HISTORY OF BEAR PAUSE SKI CHALET AT KELOWNA’S BIG WHITE SKI RESORT
We have been coming to Big White Ski Resort as a family since our oldest child, born in 1993, was about 5 months of age. Many of our friends also had your children around the same time and we wanted to continue to spend days and/or weekends away with friends, but combine these getaways with a family oriented focus. Big White Ski Resort was, and continues to be, perfect for this purpose.
Our family and 2, sometimes 3, other families would book 6 to 8 weekends a season at Big White. Over the years, we rented a variety of different places, mostly condominiums. We came to know what would work for a group of this size and looked for places with 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
As each of our families grew, the family with more children or the youngest child would get the second bedroom. As the kids got older, the fourth bedroom became the bedroom for the kids, with the older ones assisting with the younger ones. The kids loved to have “their” space, although we know that they were too exhausted after a full day of skiing, boarding and/or tubing to stay up very late.
As adults, it is so relaxing. On Friday night, each family arrives at Big White on their own schedule. It is normal for us to pick up a pizza and eat a slice or two along the way and finish our meal after unpacking. Everyone chips in to help make the unpacking happen more quickly. It was so cool to see the very youngest in the group grab whatever they can handle to assist with the chores. Of course, they wanted to fit in, but also wanted to get down to the business of the weekend, hanging out with the older kids and general family fun!!
In 2004, we decided we needed more space and were convinced that Big White was a long term family tradition for us. When we first walked into Bear Pause Ski Chalet, we knew we had found our new winter family getaway. Bear Pause would maintain the integrity and specialness of our early years at Big White, but would also provide that much needed space to spread out and allow our now older and bigger kids to better enjoy their weekend away with some of their own space, slightly separate from the adults, but always within ear shot. We have not been disappointed!
Bear Pause is in the Snow Pine Estates area of Kelowna’s Big White Ski Resort. It is an area of luxury ski chalets. We have no worries of loud parties at adjacent condominiums as each chalet is a free standing building. There is parking for up to 4 vehicles at the entrance to our ski chalet. There is a locker for skis poles and boards, as well as a large boot room and laundry room which is plenty of space for the whole crew to get ready for the day on the slopes. It is so easy to settle in for our weekend.
On the entrance level of Bear Pause are 2 bedrooms and a bathroom along with a large loft with Murphy bed. The loft is open to the downstairs living room, dining room and kitchen area. The loft is ideal for the children in the group to play games, watch movies or their favorite game and to visit and hang out.
The downstairs living area also has 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, and access to the hot tub, BBQ and deck. From the living room, dining room and kitchen, you enjoy views of the beautiful Monashee Mountains. This area tends to be the adult hang out area.
We sincerely hope that every visitor to Bear Pause Ski Chalet can make the memories our family and friends have made through the years at Big White Ski Resort.
Enjoy!
Paul and Bev
