Island Lake Lodge

Just outside Fernie, British Columbia, deep in the Kootenay Range sits a privately owned cat skiing operation that provides some of the best cat skiing in the world. In 1988, Island Lake Lodge was born, and since then their guides have been leading professional athletes, skiers and snowboarders into their 7,000-acre playground. With some of their guides possessing more than 30 years of experience at the lodge, they have an intimate knowledge of the best places to make pow turns, which among other things leads to a 90-percent client return rate.

The property's numerous lodges have a homely feel and the customer service on property is unmatched. Each lodge features its own outdoor sauna, while the main spa on property has everything you could ever need. After a long day of skiing, Island Lake Lodge's head chef carefully crafts a three-course meal comprised of locally sourced ingredients with wine pairings from their 3,000-bottle cellar.

Average Daily Runs: 12

Average Daily Vertical: 13,000+ ft

Island Lake Lodge combines its incredible location with guides who have been skiing the same terrain for 30+ years to create a one-of-a-kind skiing experience. Then after a long day of skiing incredible powder, they whisk you back to their numerous stunning lodges for an extremely luxurious dining experience before doing it all over again the next day. What more could you want?

5,000 acres of skiable terrain spread across 7,000 private acres of alpine bowls and tree skiing. The skiing starts as high as 7,000 feet. December is colder, with dry, low-density snow and great powder skiing but less access to all-terrain. January has similar conditions but more terrain access. February brings the most consistent temperatures and conditions. March delivers the biggest storms and warmer, longer days. Conditions can range from spring-like to serious pow.