Happy Valley Ice Skating Rink – Big White

At the top of the road to Big White, ringed by snow-ghosted trees and mountains, sits what the resort calls Canada's highest outdoor skating rink — an Olympic-hockey-sized sheet of ice in Happy Valley that turns an ordinary winter evening into a postcard. It is fully lit for night skating, there is a bonfire beside it every afternoon after 3 pm to thaw your hands, and "ice buddies" are on hand to steady beginners, so it works just as well for a first wobble as for a fast lap. Locals turn up for pickup hockey — no slap shots, no raising the puck — and families come for the simple pleasure of gliding under the stars. Skates, hockey sticks and helmets can be rented at the Happy Valley rental shop (a waiver is required, signed by a parent or guardian for anyone under 19), and everyone entering the rink must be on skates: no shoes, strollers or wheelchairs on the ice, and helmets are recommended. Take Lara's Gondola from the Village Centre and turn right at the Happy Valley Day Lodge, or park in the Happy Valley lot; the lodge has heated washrooms and hot snacks, and the Tube Park and Twinkling Trail are next door. Like any outdoor ice, the rink can close in mild or stormy weather — check the resort's hours before you lace up.