Kicking Horse, B.C.: 2/16/17

Kicking Horse was high on my list of B.C. areas to check out, but I never had any intention of hitting it on my recent trip to the region. After all, I was staying the week in Fernie, some 3 1/2 hours away, where I figured nearby Castle Mountain and Fernie Alpine Resort would keep me plenty busy (more on that in a separate trip report). That was until rain soaked both areas to their upper elevations. Suddenly, a day trip to Kicking Horse seemed somewhat reasonable for decent conditions (plus the lift ticket was free with my RCR Card).

Though the drive was a chore, Kicking Horse delivered the goods and was totally worth the trek. Six inches of snow had fallen at mid-mountain by the time I arrived, and it continued to snow for most of the day.



I took a run in Feuz Bowl, but faced with extremely limited visibility up high, I decided to ski mostly to glades. Competition was limited, and I had no problem getting fresh tracks all day.





By late afternoon, the snow stopped and the clouds started to clear. My last run of the day was an untracked, knee-deep line in Super Bowl. Sweet!







The drive back was stunning, and even though I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing a day trip from Fernie, I'd happily put Kicking Horse on an itinerary in the future.

I didn't realise KH was that far a drive from Fernie. Someone from FTO was there five days after you and posted this report, with what looks like similarly nice conditions:
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12317

Looks Awesome.  We considered doing the same thing when we were over there, but the snow up North was not all that spectacular at the time either.  You certainly made the best of a less than optimum scenario.  

Awesome stuff!  Kicking Horse is my favorite place!  Awesome terrain.

skied a couple days there a few years ago, great mountain.

Thanks for the TR man. We are 14 days out from our trip to Fernie (4 days) and KH (2 days). Hoping the upcoming storm cycle out there is all snow. Looking forward to your Fernie TR.

With the thaw this week - surprised anything out East is still open. Awesome trip and what looks to be great conditions. My buddy love KH. I have never been hoping one day to make it there.

Thanks for the virtual experience.