12 March 2005

Turn off the Trans Canada Highway in the sleepy little town of Golden BC. Cross the river on a single lane bridge and wind up an old forestry road; brand new condos and one of the longest gondola rides on the continent await. Kicking Horse is the new kid on the block - eight or nine years ago it was just little old Whitetooth, a weekend only little ski area. When you get on the main lift it goes all the way up in one go - and it's 4000 feet or so!

At the base it's parking lots and condos in the trees; up on the ridgeline it's the roof of the Rockies. Straight off the lift you have two huge bowls - Crystal and Bowl Over, separated by CPR ridge and Feuz Bowl served by a separate chair. Everything funnels down to the pistes below and eventually the base lodge and the trip back up again. In size and topography it is very similar to Chantmerle in Serre Chevalier, just with a few less runs up top and a few more down low.

There is lots of planned and potential expansion here; they have the room and the terrain to get as big as Whistler, if not bigger. At the moment all this extra riding you have to hike to, but it's not much effort for lots of riding because most of it ends back at the base of the gondola again.

On top of Eagle's Eye Mountain only a few steps from the top of the gondola there is an inviting looking restaurant. Unfortunately it is a full service restaurant only - no space unless you want full sit down dining, but it would be a nice location jut to hang out and admire the view. The base area isn't much better, just an expensive day lodge, but changes are underway - they are building a huge complex here. The base will be reminiscent of a European purpose built resort in the way it works but not in its looks.

The snow was chalky to refrozen, but as it hadn't snowed in over 2 weeks it wasn't bad at all; I probably found all of 2 turns of untouched all day, hidden in some tight trees. Skiing a new area is always fun, this is one I will certainly be back to at some point. This place would be so much fun in the deep powder it is fabled for. As a last run of the day we skied along the crest of CPR ridge - such an impressive location, especially for inbounds skiing.

Report from Tom Greenall - Natives Senior Resort Reporter.

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