Mountain Living. See you on the slopes! John Shea Chief Resorts Officer Resorts of the Canadian Rockies

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1 Message from John In the last edition of Mountain Living, I spoke of all the exciting and positive changes occurring this season at Kicking Horse. It s been great witnessing all these developments come to fruition and contribute to the success of the resort. Throughout the season I ve had the pleasure of attending quite a few of the Homeowner events such as the Brand Night, Appreciation Après and First Tracks Breakfast. It s been wonderful meeting and getting to know many of you. It s hard to believe that it is already the end of March, but the good news is that the mountain has excellent coverage - there s still winter snow, and the resort will remain wide open until Sunday, April 20th More events are still to come and we ve saved the best for last. Wrangle the Chute will take place this coming weekend and you can read all about it from our Events Assistant, Russell Willer, on page 5. We also have the last First Tracks of the season on April 6 so it will be your last chance this season to enjoy a buffet breakfast at 7,700 feet and to savour those first turns. To coincide with our final Elements Winemakers Dinner, we will also be holding the Annual Spring Fling, which will include the Dual Slalom Race and the Spring Fling Social on April 12, and a Pancake Breakfast on April 13. And as usual, we will be holding the always fun Sunsplash Funkfest on April 5-6 and April Speaking of summer, we are excited to announce that Kicking Horse will be open for the summer season on June 21 for our preview weekend and every weekend of September for the 2014 season! For those of you who have yet to join us in the summer, we have an array of activities at the resort to suit everyone. You could try downhill mountain biking, ridgeline hikes, sightseeing or paying a visit to our resident grizzly bear, Boo, plus many more activities for families and adventurers. Though summer is a little ways off, the warmer spring conditions increase the chances of Boo making brief appearances from his den. This newsletter features an update on Boo and the best place to spot him this Spring. Again, I would like to thank you, our Homeowners, for your continued support and ambassadorship, We look forward to serving you for the balance of the season. See you on the slopes! John Shea Chief Resorts Officer Resorts of the Canadian Rockies M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 1

2 END OF SEASON EVENTS AT KICKING HORSE Friday, March 28 Wrangle The Chute: Don t miss out on the ultimate Big Mountain showdown featuring big lines and some of the best pro-riders with a Kicking Horse twist! 10:30 am - 3:00 pm Barbeque 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Day one of Competition begins - Athletes take one run Saturday, March 29 Wrangle The Chute: Don t miss out on the ultimate Big Mountain showdown featuring big lines and some of the best pro-riders with a Kicking Horse twist! 10:30 am - 3:00 pm Barbeque 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Day Two of Competition begins - Athletes take one run 7:30 pm Wrangle the Chute After Party in the Day Lodge 12:30 am - 1:00 am Shuttle to town Saturday, April 5 Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performances by The FAST ROMANTICS and DEAR ROUGE Sunday, April 6 April First Tracks Breakfast: Don't miss this great opportunity to taste the fresh Champagne Powder. Bring your friends and family! 7:30 am Gondola Upload 8:00 am Sunrise Breakfast 9:00 am First Tracks Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm The First Annual Snowblade Decathlon 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performance Friday, April 11 Winemaker s Dinner Series - Earth Our talented culinary team has created an incredible 5-course dinner, inspired by the Element of Life: Earth. Tickets can be purchased as a discounted price when Homeowners purchase a ticket to the Homeowner s Spring Fling. 6:30pm-6:45pm Gondola Upload 7:00pm - 9:30pm Dinner served at 12:00am Gondola Download Saturday, April 12 Homeowner s Spring Fling and Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: Get ready for a weekend of fun-filled events during our Homeowner's Annual Spring Fling. 9:30 am Annual Homeowner s Dual Slalom Race - Meet at the Discovery Centre 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Annual Slush Cup 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performance 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Spring Fling Social at Corks Sunday, April 13 Homeowner s Spring Fling and Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: Get ready for a weekend of fun-filled events during our Homeowner's Annual Spring Fling. 8:30 am - 10:00 am Homeowner s Pancake Farewell Breakfast 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm The Dummy Downhill 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performance Saturday, April 19 Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Live DJ from the Chuck Wagon 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performance Sunday, April 20 Kicking Horse Sun Splash Funkfest: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm Live DJ from the Chuck Wagon 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Plaza Patio Après Performance M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 2

3 Spring Fling Schedule of Events Ticket prices: Adult - $34.95, Child (6-12yrs) - $18.00, Tot - FREE Ticket prices with Winemakers Dinner: Adult - $140.95, Child - $93.00 Please note the discounted winemakers dinner is only available with the purchase of a Spring Fling ticket. Otherwise, it can be purchased separately for $ for Adults and $90.00 for Designated Drivers M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 3

