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The sale of Apex Mountain Resort in the Okanagan and hints at a development plan.

Myles

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Mar 13, 2016
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96
Just saw that little Apex Mountain Resort is under new management and that there will be some investment and development of the hill and associated village. Looking at the plan as described in this article, the new owner(s) would like to create a more upscale experience in the village and perhaps make the on-hill experience more 'adventurous'. I could really care less about improvements to the village (although I am sure that this is a key part of their business plan), but I would like to know more about how they will go about creating a more 'adventure type product' (to quote the article), which is a more interesting proposition than shiny new coffee shops and craft beer bars in the village. To those of you in the know about resort development, how might a hill be transformed into an adventure type product, or is Apex already such a product that just needs better access to skiable terran?

http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/195974/Apex-Mountain-Resort-sold#.WQkVwdkAMKg.facebook
 

Marty McSly

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Mar 7, 2017
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Most of the locals AFAIK find it just perfect as it is and don't want its best-kept-secret status interfered with in any way.
 

Main Street

Just livin life.
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Apr 29, 2017
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101
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Westbank, BC, Canada
Just saw that little Apex Mountain Resort is under new management and that there will be some investment and development of the hill and associated village. Looking at the plan as described in this article, the new owner(s) would like to create a more upscale experience in the village and perhaps make the on-hill experience more 'adventurous'. I could really care less about improvements to the village (although I am sure that this is a key part of their business plan), but I would like to know more about how they will go about creating a more 'adventure type product' (to quote the article), which is a more interesting proposition than shiny new coffee shops and craft beer bars in the village. To those of you in the know about resort development, how might a hill be transformed into an adventure type product, or is Apex already such a product that just needs better access to skiable terran?

http://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton/195974/Apex-Mountain-Resort-sold#.WQkVwdkAMKg.facebook

Have you skied there ?

It's an awesome hill that can stretch even the best skiers around and not even break into a sweat.



























 
Thread Starter
TS
Myles

Myles

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Mar 13, 2016
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96
Great photos! Apex is on my list for next winter while visiting family in the Okanagan. I have heard only good things about the hill, but have never skied there. I hope that the proposed development won't compromise the local and unique vibe.
 

Castle Dave

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Apr 24, 2017
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324
This season we moved to Penticton and Apex after skiing the last 10 years at Fernie and Castle. Apex is more challenging than Big White, Sun Peaks and Silver Star which is good however it is not particularly good value for the money compared to other larger hills. They don't even offer a midweek pass. Speaking of mid week, midweek crowds are non existent which is also good however it is the driest Okanagan resort. We had a few 20 cm plus days this past season but it was a very good year for snow everywhere. Boot top is considered a big powder powder day at Apex. In terms of expansion terrain I have to wonder where they would go - most would be south facing and existing south facing slopes like the Wildside develop persistent ice crusts. I sincerely hope we won't just see a Stabucks and more expensive lift tickets.
 

jhkc

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out there
I was fortunate to ski at Apex for two days in mid-March 2017. The old-school charm of the place was fantastic and I appreciated it for what it was. I don't need to see neon signs everywhere. The terrain was challenging, the snow was excellent, the people and staff were extremely friendly, and we were lucky enough to have amazing weather. That's what I was looking for in a near perfect trip.

But from a business perspective I can see why the desire to change/upgrade is there. How do you expect to make money when there's only one small cafe, one pub, and one small grocery store in "town". Of the three, only the cafe seemed to be popular among visitors. The rest looked rather unkempt. Even the Apex Mountain Inn where I stayed seemed to be suffering from not enough staff, not enough upkeep, and a sad looking empty spot on the ground floor, closed off behind a metal gate, where a restaurant/pub once operated. I think renewal is required otherwise they'd have to close the whole thing down. But like most here, I hope they don't go overboard.
 

DanoT

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Sun Peaks B.C. in winter, Victoria B.C. in summer
In the article the op mentioned that Mike Duggan was heading up the Apex Resort buying group.

When I first skied Tod Mtn. (now called Sun Peaks) in 1974, Mike Duggan was a twenty something pretty boy ski instructor. lol.

The article also mentioned that in the past Duggan was managing Silver Star Resort and as I recall at the time SS was one of the best run ski resorts in western Canada. So Duggan certainly has the experience and smarts to make things work at Apex.
 

MattFromCanada

Professional Something-or-another
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Nov 12, 2015
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Vancouver/Whistler
I loved skiing Apex. The village is super quaint and tiny, there doesn't seem to be such as thing as lift lines, and the terrain will test your endurance rather quickly.

That being said, Apex is one of those hills that really "suffers" (if you're a beancounter) from it's location. Growing up in Vancouver, it could be a bit of an ordeal getting their over the ol' Crowsnest highway in the dead of winter. Flying in is your best bet, but once you try and go as a destination resort and build out condos and the like to target the wealthy destination skiers, the locals usually lose...

So it will be interesting to see what happens!
 

Bogatyr

Chasing the snow
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May 3, 2016
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121
This is a great hill , I hope they won't spoil it with this '' development ''.
 

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