Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

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One mountain, two sides: one for experts and one for skiers of all skill levels

It's not unusual for a foot of fresh snow to fall at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort near the town of Golden. But it is a good excuse that Byron Tarchuck and his friends often use to justify a ride to the top of the mountain.

Sipping coffee in a weather-protected eight-person gondola that whisks them up through 4,100 feet of vertical in just 12 minutes, Tarchuck and his friends like to argue about which of the many chutes they will choose to start their ski day.

"The thing is they're all good, because the wind piles up the snow in them, so that a foot of snowfall gets transformed into two feet on the hill," Tarchuck says, noting the snow is so light, it's like "skiing through feathers."

Kicking Horse's steep-and-deep terrain, which includes 58 double black diamond runs, has long made this resort a preferred destination among hard-core skiers like Tarchuck, who is a veteran freestyle competitor. A concerted effort in recent years, however, has added new "family-friendly" dimensions, says ski resort manager Steve Paccagnan.

"It's like we have two mountains now," Paccagnan explains. "There's the upper mountain with its chutes and steeps for advanced and expert skiers, but also a lower mountain with 2,000 feet of vertical that's designed to make skiing fun for guests of all abilities."

Among the mountain's all-access features are a dedicated quad chair that whisks skiers to gentle slopes and low-speed ski zones complemented by themed and animated trails, lots of them with thrilling 'whoop-de-doos.'

"When you have kids who are learning, you look at skiing differently," says Paccagnan, who has three little ones of his own. "You want a safe place to play with them and have fun, and now we have that."

At the same time, Paccagnan says Kicking Horse intends to maintain its position as the ski resort of choice for the adrenaline crowd. Loyal guests will appreciate the recent expansion of the traverse into both the Crystal and Feuz bowls. "We've created a bunch of new chutes and glades into Crystal Bowl and widened the ski-out to make it more exciting." Other improvements include a new road into the Terminator area, so that winch-assisted snow-cats can "do grooming where you'd never expect it."

Dubbed the "Champagne Powder Capital of Canada," the resort has some geographical advantages worth considering when planning a ski vacation.

Kicking Horse doesn't just get consistently good snow – averaging 24 feet annually – its northern aspect allows that precious commodity to be preserved and maintained, significantly reducing the tendency to ice-up after a change in temperature. It's also two-and-a-half hours from Calgary by road, making it one of the easiest resorts to access for both Alberta skiers and international visitors arriving at Calgary International Airport.

Added in is a value equation, says Paccagnan, "The call centre can put together very competitive ski-and-stay packages that can also include air from Eastern Canada and luxury coach service from Calgary."

Another highlight is the celebrated Eagle Eye Restaurant. Situated at the top of the gondola (elevation 2,350 metres) makes Eagle Eye the highest-elevation restaurant in Canada, offering views of no fewer than five national parks. Quality skiing in a rewarding mountain environment – no matter how you look at it, Kicking Horse is a great choice for serious skiers and families alike.