Kicking Horse - Any good for families?

S

Scott Lancaster

New member
From what I have seen and heard - Kicking Horse has the goods for the high end skiers. I am looking for a new area that also has enough terrain for my kids (ages 7-16). <BR> <BR>Anyone been there with this type of mix?
 
Well, I haven't been there with kids, but since no one else has responded I feel compelled to chime in. <BR> <BR>I suppose that the answer depends an awful lot on what your kids are into. Are they fairly rough-and-tumble, go-for-anything kids? If so, then I guess it really doesn't matter. My stepson, while only a recent convert to skiing thanks to my familial involvement, is game for anything, such that his very first ski trip from me included the slopes of Taos, an admittedly expert playground. He had a ball experiencing serious moguls for the first time. And when I took him to Jay, he couldn't wait to get into the trees. <BR> <BR>The lower slopes of the former White Tooth Ski Hill, upon which Kicking Horse was built, are very family friendly. Wide, intermediate boulevards, for the most part. However, things in the town of Golden are still fairly spartan, such that your kids have to be the fairly low-key type that are not impressed with a lot of flash and glitz. <BR> <BR>For me, I prefer taking my kid to the low-key places. For one thing, from a selfish perspective, it's a lot cheaper. For another, there are fewer opportunities for him to get into trouble by himself. <BR> <BR>Your mileage may vary.
 
Thanks for the line - I enjoy your site. <BR> <BR>As for Kicking Horse - I think I will save that for short trip with the "guys". I think the family will do better with the "all inclusive" resorts like Fernie, Lake Louse, Sun Peaks, etc.
 
I should put in my 2 cents worth since I actually skied Kicking Horse last March. Marc got it pretty much right. There's not much grooming. Every time you take that gondola it's a 3,800 vertical run, so your kids need prior experience and stamina, and the town is pretty basic. I don't know when the on-the-hill lodging is scheduled to be built. Fernie is very much in the same mold (minimal grooming, some easy stuff, lots of expert and not a whole lot in between, basic town) except the vertical can be taken in smaller chunks. Fernie does have new on-site lodging. <BR> <BR>My son (see Adam in 2nd photo at <A HREF="http://far.redtree.com/1999/reports/cgmrep990329.html" TARGET="_top">http://far.redtree.com/1999/reports/cgmrep990329.html</A>) loved Fernie at 14 and would have even at 7, but that might not be the norm. <BR> <BR>Lake Louise and Sun Peaks are low snowfall areas, so I wouldn't book for early season, especially with the mild El Nino. If the kids are imtermediate I would recommend Big White first (also convenient and reasonable on-site lodging)and Sunshine second in western Canada.
 
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