time and connecting with other people who spend time at Troll, it makes it easy to find that joy, because it’s all around you here.”
Surround yourself with skiing soul at Troll
As you will read in this #SkinorthBC getaway piece on Quesnel, the work they’ve done to build a joyful venue here has succeeded in cultivating not just radiating staff who serve you with a smile, but also a friendly local ethic among the skiers and riders here.
Collectively, what they put back into the resort makes it magnetic.
Tyler Dinsdale and Glen Boudreau shred up the Troll glades.
“We are continually blown away when we talk to friends in the city or Sea to Sky or Kootenays about how they have to share their ski hill with so many people, even in the backcountry,” says gear outfitter and Rocky Peaks owner John Courtney.
“It wouldn't occur to me to expect to bump into someone else on any trail or even to have to share a ski run at Troll with others. The feeling of peace and solitude is continually available to us to experience here."
“People are generally surprised by two things at Troll," says Dinsdale.
"They are either surprised by the fun, friendly atmosphere, or they are surprised by the amount of diverse terrain available on the hill.
"People tend to expect one or the other, but not both together."
Long pole skier Dave Jorgenson joins in on a ski crew, prepping for the mail run.
Sharing Troll memories
What are your best memories of Troll? What is a Troll experience you won't forget? Join SnowSeekers and Dinsdale on Facebook to share your thoughts.
“It's easy to see that the owners and managers genuinely care about everyone's experience at Troll, and in return everyone cares about Troll,” says Dinsdale.
And that caring is causing growth, as Troll recently scored its logging permits and is now expanding into the Pinegrove area, a north east facing slope on the resort. By 2024 that will increase the number of runs by 30, almost doubling from its current total of 35!
And that will just add to the skiing soul that's already the heart of this special place.
When you go
“There is a lot of fun to be had at Troll, in an environment that gives you an opportunity to pause and exhale,” says Dinsdale. Exhale at Troll for a #skinorthbc experience that will leave you different.
Pair it with time in Wells and/or Quesnel for a quick escape from the ordinary.
Getting to Troll
Troll Ski Resort is about a five-hour drive (450kms) from Kamloops and less than two hours from Prince George (151kms).
Where to stay near Troll Ski Resort
Make your trip epic with accommodations in Quesnel (45 mins down the road) or Wells (only 20 mins up the road), with its own set of winter wonders awaiting you.
Share your #SkiNorthBC adventure
Let us know what you find, use the #skinorthbc hashtag and tag us @snowseekers so we might be able to feature your post.
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