Five years ago, I did a big trip through Canada writing ski resort profiles for an adventure magazine. I must admit, I didn’t get to Red Mountain, AND IT STILL CUTS ME DEEP.
So many people say things like “Hey bro, you should have gone eh, it’s my favourite mountain in Canada” and “Rossland is so cool eh”. And these people have skied a lot of mountains.
Red Mountain is big, steep, and empty. It’s skier to acre ratio is just what powder hounds look for in a mountain.
Here’s what their website says “3850 acres, 3,000 ft of vertical drop; 300-inches of snowfall; $10/run in-bounds cat-skiing; and 5, count ‘em 5, skiable peaks. We have famous tree runs, pristine powder, glorious groomers, and the only snowbound taco truck in Canada.”
The mountain compliments the town of Rossland beautifully. This Rossland / Red segment by Warren Miller Entertainment is worth looking at. (Note the lack of crowds)
Red is fiercely independent but is on the IKON pass which allows for 7 days of skiing. This will not lead to massive overcrowding seen at resorts with unlimited access.
So what’s it like to work at Red? It has a locals-first hiring policy but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer jobs to internationals. There’s also plenty of off mountain jobs in Rossland. Rents in Rossland have gone up due to Covid but it’s not crazy expensive like Banff and Whistler. There’s also affordable housing options in Warfield and Trail.
Rossland certainly look similar to other small ski towns in Canada. If you work hard, ski harder and have a good attitude, small town Canada will give you a fabulous experience.
And I didn’t even mention the epic mountain biking in summer.
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