Panorama
Panorama Mountain Village, 18 kilometres (km) west of Invermere, is now much more than a ski hill. Much, much more! For anyone once familiar with the resort, we recommend you visit it this summer. We guarantee an eye-bulging experience.
The first thing you will wonder about, if you have not already heard about it, is Greywolf Golf Course. This spectacular 18-hole championship course, named the best new course in Canada in 1999 by Golf Digest, is literally carved into the side of Panorama Mountain and along Hopeful and Toby creeks. Every hole offers something wild and wonderful for all levels of golfers. While the first two holes, which head uphill from the clubhouse, require ball placement skill, the remaining holes are as forgiving as they are outstanding. And each hole features Purcell Mountain grandeur.
Residential subdivision started springing up in Panorama in the 1970s but it is poised to grow exponentially over the next 10 or so years as parent company Intrawest Resorts, which also owns and operates Whistler-Blackcomb, Mont Tremblant in Quebec and a host of ski hill/resorts in the United States and Europe, proceeds with plans to expand the resort to a four-season facility. Enough building has occurred at the resort in the last three years that its outward appearance has completely changed.
The high speed gondola leading from the Toby Creek-side parking access bridge to the upper village is one thing you will immediately notice. National award winning architecture with some of the new buildings at the resort also give it a lavish, luxurious feel. A huge fun factor added to the resort is the 6,000 square foot Pan orama Springs, a ski hill-side warm swimming pool. Good luck getting the kids to come out! Even with all the additions to the upper and lower villages, Panorama remains a comfortable outpost on the fringe of a famous wilderness.
Known as a ski resort since the early 1960s, the expansions of Panorama have it now offering summertime activities golf, horseback riding, whitewater rafting and kayaking lessons, hiking, mountain biking, swimming, tennis and miniature golf. Evening wildlife viewing tours and 4x4 Jeep tours offering fantastic views are also available. Nearby is Toby Creek Adventures. The drive to Panorama is rugged B.C. mountain scenery at its finest, as it follows the Toby Creek and Toby Creek Gorge, one of the more widely acclaimed kayaking creeks in the world (experts only in the gorge). While the drive is beautiful, it requires careful attention. Panorama is also close to the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy and Jumbo Pass, with numerous excellent hiking trails, including Earl Grey Pass.
