Hudson Bay Mountain

Spring renewal for the soul. Adventurists, take note, look up to a wilder place, full of people filled with a potent Spring energy and sharing the stitchings of a wonderful community. For the snow enthusiast, the community of Smithers is surrounded with multiply mountain ranges, each stacked deep with snow for your enjoyment. 

Most people’s intuition kicks in the first time they meet someone and as we all know, first impressions are key. If the Northern B.C. community of Smithers were a person, I know it would be one of my best friends. Why? For one thing it has one of the highest concentrations of outdoor adventure stores – per capita – in the country and for another, as our new #SkiNorthBC friends describe it, it’s a place that is wrapped in "alpine everything."

Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, perched over the town of Smithers, home to Canada’s youngest mayor. It's a bustling winter adventure scene with the ski resort, its epicentre.

Snow banks taller than myself line the streets of Smithers, a sure sign that this incredible snow haven is in good winter form. Whether arriving by plane, car or Via Rail, your first glimpse of town will without doubt steal your heart and whisk you into the mountainous magic that surrounds you. 

Smithers is known for its epic amounts of snow, but what some people might not know is just how darn nice the people are that live here in the town close to Hudson Bay Mountain ski area.

Ski history and heritage is alive and well in B.C. because the resorts are home to a thriving culture that encompasses the idea of going downhill at thrilling speeds.

Peaks soar above. Snow piles up above car rooflines, and terrain for backcountry touring stretches seemingly endlessly. Here, there are no motors running, no crowds, no distractions. Just you, your friends and the bowls, ridges and glades to play in.

After witnessing and shooting one of the most stunning sunrises of my life from the peak of Hudson Bay Mountain, I was intrigued by the small mountain community I saw on my way up. It turns out there are a handful of people who live on the mountain and whole-heartedly embrace this place.

This leg of our SkiNorthBC expedition brought us to a little place called Smithers, located in northwestern B.C., halfway between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Smithers has a small but mighty population of just more than 5,400.

The Bulkley River flows through the valley, looking down on Smithers, B.C., from the slopes of Hudson Bay Mountain. It's a view that is nothing short of epic.