Currently, the resort has a 1,710 metres (5,620 ft) vertical drop, the longest vertical descent of any ski resort in North America. In terms of size, it is about the same as other major resorts, such as Breckenridge and Panorama, and about a third the size of Whistler-Blackcomb. When completed, it will have 10,000 acres (40 km2), which will make it the largest in North America.[2]
History
Mount Mackenzie and the surrounding area has hosted a number of skiing operations for many years. Starting in the late 1960s a single two-person lift has been operational on the lower slopes, forming the basis of a resort known as Powder Springs. More recently, both Sno-Cat and Heliskiing operations have operated in the bowls on the upper elevations.
The resort opened for the first time on December 21, 2007, with a gondola providing access to the mountain and a high speed quad known as The Stoke lapping trails on the upper portion of Mount MacKenzie. It was thought to be the biggest North American ski resort debut in twenty years. However, the event was overshadowed by the death of an Edmonton ski instructor who disappeared on the mountain's "Jalapeno" run and whose body was found in a tree well three days later on Christmas Day.[3][4]
During the summer of 2008, further trail cutting in the "North Bowl" area extended the skiable area and added a number of expert runs and glades. The Ripper, a second high speed quad, was added in 2008. The gondola was extended down the hill in December 2008, from the original base area to the new village area further down the hill. With this extension the lift-served vertical increased to 1,710 m (5,620 ft), overtaking Whistler's 1,610 m (5,280 ft), making it the largest in North America.
In December 2019, a fixed grip quad known as Stellar was opened. The lift carries 1,800 people per hour and has a 3-minute ride time, servicing a new learning pod and making it possible to access The Ripper without having to ride The Stoke.[5]
Construction
In order to build the local economy, the City of Revelstoke started the process of finding outside investors to dramatically expand the ski area and build a large complex at the base of the mountain. Funding was eventually secured from a group of private investors that appear to have since organized as Revelstoke Mountain Resort. The Government of Canada and Government of British Columbia are also involved, but it is not clear if they have a financial stake – BC is reported to have sold them some Crown Land but is apparently otherwise uninvolved. The development was priced at $1 billion in total, and an agreement among the major parties was signed on 20 March 2005. The complete project is expected to take fifteen years to complete.[6]
Construction began in late 2005 with the completion of a road allowing access to most of the mountain. Construction of the first five ski trails started at the top of the existing 2-person chairlift at 1100 m, extending up to 1350 m. Construction on higher-altitude trails began during the summer of 2006, covering the area from 1,350 to 2,300 m (4,430 to 7,550 ft). The chairlift was removed and replaced by a new eight-person gondola, running from the original "base" area to the mid-mountain area, while a new four-person high-speed chairlift ran from that point almost to the top of the mountain. There are two on-mountain dining options: Mackenzie Outpost, at the top of Revelation gondola, and Revelation Lodge at mid-mountain.
On January 16, 2007, RMR announced its purchase of local heli-ski operation Selkirk Tangiers Helicopter Skiing Ltd. With this addition, the resort controls over 2,000 km2 (490,000 acres) of heli-ski terrain with access from the resort base.
Between 2007 and 2012 the Nelsen Lodge which is now called the Sutton Place Hotel was constructed in 3 phases. It is currently the resorts only Hotel/Condominium development. Northlands Properties Owns 51% Of the Units mainly in building 2, While the other 49% of the units are owned privately by an independent owner. It was initially supposed to be completed in 2010 however slow condo sales and a few developer bankruptcies have slowed the construction process. All condos in the Sutton Place were finally sold out in 2014. The Selkirk Hotel and Conference Centre is slated to open sometime in 2025 and will be connected to the main village area via a walking bridge that goes over Camozzi Road.
Cabot golf course is currently being developed across the street from the resort. The 18 hole golf course will have its own villas and condominium projects around the course.
The hill is accessed via the Revelation Gondola which rises from the base area through the mid-mountain station and allows access to the upper lifts. Two high speed quads and a fixed grip quad operate above the gondola. The Stoke services the middle peak, while The Ripper provides access to the North Bowl. A magic carpet next to the Mid-Mountain Lodge serves a small beginner slope, while Stellar provides a learning pod at the MacKenzie Outpost. Stellar also provides direct access from the gondola to The Ripper.
Despite only having six chairlifts, the ski lifts at RMR can enable access to North America's most vertical feet of lift accessed terrain.[7] The lift that extends the highest on the mountain is The Stoke high-speed quad, sitting at an elevation of 7,677 feet while the lowest is Revelation Lower gondola at 1,679 feet.
From the 2009/2010 season, RMR is the host for the Canadian Championships of the Freeskiing World Tour, the largest competitive Big Mountain competition. By hosting this event annually, Revelstoke Mountain Resort joins other mountain resorts such as Kirkwood, Snowbird, Palisades Tahoe, and Telluride on the World Tour, helping add to Revelstoke's reputation for big mountain terrain.
Future plans
The Master Plan calls for the eventual construction of as many as 25 lifts in total, both in the currently opened western face of the mountain, as well as the bowls to the south currently served by the cat-ski operations.[9]
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