Twenty minutes south of Nelson, B.C., just outside the zero-stoplight community of Ymir, Paul Hulshoff and partner Annelies Ellerman have built Logden Lodge, one of the few vehicle-accessible luxury lodges in the Kootenays. The handful of private cabins bring hand-crafted European style to the Kootenays, but even more importantly, they bring winter adventurers within easy reach of classic Powder Highway locales.
Tucked under a thick canopy of cedar trees, each cabin sleeps up to five in rustic luxury—think thick beams, hardwood floors, and hand-crafted furniture, befitting Ymir’s history as a timber community. The cabins are ideally situated for south Kootenays snow. Twenty minutes north lie the famed glades and cliff faces of Whitewater Ski Resort (and since you’ll be coming from the opposite direction as Nelson, you won’t have to contend with first-chair rush hour).
Fifteen minutes to the south, Salmo Ski Hill epitomizes small-hill charm, where tickets run about $30 CAD and kids cling for dear life on the steep T-bar line. The hill’s night skiing, offered every Monday–Thursday, is a beloved Kootenays institution. And Kootenay Pass is only 20 minutes beyond Salmo, which gives backcountry enthusiasts a solid head start on skiers from Nelson and those coming from stateside. Stocked with woodstoves and warm robes, the lodge is also perfectly situated for staying put. //
