A skier and snowboarder's paradise

Dropping into the tree run to far skier’s right, I watch as the locals flow through the knee-deep snow. They dart between the trees, over jumps and into the air. I’m right there behind them, and we’re all whooping ecstatically. For skiers and snowboarders that chase powder, this is the dream. And when Searchmont gets snow, it is one seriously fun place to ski.

We’re visiting Bellevue Valley Lodge, and this is our warm-up day; over the next five days, our host, Enn Poldmaa, shows us some of the best snow, slopes, and tree skiing this side of the Rockies and the US border. And we’ll have everything to ourselves.

Bellevue Valley Lodge is the epicentre of backcountry skiing in Ontario. Enn has been clearing the 2,000 acres in his backyard for 30 years. If you’re ready to earn your turns, this is the place you’re going to earn some incredibly memorable ones, now with 20 runs, all with about 700 feet of fall line.

Bellevue Valley Lodge is all-inclusive; for five days we’re here, we don’t need to think about anything. We park the car and it doesn’t move. We don’t need to cook, clean, grocery shop, or open our wallets. It’s the perfect vacation.

Home-cooked meals and packed lunches can be customized to suit any dietary needs, so all we need to think about is skiing and snowboarding.

- Colin Field

Read the full article about backcountry skiing in Searchmont.