4 STAFF SPOTLIGHT: Mark Pickup, Head Repair Technician Mark Pickup in his natural habitat Some of you may already be familiar with the big bearded gentleman hanging out in the back shop of the Kicking Horse Performance Rental Centre. Though you may know Mark Pickup (yes, he does own a pick-up truck and yes, that is his real surname) as our Head Repair Technician, we uncovered some things about this Ontario native that some homeowners might not know. As always with the Staff Spotlight, we encourage you to read on to get to know our team members just that little bit better. What is your position at Kicking Horse and what does it involve? Head Repair Technician, backshop repairs, ski tuning, repairs of rental fleet and floor operations of the shop. How long have you been with the resort? 5 winters, but I m also here in the summer time. What s the most interesting thing you ve had to repair? Extensive damage are always the most interesting repairs. Anything from edges blown out sideways or things embedded in the core to sidewalls ripped out. Some people just ask that their gear gets through the day and as long as he core s not snapped in half, very often we can repair it. Why would you recommend a tune up to the homeowner s this time of year? Tuning at all times of year is a important. However, spring conditions can bring anything from a very slushy, soft surface, to all of a sudden it got a little colder and now it s very icy. So on your slushy days, edges might not be of that great a concern, but tomorrow, you might need them a lot more than you thought. Waxing is important everyday. What a lot of people don t realize is that one solid day on a 4,000 ft mountain the wax is pretty done, and when yesterdays wax was mid temp conditions or cold conditions, with the wrong temp range, wax can turn to glue on the snow. What s something homeowner s may not know about you? What most people don t know and don t expect, is that I m a classic violinist. I teach year round and the amount of kids I teach is heavier through the winter. Some of them take summers off and they may be in and out of town, many of them follow school schedules and just take time off when school s out but otherwise I teach year round and encourage them to keep studying year round. What do you do in the summer? Oversee repair of bikes, rental bike fleet, operation of rentals for summer. For anyone who hasn t tried biking before, what advice can you give them? Definitely having a conversation with us about the basics and taking a bit of time to get used to the bike and starting out on catamount are all very good ideas. It s a very different bike to street bikes and even cross country bikes, getting on a downhill with full suspension and 8 inches of travel is a very different feel. What has been one of your best experiences at Kicking Horse? It s a hard thing to pin point, but one of the best was a time a couple of years ago. Patrol was rounding a lap to come and open Fuez Bowl. A couple of us waited, but a few more people caught on, by the time patrol had gone back up there was an army of about of us charging down redemption ridge following patrol. As the signs flipped, we just started diving in and it was one of the best pow runs I ve had. Don t forget: Homeowners get a 10% discount on minor and major tune ups when they show their Homeowner Benefit Card (available at Guest Services). So feel free to stop by and chat with Mark and his team. They re a world of knowledge and all set to get your gear spring ready! M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 4

5 WHY NOT TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT? You ve probably seen it in the parking lot hundreds of times: the small green roofed hut surrounded by sleds and trailers. Rocky Mountain Riders is owned and operated by Golden local Luke Burley, and in this edition of Mountain Living, we wanted to introduce Homeowners to the world of snowmobiling. It s literally steps from your door, but if you ve never tried snowmobiling in the mountains, then boy do we have a treat for you! Luke and Rocky Mountain Riders are pleased to offer homeowners 10% off tours, Monday to Friday for the remainder of the 2013/2014 season! Not enticed? Well we managed to sit down for a chat with Luke to see if he could change your mind... How many years have you been sledding for? Hmm... I was just a child. Its been so long I wouldn t be able to tell you. When did you open Rocky Mountain Riders? Why? Over 10 years ago now! I was passionate about snowmobiling and I just came across this great opportunity to live in the mountains, run a great company and provide unforgettable experiences to guests our office and load up for a fun filled adventure What tour would you personally recommend for our homeowners? Why? Well that s easy. Any of them! They are all great. All of them different but equally exciting and unique. It really just depends on what kind of adventure you are looking for. If you are looking for a soft adventure trip with your family the trail tours are perfect. If you are looking for an action packed backcountry experience then you have to ride one of our 800cc mountain machines. What is your favourite part about your job? Waking up every day to head out into the mountains sharing an amazing experience with my guests, and watching them pull their helmets off at the end of the day with ear to ear smiles. For more information on snowmobiling with Rocky Mountain Riders, you can call them on or visit their website at It s a great adventure for the powder enthusiasts to families, so, Why Not Try Something Different? What does an average day of sledding with you look like? That depends if you are on a back country trip or trail ride. Both are very different, but both are fun filled adventures that lead us into the mountains where the scenery is simply breathtaking and the experience very gratifying What do your customers enjoy most about your tours? I think they love the freedom, flexibility, and overall adventure we offer. What is the thing that makes Rocky Mtn. Riders stand out? We are the only provider in Golden that offers backcountry and trail tours right from our office. It saves at least an hour of your day where we are not unloading and setting up snowmobiles. If you stay on mountain you can walk right to M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 5

