After a dozen snowless days in southeastern British Columbia, I was thrilled to arrive at the base of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort to find a light sprinkle of soft snow, beginning to fall from the cloud-covered sky.

My partner, Mathieu, and I hopped onto the Golden Eagle Express Gondola and shared the scenic ride up with some East Coasters who were equally as excited about the onset of a forecasted winter storm and the possibility of all this fresh snow starting to stack up.

Ogling out the windows, we scanned the surrounding terrain for signs of untracked lines as the gondola carried us towards the summit, bringing us to 2,347 meters (7700 feet) above sea level into the incredible Purcell Mountains, giving way to breathtaking Columbia Valley views and the spectacular, snow capped peaks that make Kicking Horse such a must-visit resort.

Certain that every square ounce of powder had been devoured by snow-starved locals and eager visitors, we warmed ourselves up with some wide open laps through the vast expanse of the Crystal Bowl before teeing into the Stairway to Heaven Chair and heading back up for more.

As we neared the top of the lift, we peered over Redemption Ridge to see some enticing stashes of untouched powder beckoning from the bottom of Ozone. The promise of even just a turn or two in some of that world-renowned Champagne Powder was all the nudge we needed to make our way up the aptly-named Stairway to Heaven staircase and onto the impeccably maintained bootpack.

Standing on top of Whitewall and looking down on the steep, double black diamond lines and distant couloirs etched into the dramatic snowy slopes, my heart skipped a beat.

“I can’t believe this terrain is in bounds.” I muttered to myself.

Making our way along the stunning traverse towards Ozone, our heads were on a constant swivel, soaking in all the beauty before continuing beyond to Rudi’s Bowl. As we stood – all alone – atop Middle Ridge, the clouds thinned, and the faint light of the sun shone down the perfect light into the bowl below, the falling snow sparkling in its rays.

“Where is everybody?” I asked Mat. “Over there,” he smiled, pointing back towards the chair.

We inched our way down the ridge until we found some perfectly preserved pockets of last week’s powder – and dropped in. The tips of our boards dipped in and out of sight, as the light, fluffy snow floated up around us.

We hooted, hollered and high fived our way down through Rudi’s and out onto the Feuz Ski out before linking up with Blaster and Downshift and riding the fresh dusting of morning snow all the way back to the base.

As we loaded ourselves onto the Eagle Express we smiled over at each other, completely – albeit – pleasantly surprised that our seemingly lofty dreams of untracked powder lines this long after a storm cycle could actually come true.

Photos & Words by @trip.longer

Steep & deep: the first two words that come to mind when I think of our day at Kicking Horse. We weren’t expecting a pow day while visiting Golden in mid-March, but when we woke up to bluebird skies and 25 cm of fresh snow, we had to check out the local Rocky Mountain Resort.

Our quick stop at Ethos Café for morning coffees, almond croissants and avocado toast wasn’t quite quick enough and we got “trained” — stuck behind a passing train — for about 20 minutes. Apparently this is one of Golden’s endearing inconveniences. When the tracks were finally cleared, we continued up the hill to lay some fresh ones of our own. 

Before long, we found ourselves flying up the mountain in the Golden Eagle Express, watching skiers and boarders slash and spray their way across the slope. The gondola let us off at 2,346 metres (7,700 feet) and I was slightly overwhelmed by the impressive peaks surrounding us and the seemingly limitless options for getting back down. 

Riding over to the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ chair, we had our first taste of that famous champagne powder. Light, fast and fluffy as a cloud, we practically floated down to the lift. There was no lineup — a common theme for the day — and I began to wonder if all that glitters is gold in Golden. 

The official ‘Stairway to Heaven’ opened and we couldn’t resist seeing where it led. When we reached the summit, we followed tracks along the edge of Feuz Bowl until we were ready to strap in. I attempted to pick a friendly line off of ‘Whitewall’ but a vertical drop-in was my only option (hence the name). We each took a leap of faith and didn’t stop until we’d reached the base. 

A few top to bottom laps later, and our legs started to feel like they’d taken the stairmaster to heaven. Eagle’s Eye Restaurant was the perfect spot to rest up and enjoy some panoramic views. Once we’d recharged, we spent the afternoon riding Bowl Over to Terminator, where there was still plenty of untracked terrain.

The four o’clock call signaled the end of the day and although we wanted to keep going, I don’t know how much more my body could’ve handled. I was so covered in snow by this point I had a liftie ask me: “Faceplant or faceshot?”. Both, I told him. I managed to make it to the parking lot without collapsing but I can’t say the same about my partner.

