Lake Louise: A Picture-Perfect Start (Feb 20)
Lake Louise is hands down one of the most picturesque mountains I’ve ever visited. Nestled within Banff National Park and about 2 hours west of Calgary, the scenery is beyond stunning, with towering peaks framing the slopes. The terrain here is extensive, offering everything from wide-open bowls to challenging tree runs and moguls. The snow conditions were crusty but then again, how else would one ride moguls?
But the day didn’t start without a hitch. After the first couple runs, I managed to lose my phone—no small mistake considering the vastness of the hill. After a bit of panic, I remembered Find My iPhone and, to my relief, a kind soul found it deep in the trees and brought it back to the lodge. What a stroke of luck!
I have a seasons pass at Lake Louise this year and am still exploring the mountain. I highly recommend hiking Upper Boomarang to cruise the blacks or hike a bit further to Brown Cow. Next best tip is basically anywhere you see trees, you can duck in and try and ride it with minimal tracks.
Kicking Horse: Heart Rate is RISING (Feb 21)
Next up, Kicking Horse. This place is not for the faint of heart. From the moment we rode the gondola up, the intimidating double black runs—Truth, Dare, and Consequence— feature 40-45 degree pitches that require navigating tight trees and rocky terrain. As a benchmark, a green run pitch is 5-15 degrees. No Truth, Dare, and Consequences for us on this trip though… we traversed to Super Bowl to ride the double black Punter on the far side. Highly recommend checking that area out, it has lots of approachable single blacks.
Not to intimidate learning skiers but the gondola to the top (Golden Eagle Express) with the sole green run cliffs out dramatically to double blacks on skiers right along CPR Ridge. Once you size it up, it’s less scary but first time its intimidating.
One of the highlights of Kicking Horse for us was lunch at the yurt at the base of the Stairway to Heaven chairlift. The chili was quite nice.
After my first day in a long time at Kicking Horse, I found myself itching to come back. Kicking Horse is definitely a playground for experts, and it’s now at the top of my list for the next time I need a serious adrenaline rush.
Revelstoke: Pow & Glades (Feb 22)
From the steeps of Kicking Horse, we made our way to Revelstoke, a place known for its gladed trees and deep pow snow conditions. Compared to Lake Louise and Sunshine, where glading is more restricted due to national park regulations, Revelstoke offers a more natural and free-flowing tree-skiing experience.
Our legs were starting to feel it by day three, so we cruised more blues and what I’d call light blacks. My favorite run was Tally-Ho Glades. We rode the main SWF line under the Stoke chair and it was great as well. Easy moguls and flowing terrain.
Pano: The Hidden Gem (Feb 23)
Our final stop was Pano, and I’ll admit, I was blown away. This mountain is seriously underrated. We had two feet of powder at times in the Tayntum Bown on the C-Spine double. My best turns of the year hands down.
Pano is a place that doesn’t get as much attention as some of the bigger resorts in the area, but it’s definitely worth seeking out if you want to escape the crowds. I don’t want to leave you with the impression powder is common here…it gets less snow than the other 3 resorts typically, we just lucked out. I’d say its more of a skiers hill than a boarders hill. The cool thing with Pano is that it is a ski-in, ski-out village. When I come pack, plan is to just lap Taynton Bowl or solely ride Summit Quad. The hill gets less snow so the higher and more slack-country you get, the better.
The first picture here was taken with Steve Yeager, Executive Director of US for ICM, and John Courtliff, CEO of ICM and Co-Founder of VRGE—great company for an unforgettable day on the slopes. I’m the guy with goggles, Matt Crowley, Co-Founder of VRGE
Final Thoughts
Four days, four mountains, and some deadly turns. Each resort offered something unique—whether it was the jaw-dropping beauty of Lake Louise, the steep challenges at Kicking Horse, the powder-filled bliss of Revelstoke, or the hidden gem of Pano. In terms of a circuit along the Powder Highway, I’d highly recommend hitting all four of these incredible destinations. Next time, we’re not passing Sunshine on the way home (outside Banff). 5 mountains in 5 days next year is the goal!
