Two Resorts, Multi-Flavours
Now that they’ve resolved their longrunning
battle as to who ranks second
behind Whistler-Blackcomb for highest
vertical drop in the country (Kicking Horse
won), Panorama and Kicking Horse have little
to fi ght about. The distinct flavours of the
two mean there’s little competitive crossover
between the Hwy 95 resorts to spark any
internecine strife.
If your idea of an ideal holiday involves
ski-in condo access, stocked kitchenettes,
fl ick-on fi replaces, organized broomball
games, enormous outdoor hot pools and
the longest uninterrupted fall-line corduroy
cruisers in the country, then Panorama is your
place. Head west at Invermere—the town
that Panorama Resort forgot—and climb for
18 km into the Purcell Mountains until you
are funnelled into the central check-in centre
(always open) where one of Panorama’s army
of smiling 21-year-old staff members will
greet you. Familiar small-talk is made easy
since all staff have their hometowns proudly
displayed on their name tags. By the time
you mention that you passed through his
or her town once 12 years ago, you’ll have
your plastic swipe card key and a resort map
in hand and be off to the parking garage
beneath your condo unit.
On the hill, adherents to the auto-vacation
school of ski-tripping will be overjoyed to
cruise Panorama’s famous groomers. But
anyone getting the itch to break out of the
mould should find an outlet in the steep tree
runs of Taynton Bowl, a wonderful aberration
of uncontrolled anarchy on the dark side of
this total resort that was once only accessible
to heli-skiers.
Then again, if the thought of an après-ski
sleigh ride sounds too tame for your tastes,
you’ll want to head 120 km up the highway
to Golden. This town set between the dusty
highway and the still-clear Columbia River
appears a tad tarnished following the clinical
efficiency of Panorama’s building code, but
don’t mistake rough-hewn for rundown.
Golden is simply a real town.
At one end of town you’ll fi nd a CP rail
yard, at the other end a lumber mill. At the
midpoint between the two parking lots of
pickup trucks there’s a small community of
van-driving seasonal workers. They spend the
off-season working in the oil fields and clearcuts
of the west and return to Golden in the
winter for its authentic atmosphere and its
sprawling alpine terrain.
Forty-five per cent of Kicking Horse’s
terrain is rated advanced, with 70 in-bound
alpine chutes to pick your way down. It’s
not all white-knuckle territory though. The
bottom of the mountain is comprised of wide
cruisers. And over the next three years part
of a $15-million investment by the resort will
go toward enhancing top-to-bottom cruising,
making the legendary Kicking Horse terrain
accessible to skiers of all abilities.
With the recent addition of condo units
at the hill, you can now choose all manner
of accommodation for your stay, just don’t
expect to find any tuque boutiques on
the main street. You’ll have to settle for a
camouflage hunting cap from the hardware store.
PANORAMA
VERTICAL: 1,220 metres
LIFTS: 9
RUNS: 120+
MORE INFO: Panorama Resort
800/663-2929
KICKING HORSE
VERTICAL: 1,260 metres
LIFTS: 5
RUNS: 106
MORE INFO: Kicking Horse Resort
866/754-5425
