RESORT: KICKING HORSE MOUNTAIN RESORT
Serviced by one of Canada’s longest high-speed gondolas, Kicking Horse Mountain Resort offers mind-boggling, high-alpine skiing down massive bowls in perfect powder. Its relatively remote location and Golden’s small population mean there are never lift lines–even on the busiest days. Lunch at the Eagle’s Eye restaurant is not to be missed and it’s difficult to determine what’s better: the stupendous mountain scenery or the inspired, eclectic menu.
TOWN: GOLDEN
Nestled between no fewer than four mountain ranges and six national parks, Golden serves a jumping-off point for some of B.C.’s wilder outdoor recreation. The trails and bowls of highly underrated but sensationally situated Kicking Horse Mountain Resort are visable from many viewpoints in town and along the Columbia River. Logging, railroad jobs and tourism are the mainstays of the economy. Much of the commercial action occurs along the gas stations and fast food outlets on either side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Indeed, major transportations projects are on the drawing board for the next several years as bridge upgrades continue across the roiling rapids of the Kicking Horse River.
KICKING HORSE/GOLDEN REAL ESTATE SAMPLES
Resort: Affordable, fully furnished two-bedroom, two bathroom ski in/ski out condo located in Palliser Lodge. One bedroom locks off to become a revenue-generating hotel room. MLS®2432450. $309,000
Town: An upgraded three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with more than 3,000 square feet on one-third of an acre lot. MLS®249214. $499,000