 Poster: A snowHead
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We are lucky enough to live in Calgary and are contemplating a weekend at Kicking horse, in part because we have one unused day on a snowmax card. We like to ski part of the day with our children:
3yr old who can cope with basic nursery slopes and like to go around cones and tunnel things.
5 yr old who needs quite lot more than basic nursery , but he needs easy not steep runs (easier canadian greens). He has recently been put off by a couple of green runs at Panorama, which did have pretty steep starts, and a blue run at Nakiska, which was fairly steep.
Is KH that bad for beginners? Our 'where to ski guide' suggests it is awful, but I think they may have added a mid-station since then??
Also wondered about the length of the magic carpet?
Also if anyone knows lengths of magic carpet in Lake Louise and Sunshine? The web sites don't seem to say. The one at Panorama was tiny, Nakiska have a 350 ft one which is great- so we are looking for somewhere with a long magic carpet as this is by far the easiest way to transport my just 3 yr old girl up the slopes. She likes to be in control (clearly gets nothing from her mother) and with a magic carpet she is. Drag lifts are a bit of a pain but possible.
Gryphea
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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hey,
Im out at Kicking Horse now for the season and its a tuff mountain with some serious steeps. that said there is a quad chair lift which has a mid station with a pretty nice easy run back to the resort. If you take the Gondola to the top there is a blue which feeds into a Cat track which you can follow right the way back down (i think its a green). There is some great snow at the minute and today was beautiful blue sky's with the sun shining.
Not sure how long the magic carpet is but i doesnt look to long....but iv only seen it from a distance.
The mountain is also very quiet at the minute so you wont get much in the way of traffic on the slopes.
hope that helps,
0ppish.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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gryphea, magic carpet at LL was pretty short last time I was there, with kids transitioning on to the T bar and then the chairs pretty soon. KH is not the place I would consider first for small kids, unless it has changed a lot in the last 3 years.
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I went to Kicking Horse last year as a very cowardly intermediate and found some great skiing, but there were a couple of greens which had a quite steep drop on it, but looking at the trail map if you get off at the halfway station you would miss it. If I remember correctly it is the one on the right if you go to the top of the chair. It was fine for us but we did comment if we went there as a beginner we would have found it quite scary.
The trail from the top of the mountain is great if you don't mind trails (I have a paranoid fear that my skis are going to chuck me down the black runs  ) and the run through the crystal bowl is great.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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gryphea, the last time I was at Sunshine the Magic Carpet was short, maybe 20 yards. From the on line map, it doesn't look to have changed. There is (or was, a few years ago, a good creche at Sunshine. They'll take the kids out for a couple of ski lessons a day, initially on their own slope (which I think has its own titchy magic carpet), then onto the main magic carpet. After the magic carpet, there's a beginners' chair, Strawberry, which is operated with enormous care, slowing down for kids and anyone else who looks as if they might need it or on request, serving a couple of very gentle runs.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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gryphea
I've got a couple of kids around that age and have also been lucky enough to do a season in Banff a few years ago, during which time I went ot Kicking horse a few times.
haven't been since so this info isn't too current, but looking back I would much rather go to Lake Louise or Norquay. Kicking Horse was awesome for intermediate / advanced, but wasn't really set up in the kind of way you'd want if you had young kids. The majority of the bottom half of the mountain wasn't groomed, a lot of the slopes had steeper areas on and it just didn't seem that child friendly.
IMO, Norquay and Louise had teh best setup. Both really well groomed, with gentle beginner areas AND lifts - as well as lifties whould slow a lift down if they saw little ones on. Sunshine is also quite good as richmond says
I don't think the MC ride at any resort is that long, so I would make a decision based on general suitability for little ones. Louise would be my choice, as a (green) run like Wiwaxy would probably be great for your 5 year old once he is ready to go up the mountain a little.
But - I don't think Kicking horse would be right for you. Hope that helps
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I was in KH for a few days a couple of years ago. Great skiing for advanced/expert skiers but the topography is unhelpful for beginners and the lower (easier) slopes are often in poor condition. I really would not go there with beginners - LL or somehwere would be better plus of course nearer.
I would not really want to take intermediates there unless they were very confident/fit as the skiing is kind of relentless. Fantastic though.
In my opinion the resort has a chicken and egg problem - they need more families to go but families need more mild skiing, there are good options adjoining the current ski area but opeing that up requires cash, which they don't have until they get more visitors...
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Thanks guys
SO it looks like we won't be spending a weekend there as it looks not great for the kids and we are only adventurous intermediates (used to be better). KH is odd as well as all slopeside accomodation seems very upmarket (pricey), but we have free passes and so will go up for a day from Lake Louise sometime this season maybe.
HAd been hoping to get to fernie for Family day, but the only accomodation I can find is $469 per night for a 1 bedroom slopeside condo- so we will have to go some other time! We have just booked for Banff instead and can do sunshine and Louise from there. We are going to Norquay next weekend and spend sundays at Nakiska as my 5 yr old is having lessons (not that many places take 5 yr olds in group lessons here) . Thanks for all the tips and all the best!
Gryphea
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just to update anyone interested!
Back from fab weekend at Kicking horse. Both kids , 3 and 5 had a great time. 5 yr old could go up gondola and ski down on greens and then easier blues. He managed all lifts form the base, just not the stairway to heaven. He now ranks KH as his top favorite resort, joint with nakiska and ahead of a strong field of LL, Norquay, sunshine and panorama. He loved the 'horseplay corral' and a little jump his ski instructor first took him on. We signed him up for a 2 hr group lesson on saturday and he was the only child of any ability in a group lesson and he had a private lesson for 2 hrs! 3 yr old skied and did 2 3hr sessions in daycare. Both times in daycare she went skiing on the magic carpet (which we hadn't paid for- so we were chuffed). She managed the family chair to mid station and she also liked 'horseplay corral', she also liked seeing horses at base and we liked the fact we could get a table at lunch and no queues except 5 mins at gondola. We also like the fact we could park really near which is a bonus with little kiddies. A great time was had by all!!! We shall return next year- especially as you don't have to buy a pass for 6 yr olds which you pretty much have to anywhere else!
Can recommend pinecombs B and B too!
Gryphea
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Bones, Last time i was out there (autum last year) he had escaped, and they had decided to let him run free.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Bones,
Who or what is boo? I suspect we didn't see boo, is it their bear?
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gryphea, yep Boo is the Gizzly they have there - you cant really miss his place on the mountain as you go up the Gondola. They have a twenty acre fenced plot for him too as well as his winter quarters. 
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You know it makes sense.
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Bones,
Somehow we did manage to miss his 20 acre plot!
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