No day up the mountain is complete without après, so we headed to Riverhouse Tavern for tacos and pints on the patio. With the warm, spring sun shining down on us, we re-lived the highlights over some much needed sustenance. Kicking Horse may have kicked our asses, but as I sat there basking in that post powder day glow, I couldn’t wait to do it all over again.

Words & Photos by Ruby Woodruff
https://www.instagram.com/rubywood/

They call it the jet stream—a narrow band of wind high up in the atmosphere that blows from west to east. It’s what brings us most of our weather in North America. During years when the Pacific Ocean is warm, the jet stream veers south and B.C. gets less storms. On years when the Pacific Ocean is cold, however, the jet stream juts north, soaking up Arctic air before dumping loads of snow on the Pacific Northwest and Interior B.C. We call those La Niña years, and to a skier or snowboarder, it’s the best thing ever. Part of that is because they deliver the driest most consistent powder on earth, but it’s also because La Niña winters usually only come around once or twice a decade.

We’ve been lucky enough to have La Niña stick around for the last two winters in B.C., and oh my has it made this horse kick. It snowed 66 days during the 2021/22 operating season, which is four months long at Kicking Horse. Do the math on that, and it was storming more than half the time—piling up to eight metres total. That’s over 26 feet, surpassing even the 24 feet from the season before!

Photo from the 2021.22 Season

And guess what, it’s still here. Climatologists are predicting an unprecedented third winter of La Niña this winter: a never-before-seen “triple dip.” That means if you’ve been trying to pick a perfect season to visit Kicking Horse, this is it. Not only is it going to puke coldsmoke all winter, but the pandemic is finally over. Covid restrictions have all but vanished in B.C. (though we need to be vigilant), and this will be the first “normal” season in three years. High-fives in the lift line? Check. No more masks? Check. No more distancing in gondola cabins? Check. That all means getting up the mountain faster, and getting more of the fluffy white stuff in your face on the way down.

Plus, if you’re visiting from the U.S., you’ll be getting an especially hardy discount courtesy of the exchange rate. The U.S. dollar has been outpacing the Canuck coin by a solid 25 to 30 percent for the last six months, and there’s no signs of that changing. Kicking Horse also just updated its grooming fleet with a new, state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly cat to help boost your experience on corduroy—because, let’s be fair, it won’t snow every day… just most.

Photos by Tim Grey & Aiden Trudel

New season, new systems!
How to smooth out your first day on the slopes.

Well, here we are! 

We’ve made it to another ski season during a pandemic, and while some regulations will stay the same as last season, we are also dealing with a few new ones. Here are some guidelines to help make your first day out in the mountains as smooth as possible for you and your family.

Request your Season Pass or Direct to Lift Card in advance

If you have purchased a season pass, you should have received an email requesting your upload your QR code/proof of immunization online. Please upload your information and request your pass be sent to you as soon as possible. Ensuring your pass gets into our printing queue as soon as possible allows you the best chance of receiving your pass ahead of your first visit. If you have not received your email requesting proof of immunization, please feel free to reach out to our guest services team to request one by emailing information@skircr.com. If you have requested your pass but have not received it before your first day, you will need to visit the resort Guest Services building to receive a day ticket and show proof of immunization.  If you are having problems with our system accepting your Proof of Immunization please refer to our FAQ’s to find out why.

Mind our Know Before you Go updates

While many of our guidelines have stayed the same, a key update this season is the requirement to be fully vaccinated to access our resort lifts and facilities. Please refer to the information above on how to provide this ahead of your visit.

Bring your QR Code on your first few visits

To ensure we have record of your information, we encourage you to have your QR Code and government-issued photo id with you on your first few trips. If you purchase day tickets, you will need to show proof of immunization when picking up your lift tickets each time you visit.

Limit your baggage and prepare for a few lineups

We will not be allowing bags to be stored unattended in our daylodge or common areas. Please ensure you’re leaving any unnecessary baggage in your car or purchase a locker. While requiring proof of immunization should help alleviate some lineups at our lifts and facilities, please note that some people may still choose to stay distanced from others; we ask you to respect the wishes of those around you.

Be kind

As always, we ask you to be kind to our fellow guests and also our staff. Please realize our front-line staff are working hard to ensure you enjoy your experience and share your passion for the mountains. Let’s all work together to make our mountain experience an enjoyable one.

Photo by Tim Grey