Photo courtesy Powder King Ski Resort
POWDER KING

Powder King ready to take next step in development

Jan 21, 2022 | 3:48 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – With another winter in full swing, the ski season has been challenging so far for Powder King Mountain Resort located in the Pine Pass south of Chetwynd.

Owner and manager Jim Salisbury said extreme weather can really dictate how a ski season goes, and the extreme cold for weeks around the holidays was tough to endure.

“It’s a nice relief to get some warmer weather,” said Salisbury. “Some years we don’t miss a day, some years we miss a couple of weeks so you just don’t know what you’re going to get.”

Although according to the man behind the only ski resort located adjacent to Highway 97 in the province, there are plenty of reasons for optimism going forward, one that recently purchased the Azouzetta Lake Lodge and Campground resort nearby.

“We still have our usual local followers that come here all the time,” said Salisbury. “Last year, we saw a big spike in people who had not been skiing in a long time coming back… we saw that in season pass sales this year, they’ve increased significantly again as they did last year.”

Salisbury said with the strong momentum and growing desire for many to buy property around the resort, he is getting a sense the area is on the cusp of something greater including a hotel and conference centre.

High-speed internet and cell service will both be fully operational by the summer which adds to the opportunity according to PK’s owner.

“It’s really showing that Powder King is ready for that next phase of development,” said Salisbury who did not mention a firm timeline on when activity might surge, although potential he said is only growing.

The plan is similar to that of Sun Peaks, with the volatile housing market and a growing number of folks headed to Northern BC to live and play, Powder King is hoping to use their status as one of 15 designated destination resorts in BC to their full advantage.

On Friday January 21st, an Australian Olympian was hitting the slopes, along with several other prominent skiers from other parts of BC.

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