Race weekends are fun: the kids are having a great time meeting and competing with lots of other kids (in Kicking Horse we had around 170 starters) and the Breadbaskets get to see other ski resorts.

So, the last weekend, as you know, let us to Kicking Horse. Kicking Horse is in the Purcell Mountains, one step closer to the Rockies from the Selkirks, where we’re usually roaming. Kicking Horse is the name of the ski resort, approximately 20 minutes from Golden, a rather charmless village at the Canadian Highway No. 1.

We stayed in a classic motel not too far from the highway, the Days Inn in Golden. These inns are not the most charming of all places, but they are very convenient.

The Day Inn - Motel in Golden
Breadbaskets and bad-ass monster truck in front of room #106 at the Days Inn in Golden. Drove the baggage right into the room. Charming, isn’t it?

As practical as this might look, the view across the parking lot was a different story:

View from the Day Inn
Evening view over the Columbia valley from the Days Inn in Golden.

The view in the hotel room, however, was completely different again: Max and Molly discovered the joy of flying.

Flying Breadbaskets
Flying Breadbaskets – the joy you can have in a rather naff hotel room.

The kids were having a ball: the inn had a pool with a water slide, a hot tub and a grizzly bear, which could be inspected and climbed on.

Grizzly at the Day Inn
The Day’s Inn grizzly bear tortured by May and Molly.

Otherwise, we enjoyed Kicking Horse ski resort. At least, most of it: we had two sunny days, the mountains were gorgeous, the ski club gang fun to be with; all excellent. Made it easier to ignore the fact that the $90 CAD day pass gave us access to four (4) lifts, two of which felt as if they had been retired in the mid 80’ies in Austria and shipped to Kicking Horse. All in all, we had a great weekend – the successful little racers and the parents!

Stairway to Heaven gives access into Kicking Horse’s Feuz Bowl – some great lines there if the snow is fresh.
Pink rabbit rides the Kicking Horse.
A glorious morning in Kicking Horse before the masses start lining up.