Conditions Report
Report from February 4-5, 2024
Kicking Horse, British Columbia, seems like the crown gem of the Kootenay Valley. Despite warming that dramatically reduced the snowpack, a few centimeters of dust each day provided us with enough soft snow to explore its famed ridges and understand why the resort is legendary.
The entire mountain’s base was hard, but from the top of the Golden Eagle Gondola (GEG), we accessed fresh snow right away. Below the first third of the GEG, conditions became “marginal.” RCR generously labels paths as “marginal” to let people like us know that even if it looks good, it might not be. Even so, we tried our luck several times until we acknowledged that the crust currently overpowers the dust.
Kicking Horse’s upper terrain is brilliant— chutes, bowls, cliffs, and some technical trees. Despite the state of the snowpack, we found some scrumptious lines.
The design of Kicking Horse is ideal. The GEG and the Stairway each access two valleys. The chairs run up separate ridge lines, allowing significant options for steep lines. For a mere single topside lift and one gondola, the variety of terrain is nearly superlative. The only comparison is a nearby neighbor: Revelstoke. For reference, the GEG covers 3,413 vertical feet in just over 2.1 miles.
One other standout thing about Kicking Horse is the people. Every person we met on the slopes and on lifts was keeping their stoke up, despite all things. It was great to see the RCR staff in such fine form— we really appreciate it. That said, people here are a bit wild with their gear; I picked up a ski that nearly hit me falling off a chair and scooped someone’s pole later that lap. A friendly skier also gave Jacob a tug in the flatlands.
Weather Forecast
The next stop is Revelstoke, where we hope to meet fresh snow. Even so, the Kootenay Valley and its alpine have certainly claimed a special place in our hearts. Revelstoke has an amazing ability to summon storms out of nothing, and we dearly hope to luck out.
