Keefer Lake Lodge — Hotel in Area E (Cherryville/East Creighton)

I've been cat skiing in both Canada and the US. In BC, I've been to Valhalla and Big Red Cats. Keefer Lake Lodge blows the competition out of the water. Here's why...

Transportation Upon arrival in Kelowna, the shuttle was ready and waiting for us. Kevin loaded up our bags and did a wonderful job getting us to Keefer Lake Lodge. The drive was quick and beautiful. We didn't have to worry about rental cars, taxis or anything. Pickup and Dropoff at the airport were seamless.

Lodging Picture a new, spacious and modern lodge tucked away in the mountains next to a lake with every amenity you could ask for. Now times that by at least 2, and you have Keefer Lake Lodge. Heated floors, plenty of hangout and lounge areas, floor to ceiling windows, sauna, hot tub, massage rooms, personalized lockers, a room with your name on the door, etc... etc.. The lodging is next level and absolutely impressive. This beats any type of Hotel you normally stay at to go skiing at Valhalla, Big Red Cats, or other operations. Another cool touch was the Sonos speakers throughout the lodge to stream your favorite music as you hang out with friends. Just outside of the lodge is a really cool outdoor bar and hangout area with a fire, portable heaters, and lots of seating.

Skiing, Guides, Safety We lucked out with snow and guides. When we arrived there was already a 6ft base of snow and within the first 2 days of being there, we saw another 3 feet of snow. It dumped and dumped.... and dumped. The skiing was kept to safe and low angle tree skiing on the first day but as the trip went on, we were able to ski steeper and steeper terrain once the snow became safer. The guides knew that our group liked to drop cliffs and get into steeper terrain and they more than delivered. Chris, Sam, JR and Jeff made sure that even on the days that we kept it mellow to stay safe, they found us incredible lines with fun pillows and drops. Compared to Big Red Cats and Valhalla, this terrain was hands down better. Long runs, open glades, tree skiing that wasn't too tight and countless little drops and cliffs. We had a blast.

The Cat The cats at Keefer Lake Lodge deserve their own section in my review. 14 comfortable bucket seats like you have in your car, subwoofers, speakers and bluetooth audio hookup to jam out to your favorite ski/snowboard music. Water, Tea and Snacks are loaded up along with your custom lunches put together by the Chef at Keefer. The BEST part of the cat... the HEATERS for your gloves, helmets, goggles, etc. You dont have to worry about wet, cold or fogged up equipment. Between every run, each person has a spot to warm up and dry out their equipment. This was a game-changer. Other operations don't even come close when yo compare cats.

Staff The staff welcomed us the second we stepped off the shuttle and already knew our names, the entire stay I felt like friends and family to these guys and never met an employee that didn't seem genuine and helpful. Jeff, Nicole and the team at Keefer are top notch and I can't wait to go back to continue the friendships that have been created.

If you made it this far into my review you are probably wondering where the negative feedback is or if I somehow am affiliated with Keefer Lake Lodge. I have no affiliations, and this was my first year at Keefer as a paid guest and I will be coming back year after year. After trying out other outfits, this is the one that won me over for life. It's a special place that you have to try out for yourself. Trust me... do it. Keefer is next level and will soon become the main outfit that everyone is trying to book. Get in while you can. Oh and did I mention that you have a professional photographer (Kyle Sanguin) following you around capturing the best ski photos...

I got married at Keefer Lake lodge in the middle of July and have to say that the scenery, the food, the service, the wine and drinks, and the wedding weekend as a whole was absolutely perfect on all accounts. The groom, myself and all the guests stayed for the whole weekend. We were spoiled our entire stay and were blown away by the all aspects. The chef worked with us on creating a great menu for our rehearsal dinner and reception dinner. We also indulged in canapés, casual lunch and breakfast. A special touch was having our late night snack be pizzas right out of the wood fire oven beside the dance floor. They were so accommodating to my dietary restrictions and those of my guests, which included gluten free, vegan and nut allergies. The food was hot, delicious and served perfectly. The staff truly customized our wedding weekend to be exactly what we wanted while offering a lot of really great suggestions and ideas that we did not consider already. All the staff are kind, friendly, caring, understanding, and pay attention to the small details. We could not be more grateful to the managers, kitchen staff, the chef, grounds crew, bar tenders, housekeepers, guest relations manager and everyone else who made the weekend flawless. The lodge manners and guest relations managers worked with me every part of the wedding planning process, kept me organized and helped coordinate all the details. The wedding was truly seamless. Not a single thing went wrong and I could not imagine a more perfect day. It was so special to have all my wedding guests stay the night at the lodge and enjoy a farewell breakfast together the next morning. I would highly recommend the lodge as I have nothing but positive things to say about them. The lodge and lake are absolutely beautiful, and allow you to feel isolated from daily life. The weekend felt like a mini vacation for everyone. The rural location brings a sense of peacefulness, serenity and calmness. It has the private aspect I wanted as the whole lodge hosted my wedding only with no outside guests. Grounds were well kept with tons of different locations for photo opportunities. The staff at Keefer Lake worked well with all my other vendors and really cared about my happiness and well being during the wedding weekend. If you are wanting a wedding that is surrounded by nature but feels like a 5 star resort, Keefer Lake Lodge is the wedding venue for you. You will feel like royalty and be spoiled. I highly recommend and can’t wait to return for family reunions, anniversaries and any other reason I can think of to return...

The overall experience is great -- the staff, lodge, food, cats, etc. are really impressive. the only caveat is that you need to be a very good skier to fully enjoy it.

Jeff (owner) and Dave (lodge manager) have assembled a really welcoming and professional team. The style is casual and fun, not fussy or doting. But, they are always trying to anticipate and attend to your needs. Such needs may include playing a game that involves hammering nails with the wrong end of the hammer or a whacky pool table game with seemingly endless house rules. The food is more serious and top notch, even remarkable for a remote location.

I stayed in the Pinnacles Lodge, adjacent to the main Black Bear Lodge where the public spaces are. The rooms are nice and modern, though not luxurious. I hadn't stayed in place with a good ski locker room before, and I really appreciated having a good space for storing, drying and getting organized. The public areas are very nice without being over the top. There's plenty of room and different kinds of seating to mingle or find a corner to catch up on email (if you must). The satellite internet is slow, but that's a good incentive to unplug.

The ski experience is great for the right skier. The guides were very personable and skilled. The cats are well equipped (love those glove warmers!).

So, about the terrain... Keefer has a well earned reputation for lots of tough tree skiing. There is some sub-alpine and some really fun, well-spaced tree terrain. But, there is also a lot of tight and steep tree skiing. I ski double blacks at resorts and love glades, but I felt at my limit often in the tight trees, mostly because I don't like not being able to see what's coming around the next corner. Maybe it's that I'm old enough to know I'm not made of rubber or that I'm a bit of a chicken. In my cat, every guest had the same reaction -- "I didn't know it was going to be this hard." In the other cat, I think there were some younger guys who couldn't have been more thrilled. Keefer is a relatively young operation and they are working on glading and cleaning up some difficult runouts, so, it may get a bit easier over time. In the end, just be honest with yourself about your abilities. Again, it's superb for the...