Crystal's History

1967

The ski area is located at the base of Mount Last and was originally developed by a local family as a small ski hill for the people of Westbank.

The ski resort at Crystal Mountain was opened on December 9, 1967 by Pat and Allan McLeod. It was then called Last Mountain Ski Resort.

Mount Last rises to the highest elevation above the resort area and was named in 1967 after Herbert and Charlotte Last, an English couple who had owned the land now occupied by the resort since 1909 and ran the general store and post office in Westbank.

In the first year of operation, the resort sold 150 family ski passes. Even in the early days, there was a teahouse at the top of the main lift that was open during summer for the first three years.

A ski school club was also created for youngsters in the early days. The resort later was passed to John Barley.

1992

In 1992 the ski area was sold to Crystal Mountain Resorts Ltd. The ski area name was changed to Crystal Mountain to remind people of the snow -- something bright and fun.

Since the beginning, the resort offered both day skiing and night skiing to allow for evening fun and training to families interested in beginner and intermediate skiing.

1997

At the 30th anniversary of the resort, in 1997, there was considerable excitement and discussions started regarding the development of the resort with a year-round expansion, based on its location as the closest hill to Kelowna and as the closest Okanagan ski resort to Vancouver.

Current Operations

Operating Season

The Crystal Mountain operating season currently runs from about mid-December to the end of March. During this period, regular operating days are Thursday through Sunday, Christmas week and local Spring Break week. This accounts for a total of approximately 70 operating days per season.

From the mid 1980s, annual skier visits remained somewhat static, ranging from 20,000 to 25,000 skier visits per season. With the addition of the new triple chair in 2000, skier visits are now rising to about 40,000 per year.

Ski Terrain

The existing ski terrain at Crystal Mountain includes approximately 20 ski runs accounting for a total of approximately 65 hectares (160 acres) of developed terrain. Of these, 5 ski runs may be illuminated for night skiing in the future

The existing ski runs are well conceived in terms of following the natural fall line and optimizing use of the mountain. The longest ski run is 1.6 kilometres (1 mile) long.

In addition to the ski runs, some of the terrain between the cleared runs offers excellent tree skiing. The ski runs are classified as Easy (4 runs) Intermediate (7 runs) and Difficult (7 runs) with an ideal mix of terrain.

Lifts

The ski runs at Crystal are currently served by a new triple chair lift imported from Switzerland, one Mueller Double Chairlift and a T-Bar, a Doppelmayr.

The Double Chairlift and T-Bar operate may also operate at night if the lighting system is upgraded and made operational again. The Double Chairlift and T-Bar are slated for replacement with the new lifts once approvals are granted and the Master Plan can be implemented.

The new Triple Chair and the Double Chair access intermediate terrain, and the T-Bar lifts access primarily novice and beginner terrain.

Some expert terrain is also accessed by the lifts, but it consists of mainly short drops leading to small gulleys.

Ski School

The area is well known as a safe area where to learn to ski and snowboard. The beginner area is physically separated from the rest of the ski area, providing a protected learning environment.

When the expansion was planned, its ski school made a major step forward hiring one of the top skiers in Canada, John Armstrong, a level 4 ski instructor, to direct its ski school in order to expand its success and reputation. John Armstrong is currently coaching the New Zealand national ski team.

Base Area and Cross Country Skiing

At the base of the ski area is a two-storey daylodge with a ticket and sales office and cafeteria, a pub/lounge, a ski patrol facility, ski school, ski rental shop, maintenance area, and a parking lot.

The buildings are generally clean and functional but are old and out of character with contemporary expectations and would benefit from reconstruction, which is planned for phase one of the Master Plan.

In addition to providing for alpine skiing, the base area can act as a support point for the nearby Cross Country ski trails, which are well developed on the southern side and the lower elevations of the mountain.

Crystal will help in the development of Cross Country ski trails at higher elevations.

Snow shoe enthusiasts also use the base area for activities on the mountain.

Currently, Crystal has no summer mountain facility attractions, but it has held summer sporting events, which were well received in the area.