text and photo by Cam Zimmer

You can fight winter or you can embrace it. Many of those who choose the latter are the fun folks you'll see on Saskatchewan's ski hills. Freelance writer Cam Zimmer toured and skied most of the hills recently and he's submitted these short reviews updating the action on the slopes—ed.

Table Mountain

Not too far west from Battleford you'll find Table Mountain, Saskatchewan's closest resemblance to a resort-style hill.

With a good selection of runs and the best-equipped snowboard terrain park and half pipe in the province, Table Mountain has everything you need for an excellent ski trip.

Skiers and snowboarders enjoy Table Mountain.

This year Table followed the lead of other resorts by adding the "Magic Carpet Ride," a wide conveyor belt that slowly but safely takes beginners up the bunny hill.

Table Mountain matches its great hill with a modern rental shop that features new gear every year. For the past few years they've rented snowskates, a type of trick ski that gives veterans the chance to try a few new tricks and novice skiers the opportunity to carve up the slopes with more confidence.

If there's one downside to this hill, it's the lack of steeper runs for advanced skiers and snowboarders. Most of the runs flatten out halfway down and you're left standing up, waiting for the fun to start again.

All in all, Table Mountain is still a must if you want to experience the best of Saskatchewan skiing.

Heard on the lift: "Are you stoked about skiing today?"

Location: Table Mountain Regional Park is located about 15 km west of Battleford on Highway 40 and 10 km north on a grid road. The large chalet features a full-meal cafeteria and a licensed lounge.

Wapiti Valley

Wapiti's reputation as a snowboarder's hill is well deserved. With a stellar terrain park and small jumps packing almost every run, it's one the most snowboarder-friendly hills around.

Don't let this reputation scare you off if you're a skier, though. The influx of young snowboarders from Nipawin, Melfort and Tisdale has paved the way for a better ski experience.

For instance, Wapiti Valley Regional Park recently made much needed additions to its chalet kitchen and rental shop. After drawing over 20,000 visitors last year, this hill will take all of the extra space it can get.

On the slopes, Wapiti offers a good selection of runs from its quad chairlift. It boasts an impressive selection of terrain for a mid-sized hill.

Whether you're a diehard skier or a snowboarder for life, Wapiti is definitely worth checking out.

Heard on the lift: "It's been 17 years since I've been skiing but the kids wanted to come. I had to prove that I could still do it."

Location: Wapiti Valley is situated on the Saskatchewan River Valley about 30 minutes north of Melfort on Highway 6. Wapiti features a day lodge with a full-meal cafeteria and a licensed lounge.

Phone: (306) 862-5621

Mission Ridge Winter Park

Mission Ridge already had a lot going for it coming into this ski season.

At a mere 50 minutes from Regina, it's too close to pass up. Add a beautiful view of Fort Qu'Appelle and the nearby lakes, and it's easy to see why it drew 30,000 skiers and snowboarders last season.

Then the hill's management came through and brought a brand new, triple chairlift to replace its outmoded t-bar. After years of waiting, skiers can finally enjoy more races to the bottom of the Qu'Appelle Valley.

As for snowboarders, you won't be able to air on the half-pipe anymore. On the plus side, Mission Ridge has both mini and full-scale terrain parks this year. And now with the new chairlift, you can avoid those awkward encounters with the t-bar.

To sum it up, this is the year to make the trip to Mission Ridge. There will be a nice seat on the triple-chair waiting for you.

Heard on the lift: The hum of the new triple chairlift.

Location: Mission Ridge is located 40 minutes northeast of Regina in the Qu'Appelle Valley, near the town of Fort Qu'Appelle. The day lodge is licensed and includes a cafeteria.

Phone: (306) 332-5479

Duck Mountain

If you've never travelled past Kamsack to Duck Mountain Provincial Park and its ski hill, do yourself a favour and pack the car. This hill is, without a doubt, the most beautiful in the province.

The view from the top of the lift is one of the most scenic winter vistas in Saskatchewan. Before heading down one of the black diamond runs, you can't help but pause and take in the frosted forest surrounding Batka Lake.

Views aside, Duck Mountain is getting back on its feet after being closed for a couple of seasons and it shows in the hill's maintenance. Many of its best runs suffer from hard packed snow with brush poking through.

Keeping that in mind, this hill and the surrounding park still have a lot to offer families and anyone else looking for some winter fun. In addition to skiing, there are extensive snowmobile trails, cross-country trails, cabins and a fully-equipped lodge, all just minutes away from the ski hill.

With these amenities and the beauty of the surrounding provincial park, Duck Mountain couldn't be more welcome on the Saskatchewan ski scene.

Heard on the lift: The buzz of the t-bar. Duck Mountain doesn't have a chairlift.

Location: Duck Mountain Ski Area is situated near the Manitoba boundary on Highway 57 in Duck Mountain Provincial Park, about an hour northeast of Yorkton and three to four hours from Regina and Saskatoon.

Phone: (306) 542-3181

Mount Blackstrap

Drivers on Highway 11 often ponder what would compel anyone to brave the wind coming off Blackstrap Lake onto this unshielded, man-made hill.

For the faithful who know better, Blackstrap offers them everything a good local hill should. Only half an hour's drive from Saskatoon, it's a good family hill that's close enough for parents to drop their kids off for lessons and catch a few runs of their own.

Since it was built for the 1971 Canada Winter Games, it has also given experienced skiers and snowboarders one of the steepest vertical slopes in Saskatchewan

After struggling to stay open the past couple of years, the new management is ensuring that locals have a hill they can be proud of. At the opening of this season they allowed local snowboarders the chance to design and build their own terrain park and jumps.

This smart move has resulted in a well-designed set of table-tops, rails and jumps that has young snowboarders flocking there after school for night skiing. By making this small gesture towards snowboarders, who far outnumber skiers on Saskatchewan hills, Blackstrap is guaranteeing that Saskatoon will have a great local hill for years to come.

Heard on the lift: The wind. All of the snowboarders were camped out in the terrain park.

Location: Mount Blackstrap is located half an hour south of Saskatoon off of Highway 11 in Blackstrap Provincial Park.

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