Apex Mountain Resort — Attraction in Area I (Skaha West/Kaleden/Apex)

Driving - well maintained, narrow paved road from the west, and the road up the mountain has quite a few switchbacks but the road is wider and it's safe to navigate even if you meet another car.

Parking - the parking lot is close to the village which is nice, and the snow is pushed up well

Tickets - we have reciprocal passes from another hill and the ticket process is always smooth but there can often be lineups first thing in the morning

Rentals - we have our own gear now but last year the rental process was smooth and the bunny hill is right outside the exit which was nice

Village - cute little village, with a hillside bistro food window that's super convenient with good prices, not the inflated ski hill prices you might expect. $5.50 for a egg + bacon breakfast sandwich and they even pressed it in a panini grill. Yum. We use the lunch room and bring our own food for the most part. Haven't been in the restaurant yet.

Hill - the chairlifts are kind of far from the village, with a decent slope at the beginning so snowboarders don't have to walk. But if you catch an edge and fall down, forget it - you're walking the rest of the way. :)

Runs - there are only a couple options for greens, lots of nice wide blues and lots of short blacks. To get back to the village there are a few different traverse trails that are your typical cat tracks.

Overall - a fantastic family hill. My kids are comfortable going off on their own and I know they won't get lost. Friendly staff and fantastic snow every time we've been there. Even on a warm day (+1) the snow didn't get slushy,...

We've been twice now. It's your typical resort village. We stayed in the village for one trip and we stayed in Penticton for the other. We had a pretty mediocre experience the first time and gave it a redemption run this year. Turns out, it wasn't just a fluke the first time.

The skiing is alright. If you like groomers, this is a good place for you. However, they do get iced over, and there are usually people falling in front of you.

My biggest qualm really is the skate loop and shinny pond that they advertise.

It seems like they're never open

We finally hit it this most recent trip. The skate loop was so bumpy/soft it was actually treacherous. There was blood all over it (and I can see why).

I've played hockey for 15 years, and I did one loop on this and got off. It's actually dangerous how terrible this ice was. I've played in pond hockey tourneys, played on backyard rinks, and hit some sketchy ice- but this was hands down the worst ice I've ever set foot on. If they actually do zam it, as they advertise, it sure isn't very often.

Too bad since it is a pretty neat idea. Disappointed to...

NO LINES during the week. Just ski onto the chair. A bad weekend line is only 5 to 10 minutes, at most. I have been skiing and snowboarding Apex for over two decades. Fantastic mountain for its smaller scale. Good terrain parks, good runs for every skill level. Fun and challenging glades and double blacks, and even multiple terrain parks for beginner through advanced.

Make sure you take lessons with the ski/board school. Private lessons are most beneficial and it's money we'll spent! I highly recommend Dave and Cindy Boehm of the ski school. I met them over a decade ago and they taught me how to ski, from Bunny Hill to double black diamonds now. They started the freestyle club at Apex over 30 years ago, and even coached our Canadian Olympic Freestyke Skier, Kristi Richards!

The kids love the tube park, the skating rink, and skating loop. And don't forget The EDGE bistro with "Cheffy" cooking up homemade soups, sandwiches, goodies, and great hot drinks. Then hit my favorite Gunbarrel restaurant for dinner. Man, I love this mountain!

What are y'all waiting for? Get the family, and...