Mount Cain Ski Area is a popular destination for many Cortes Island residents. Located 10 kilometres outside of Woss and another 11 kilometres up a logging road, it's known as the North Island's "best kept secret." As Vancouver Island's only community-run ski hill, this rustic, off-grid ski establishment boasts no lineups, and an informal, community atmosphere unique to the industry.
With respect to COVID protocols, Erin Pickering, chairperson of the Mount Cain Alpine Park Society, explained that Mount Cain is following ski industry standards and provincial health orders by requiring all skiers to wear masks and practice physical distancing in lift lines, but vaccinations are not required to ski on the hill. Mount Cain accommodations are also open to the non-vaccinated. Proof of vaccinations and masks are required in the cafe and other indoor public dining areas.
While Mount Cain did not experience its busiest year in terms of numbers of skiers last year, it did have a substantial number of new skiers. As the ski hill is operated by a non-profit society, all visitors must purchase new memberships every year in order to buy lift tickets. With 3118 new memberships last year, compared to their next best year in 2019 of 464 memberships, the Mount Cain Alpine Park Society was able to confirm over 2600 new visitors to the ski hill.
Chart showing Mount Cain statistics from 2011 to 2021
Cortes Islander Doon Warkentin, who has a cabin on Mount Cain that she has been frequenting every winter for the past 25 years, confirmed these higher numbers of new visitors to the hill with her own observations. She also noted how much more busy the parking lot at Mount Cain was with campers, since the hill's accommodations were not open last year due to the pandemic. She expects a repeat of last year's higher than usual numbers of new visitors, also due to COVID-19, with more people from southern Vancouver Island looking for adventures closer to home.
Mount Cain, which has a lift system of 2 T-bars and one rope tow with 21 runs, is open weekends and Mondays. Ski conditions are excellent and travellers to the hill are reminded it is mandatory for all vehicles to carry chains. Visit Mount Cain website at https://www.mountcain.com/.