Kicking Horse is a relatively new resort near Golden, BC in the Purcell Mountains.
Three hours west of Calgary and 15 km's up the hill from the blue-collar town of Golden, lies the resort of Kicking Horse.
A former heli-ski area of alpine bowls and gnarly ridge lines slashed with chutes all blessed with the lightest, fluffiest snow Ullr creates makes this a must-do for any serious, skilled rider.
It is in the top 10 for vertical drop (lift-served) in North America and has lots of acreage, but only 3 lift pods and only 2 major lifts.
Here's what you need to know for planning your trip to Kicking Horse Ski Resort:
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EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS I FWT23 Kicking Horse Golden BC Pro
Kicking Horse Ski Resort Terrain
Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has the 5th biggest vertical in North America at 1314m (Revelstoke is #1).
Kicking Horse boasts 3,500 skiable acres with 4,000 feet of vertical that can keep advanced riders entertained and challenged for a full week.
This is big mountain terrain tamed just enough for our safe enjoyment.
This is a ski resort that leaves you wanting more… more time, more runs, and sometimes more of its patented Champagne Powder Capital of Canada snow.
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Here it is in numbers:
- 4314 feet (1314 meters) of vertical
- 3486 acres of skiable terrain
- 8218 feet (2504 meters) at top elevation
- 5 alpine bowls
The best way to think about snowboarding at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is to start with the central runs (Bowl Over and Crystal Bowl) near the Eagle Express Gondola.
However, the beginners aren’t overlooked, and the slopes are ideal for leveling up no matter what your starting point.
There is a convenient learning area and dedicated lift on the lower mountain as well as a green trail that winds from the top all the way to the bottom.
Kicking Horse is known for extreme alpine terrain, marked by exposed cliffs, couloirs, and spine-tingling spines.
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Exploring Kicking Horse Mountain
On our first Kicking Horse Resort visit my husband was all about exploring the epic powder bowls and chutes - but I’ll admit that those were neither here nor there for me (a high intermediate skier at best).
What interested me was the fact that in recent years the resort had become much more family-friendly, with increased beginner and intermediate terrain and the addition of family-friendly amenities and facilities.
The added bonus at Kicking Horse Ski Resort was the cozy ski in/ski out lodging at the base of the gondola, some solid dining options, and the stunning view from the top.
It has been amazing to watch our kids go from basically working their way down on a cat track to now dropping into steep bowls on their own.
At Kicking Horse, we really loved the freedom of dropping our kids off at the Snow School for morning lessons and then being on the slopes 15 minutes later.
In our experience, the rigamarole of getting kids sorted into lessons in the morning can often take much longer (sometimes as much an 1 hour).
We found the process at KHMR to be quite relaxed and easy.
We would get in our morning ski, pick up the kids and then ride the gondola back up to enjoy lunch on top of the world at the Eagle’s Eye restaurant.
The Eagle’s Eye is a worthy splurge with excellent food as well as a kids’ menu (see TripAdvisor reviews).
We also loved the fact that once the kids had devoured their meals they could play outside on the deck building a snowman or snow fort while we rested our legs for a few more minutes.
It is truly a very special dining experience.
Key Areas and Runs
- Whitewall/Feuz Bowl: Of the countless drop-in points along the wall, 101 Last Chance and 102 Two Trick Pony stand out.
- Ozone: This exposed alpine slope was once reserved only for Freeride World Tour competitors.
- Rudi’s Bowl: Accessed via an Ozone traverse or a Middle Ridge bootpack, this brand-new bowl holds snow for weeks.
- Terminator 2 (T2): hands down, holds the snow the longest and gets the least traffic of all areas at Kicking Horse.
Lift System
Every day at Kicking Horse is going to involve lapping one of only 2 lifts that cover most of the lift-served terrain.
The Golden Eagle Express gondola is super impressive.
It climbs an incredible 3500 vertical in one stage.
The problem is that it’s relatively small just like the Revelstoke gondola.
And being the only major lift there is usually a wait.
You are also going to be trapped on that thing a long time, so I hope you like your gondola mates.
Terrain Difficulty
Almost everything at Kicking Horse is steep.
But this place takes it to the next level and is second only to notorious La Grave in my experience.
It makes Taos, NM look easy.
The level of the average skier here is incredibly high.
The best pod for us was the Stairway to Heaven lift.
Although it was super cold up there, we spent a lot of time skiing the runs off Redemption Ridge.
The main floor of Crystal Bowl should really be rated green oddly, and that’s the problem at Kicking Horse - there is really almost no intermediate terrain.
It’s either easy, steep, really steep, or insanely steep!
Adding to the terrain problems is the fact that probably over 50% of the listed runs actually require hiking to get to.
And it’s often very exposed knife-edge ridge stuff that will spook even experienced experts.
There were a couple of long steep groomers like Euphoria which were the best runs on the mountain for us, but these were actually crowded because that’s where everyone was going.
Kicking Horse for Families
Families visiting Kicking Horse will appreciate the convenience of a daycare, snow school, kids’ learning area, tube park and a small skating rink - all right in the central village near the gondola base.
Every run ends up in the same place so in my opinion this is a solid family hill, especially for families who are really putting their foot on the gas and experimenting with challenging terrain.
For younger kiddos, you might honestly have more fun elsewhere.
Skiing down from the Gondola might not be scary for the kids, but for the parents watching, it could feel like a nightmare.
There are definitely a lot of steeps and hazards.
The Grizzly Bear Refuge
At some point during our Kicking Horse visits we like to pop by the Bear Refuge - home to Boo the orphaned grizzly bear.
For more than a dozen years, Boo has lived in a 20 acre forested enclosure within the Kicking Horse Resort ski area (the largest grizzly bear refuge in the world).
Boo hibernates for most of the winter (occasionally sleepily popping his head out for a breath of fresh air) and skiers are sometimes lucky enough to catch a glimpse of him in the spring.