Apex to open for the season this Saturday, Dec. 5

Ski season is back as of this weekend in the South Okanagan.

Apex Mountain Ski Resort manager James Shalman says operations begin Saturday, Dec. 5, with conditions “on par to where we want them to be this time of year.”

The resort has a 50 cm base and crews have been working hard to get everything ready for this weekend.

Apex will be open seven days a week starting with the Quickdraw chair using Juniper and Hwy 97 runs only.

The triple chair will be open with all runs, and the T-bar and magic carpet will be open, with marginal conditions on some areas of the mountain.

There is no word on whether the skating rink will be open on Saturday.

COVID-19 protocols will be in effect, with a mandatory mask rule for the resort.

“Masks are to be worn in all buildings, in restaurants when moving around, in all lift lines, on the lifts and when disembarking,” Shalman says.

Face shields and those with mask medical exemptions will not be allowed on the hill as masks are mandatory.

Masks won’t be necessary when skiing.

Shalman says new operators at the Gun Barrel pub have brought a whole new level of customer service, food and drink options to the ski hill, located about 45 minutes west of Penticton.

“We’ve had a soft opening for the past week with operators Score Pub Group, and we’ve had overwhelming positive feedback to date,” he says.

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