6 Wrangle the Chute Update - Hello Kicking Horse compadres! It's Russell Willer again, Events Coordinator extraordinaire, with your events update. The season will be winding down soon, but not yet... here is what you can expect this week. Friday March 28th & Saturday March 29th Powerade presents the 6th annual Wrangle the Chute. This weekend will be one to remember. For the first me ever, the interior's best big mountain comp will take place on new terrain. The north facing chutes on Terminator 1, Truth & Dare will provide pro and local riders alike with the opportunity to put down lines that you would only see in a free ride world tour event. Simply put, you can NOT miss out this year. Watch from our base camp in Bowl Over or from a higher vantage point on CPR ridge. Run mes are Fri & Sat 11:00am-2:30pm. To celebrate the new face of this event, the first ever Official A er Party will be throwing down in the Day Lodge. If this is going to be the best event of the year, this is going be the best party of the year. An awesome band from Calgary, The High Kicks, will be rocking out all night long. The award ceremony will start at 7:30pm on Saturday March 29th. The party will follow with Western theme, door prizes, swag, drink deals, and you get a chance to party with the best athletes on the slopes. Tickets are $10 at Guest Services. GRIZZLY BEAR REFUGE UPDATE - Nicole Gagnon, GBR Ranger Spring is upon us and temperatures are warming up. Despite these milder conditions, the snow pack at the bear refuge is still plentiful and Boo has yet to poke his head out from his winter den. The annual digging of the perimeter fence has commenced, but refuge staff experienced a minor set back with 48cm of new snowfall last week. Nevertheless, preparations continue for Boo s spring-time appearance and everyone is eagerly anticipating his debut. Keep your eyes peeled while on the gondola between towers 8 and 9. Who knows? You might be the first one to see him. I look forward to seeing you all there! For more info, check out events Giddy up! Russell Smile for the camera, Boo! M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 6

7 TELUS LEARNING CENTRE WHAT S HAPPENING AT KICKING HORSE TWO WEEKENDS OF THE SUNSPLASH FUNKFEST! The Learning Centre is still offering 2 hour private lessons for $99 plus tax season pass holders.*conditions apply. Book your lesson today by contacting the Booking Desk on *The price is for season pass holders only. Pass holder must be taking the lesson. Pass holder can have another person join for the regular add on price of $ PM only. Subject to availability of instructors. Prebooking not available. RETAIL BLOWOUT SALE! The Retail department are having their Blowout Sale for the remainder of the season! The sale is taking place at the Brand Store, Retail Store and Performance Rental Centre. Get 50% off logowear, outerwear, mid-layers and baselayers. They also have 25% off all helmets, goggles and gloves. Exclusive to the Performance Rental Centre is a 75% off 2013 helmets which are going fast! Not to be used in conjunction with other offers. Our talented culinary team has created an incredible 5-course dinner, inspired by the Element of Life: Earth. Tickets can be purchased as a discounted price when Homeowners purchase a ticket to the Homeowner s Spring Fling. 6:30pm-6:45pm Gondola Upload 7:00pm - 9:30pm Dinner served at 12:00am Last Gondola Download $127 for Adults $90 for Designated Drivers Apres Ski Special Between 4-6pm relax & recharge with a personal pizza & a pint for $10. Corks will also be open for the last 2 weeks of the season on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only. Buy any specialty coffee from Slopeside Coffee & Deli and receive a baked good for only $2.00! WHITETOOTH GRILL Enjoy some great Après specials at the Whitetooth Grill, like the Family Après combo for $21.95 for a family of four. For the Adults, you can enjoy a pint of Kokanee Gold for just $5, or the cheapest shot ski on mountain for just $12. You can also enjoy a great outdoor BBQ at the Whitetooth Grill for both weekends of the Sunsplash Funkfest ENJOY YOUR END OF SEASON!!! M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 7

8 NEWS FOR ON-RESORT BUSINESSES Winston Lodge is pleased to announce their liquor license is now extended to 2am. Just in time for the spring time and end of season celebrations! Double Black Cafe--Start your day by visiting us for breakfast and a selection of Kicking Horse Coffees. Enjoy our fresh, made to order lunch items including baked goods made in house. We are locally famous for our unique daily soups. You won't find a deep fryer in our establishment! We offer, as always, our signature Specialty Coffees. Fully licensed including local micro brews. Look for our new summer menu, coming soon... From Selkirk Sports: Thank you so much for showing up at our VIP apprecia on party. To everyone who tried next years skis, we appreciate your feedback and honesty. The "don't likes and it's ok", are the most important comments, as these help us not to bring products that stay on our wall. In case you were interested in pre-booking skis for next season, our offer of saving 15% will be valid un l April 15th, the manufacturers cut off date. Homeowners are always near to our heart and it was great to see so many of you. So next year, it will be around the same date, me and place. We hope to see you again on the mountain, in the gondola and of course, in the shop in the remaining weeks. Sale offers will con nue and Homeowners will get a special deal on the Demo Skis from the store. Thanks again See you on the slope The Selkirk Sports Team We are pleased to announce the completion of the sale of the Copper Horse Lodge. Congratulations to the new owners! M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 8

9 ROTARY CLUB OF GOLDEN S 30TH BIRTHDAY GALA IN SUPPORT OF THE LEADER IN ME M O U N T A I N L I V I N G 9