Hudson Bay

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Ski Smithers: Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Ski Smithers: Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Panorama T-bar services mostly blue runs
Panorama T-bar services mostly blue runs
The chair lift is rather slow
The chair lift is rather slow
It
It's definitely panoramic
Overlooking the town of Smithers BC
Overlooking the town of Smithers BC
Smithers Ski Resort Northern BC
Smithers Ski Resort Northern BC
Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Hudson Bay Mountain Resort
Some nice wide groomed runs
Some nice wide groomed runs
Whisky Jacks Lounge
Whisky Jacks Lounge
Smithers BC looks up to Hudson Bay Mountain
Smithers BC looks up to Hudson Bay Mountain
Hudson Bay Lodge
Hudson Bay Lodge
Main Street of Smithers BC
Main Street of Smithers BC
Smithers BC
Smithers BC
The alpine style buildings of Smithers BC
The alpine style buildings of Smithers BC
Aspen Inn Smithers
Aspen Inn Smithers
The Aspen Inn has a really nice lounge bar
The Aspen Inn has a really nice lounge bar
Smithers is a lovely ski town
Smithers is a lovely ski town
Smithers is located in northern BC
Smithers is located in northern BC
The day lodge provides nice views
The day lodge provides nice views
Backdoor Lodge near the chair lift
Backdoor Lodge near the chair lift

Hudson Bay

Readers Ratings

Hudson Bay

Hudson Bay3/53
Hudson Bay3 out of 5 based on 3 reviews
  • Recommend
    100%
  • Would Revisit
    67%
Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, formerly Ski Smithers, is a nice ski area near the town of Smithers in northern BC. It’s mostly frequented by the locals, and considering Smithers BC has a population of only 5,500 friendly folks, Hudson Bay Mountain Resort is not highly trafficked and lift queues and a lack of freshies are not a problem.

Hudson Bay Mountain Resort is worth visiting if you’re on a mega road trip of the Northern Powder Highway, or it’s ideal as a warm up or cool down if you’re in the area for Skeena Cat Skiing or Skeena Heli Skiing. Keep in mind when planning your itinerary that for most of the season, the ski area isn’t open on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Pros and Cons of Ski Smithers

Pros
  • Usually the ski resort experiences very low skier traffic.
  • Hudson Bay Resort has a friendly local community vibe.
  • Lift tickets at the Smithers ski resort are reasonably inexpensive, and accommodation and food in Smithers BC are very affordable.
  • Hudson Bay Mountain Resort provides access to some nice backcountry and the dedicated Hankin Evelyn backcountry area is just down the road.
  • The views from the top of the ski area are lovely.
Cons
  • Hudson Bay (Ski Smithers) has rather small terrain so there’s limited variety and not much on offer for experienced riders.
  • The lift infrastructure is rather primitive.
Pro or Con Depending On Your Perspective
  • Commercial lodging on-mountain is limited, necessitating a drive up the mountain each day if you stay in Smithers.

Hudson Bay Ski and Snowboard Terrain

The Hudson Bay Mountain Resort is rather small with only 36 runs and 315 acres (127 hectares) of skiable area, although the statistic may only reference the on-piste terrain. The lift serviced vertical is 508 metres (1,142-1650m), and a trail drops down a further 600m into town. Hudson Bay only has 4 lifts, consisting of 2 T-bars that service the South Face, a slow old triple chair lift for the North Face, and a mini handle tow.

Official trail stats break up the piste terrain into 25% beginners, 55% intermediates, & 20% advanced, which represents the reality pretty well. Beginners have a semi-dedicated area to learn in peace, whilst intermediates have some good length groomers that are mostly fall line. Advanced and expert skiers and snowboarders only have a handful of piste trails to choose from as well as a few specific gladed areas. Otherwise most of the trees make for incredibly tight tree skiing.

Outside the resort boundaries is 110 hectares of lift accessed sidecountry, some of which is gladed.

Hudson Bay Snow

The motto of the Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, “it’s always been about the powder”, might be a little off the mark. The quality of the powder is generally very good because it’s adequately inland, but it doesn’t score that well in the quantity stakes. Resort management don't know what the statistic is for the average snowfall per season but it’s thought to be only about 5 metres.

Where is Hudson Bay Mountain Resort?

Hudson Bay Resort is 22km west of Smithers, a drive that takes about 30 minutes. The town of Smithers is in northern BC, 370km northwest of Prince George and 200km northeast of Terrace. Vancouver is 1,200km by road to the southeast of Smithers or a 1:45hour flight away.

Situated on the Northern Powder Highway, the surrounding region receives abundant snowfalls and is home to a few snowcat and heli ski companies.

Smithers Hotels

Smithers accommodation is very affordable and it mostly consists of motor hotels (motels) located on the main highway.

Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge is a lovely Smithers hotel with spacious rooms and a restaurant and sports bar with very reasonably priced food.

Aspen Inn is a reasonably simple motel and some rooms have a little kitchenette. The restaurant onsite is nice, and the adjacent Riverhouse lounge bar has some pretty cool décor.

Smithers Hotels Listings

On-mountain at Hudson Bay are private cabins and chalets, but there’s very little commercially available lodging. The ski-in ski-out Sidewinder Inn is one option.

Smithers BC

Smithers BC is a nice little ski town. Well it’s really a logging town, a service town for the valley, and a hub for steelhead fishing, but the Swiss alpine style buildings on the main street seem most suggestive of a ski town. Winter tourism is pretty slow and the town centre is mostly frequented by the locals enjoying the very inexpensive cost of living.

Smithers BC isn’t a party town so don’t expect abundant nightclubs pumping until the wee hours. Many of the Smithers restaurants are contained within the hotels, but a very popular restaurant in the main street is Blue Water Sushi. This Japanese fusion restaurant has some amazing rolls and is a delightful surprise package.

And for daytime fare, check out Two Sisters Café, which serves up spectacular food and coffee.

Ski Resort Facilities

Services and facilities at the Hudson Bay Mountain Resort are more than adequate for what is primarily a day trippers ski area. The main hub is centred around the Panorama Lodge which is very aptly named, offering lovely views, especially from the deck and Whisky Jacks Lounge. The lounge offers a range of table service meals including a ridiculous number of poutine options, and plenty of beverages. For even cheaper meals, the self-service cafeteria offers casual fare that’s rather typical of a Canadian ski resort. Or on weekends, you can pop into the Backdoor (near the chair lift) for a simple snack or drink.

The snowsports school offers incredibly inexpensive lesson packages for first timers and beginners, and standard group lessons are also very cheap. The snowsports school also has an adaptive program.

Basic ski and snowboard equipment rentals are available for next to nix, and there is also a small amount of retail available on-mountain, or there are a couple of Smithers ski shops in town.

Activities

Other than downhill skiing and snowboarding, there aren’t a lot of activities on offer at Hudson Bay. There is a small tubing park, and there are also lots of cross country skiing trails part way up the Hudson Mountain Rd.
Tours Near Smithers

Heli Skiing Tours

Skeena Heliskiing - Bear Claw Lodge
6 Ski Days Heliskiing - Unlimited Vertical!
7 Nights Deluxe Accommodation
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
The Bear Claw Lodge offers unlimited vertical heli skiing & very exclusive, personal and high quality accommodation, located only 6 minutes by helicopter to your first run. The lodge caters to a maximum of 12 guests per week, with 2-3 groups of 4 guests.
Price p/p From price based on 7-night package twin/double-share regular season 2024.
Base/invoice currency is in CAD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 13,172
View Details
 
Northern Escape Classic Package
MIXED SMALL GROUP HELISKIING
North West BC | 3, 4, 5 & 7 Day Packages
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
The Classic package is offered in 3, 4, 5 or 7 day increments and you can join as a solo skier/boarder or small group. Twin/double lodging is provided at the Yellow Cedar Lodge with the option to upgrade to a single room. Option to upgrade to unlimited vertical. Share
Price p/p From price based on 3-day package (regular season 2023-24), twin/double-share room.
Base/invoice currency is in CAD ex taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 6,215
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 Early bird special for 24/25 season - discounted prices listed
Bell 2 Lodge Packages
DELUXE MULTI-DAY HELI SKIING PACKAGE
From 4 Nights / 4 Days Heli Skiing
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
Whether you are a solo traveller, a couple or group, some blissful time with Last Frontier is the ultimate! The Bell 2 Lodge packages offer both mixed or private groups (4, 5 or 7 days). Lodging is in deluxe Canadian log rooms & gourmet meals & Canadian hospitality is all included.
Price p/p From price based on 4-day package in peak season for 2024, mixed group, twin/double-share (price per person)
Base/invoice currency is in CAD inc taxes.
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations
USD 8,606
View Details
 
See all Heli Skiing tours that visit Hudson Bay here

Cat Skiing Tours

Skeena Cat Skiing - Backcountry Basecamp
BASECAMP CATSKI PACKAGES
3 & 4 Days | Lodging in Backcountry Tents
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Looking for an amazing powder adventure with a difference? This amazing backcountry base camp package offers incredible snowcat accessed powder skiing with lodging in well equipped tents in the backcountry, quality meals + hot tub. 3 & 4 day package options. Easy access via helicopter.
Price p/p From price based on 3-day/3-night package twin-share in low season for 2024.
Base/invoice currency is in CAD ex taxes (5%).
*Displayed price may vary due to currency fluctuations.
USD 2,886
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See all Cat Skiing tours that visit Hudson Bay here
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