Nelson’s legend as a magical winter destination has been bolstered once again. The source of casting a worldwide net this time is National Geographic.
This week Nelson was mentioned as part of the magazine’s Top 10 Emerging Ski Towns list that showed up at nationalgeographic.com.
Nelson is given kudos as being “Best For: Those seeking an off-the-trodden path, powder-smothered destination that’s more about relaxed authenticity than thread count.”
This is how writer Aaron Teasdale describes Nelson: “Resting on the shores of Kootenay Lake and tucked into the steep, wooded folds of the Selkirk Mountains, the funky hamlet of Nelson has long harbored artists, adventure seekers, and copious, car-concealing amounts of snow. It’s been said there are more artists per capita here than in any other city in Canada, but the visiting skier or boarder might think the same is true of its restaurants — Its colorful downtown of meticulously restored historic buildings is packed with them. Stroll down central Baker Street and you’re likely to encounter writers, organic farmers, pot growers, and grinning bands of skiers and boarders. The seeds of Nelson’s counterculture character were planted in the Vietnam era by an influx of long-haired American draft dodgers. Deep in southern British Columbia, about 150 miles north of Spokane, it’s still a place where you can escape from the world.”
Nelson is listed with the likes of Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nevada; Revelstoke, BC; Sandpoint, Idaho; Grand Targhee, Wyoming; Mammoth, California; Waitsfield, Vernont; Durango, Colorado; and Red Lodge, Montana.
Of course the main winter draw in Whitewater and these are the glowing word written about the ski resort: “Ten miles from town sits the quietly epic Whitewater Ski Resort, a hidden gem of British Columbia skiing. Situated in a mountain bowl that grabs snow like a giant catcher’s mitt, you don’t come here for glitz and high-speed chairs (none and none), you come for the expert skiing, the bounteous backcountry, and the powder—almost 500 inches a year. The Glory Ridge triple chair, new in 2010, doubled the mountain’s skiable terrain to 1,317 acres and opened up 2,000 vertical feet of expert glade skiing. Befitting its rustic vibe, there is no lodging on the mountain, but the base lodge’s Fresh Tracks Cafe is one of the finest around.”
In the story they surveyed lifelong Nelson resident Peter Velisek in the “ask the local section” which mentions the Hume Hotel, Bibo, Ainsworth and more.
Click here to see the story.