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Exploring

3/11/2023

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It has not been a great winter for exploring off-piste.  The avalanche hazard in our area has been very high and very dangerous.  
But in the past week things have improved and there is more stability.  
One of our go-to spots not far off the resort has been on our radar all winter.  At this point last winter we have probably done 40 or trips to this area but not this year.
We always go with someone who knows more than we do and we always recommend a certified guide to anyone who is thinking off exploring off-piste. 
Earlier in the week was our first trip and it was well worth the effort.  We were really surprised by the number of tracks already through the area.  There must be a lot of skiers and boarders in the area who either are very knowledgeable or very reckless.  
More snow in the next few days is in the forecast and hope this is the sign of things to come to finish off the season which is slated for April 16th.  So still some great runs to be made. 
​Video is from our trip earlier in the week. 

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Fun in the snow

3/7/2023

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Despite not having any big dumps of snow in the past week, we are still able to find some nice stashs of powder  here and there.  It takes a bit more effort and are are going "out of bounds" but keeping safe. 
Unfortunately there have been some horrible incidents in our area in the past week or so with two people dying in an avalanche just outside the Kicking Horse boundary a couple weeks ago and then 3 people who were on a heli skiing trip with one of the companies south of here were also killed.  
We have been avoiding our favourite  out of bounds area this winter because of the high avalanche hazard. 
The season is winding down with the closing date of the resort scheduled for April 16th which is not far away.  
But if history means anything the next month can be some of the best skiing, with warmer weather. You can book on-line or give us a call 250 344 2622. 
Despite the smaller snowpack this year there is still some great skiing to be had.  Video is from yesterday with family and friends. 

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Snow is back

2/28/2023

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It has been a great week for snow at Vagabond Lodge.  We received almost 80 cms of snow in the past week which was sorely needed.  Part of it was followed by some cold weather again, which we usually don't get this time of the year getting down to -25C and colder for a few days.  The snow was deep but the cold weather basically caused the snow to set up.  It was far from champagne powder we are known for.   The skis would get buried and was very difficult to get them back on top.
But with our more recent snow over the past few days, the weather has stayed just below 0C and it made it for more enjoyable powder. 
March in the past has been a great month for skiing with usually more snow and warmer temperatures. I hope that will be the  case this year.  
You can book direct at Vagabond Lodge for the best rate.  Check out the website or email info@vagabondlodge.ca or give us a call at 250 344 2622.  Video is from yesterday along with friend Patrick we found some nice skiing. 

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35 cms fresh powder

2/21/2023

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It has been a long wait for a big dump of snow at Vagabond but we finally got it.  And hope it is the sign of things to come for the rest of the season. 
We woke to 35 cms of fresh snow overnight and what a treat.  The big surprise was the sheer number of people who showed up on a Tuesday after a long weekend.  With Lake Louise also getting a big dump, there were a lot of people who bypassed the long line-up at Lake Louise and an hour later they were here.  It was probably the busiest day of the winter from the lineup at least. I  spent most of the say shovelling snow around the lodge instead of skiing but a lot of the hill was not open yet due to avalanche hazard.  No doubt throughout out the rest of the week, more terrain will be open such as T1, T2, Ozone and Fuez Bowl. In other words, I will still have plenty of opportunity over the next few days for fresh powder and with colder weather in the next few days the snow will stay Champagne Powder. 
I did have a great run yesterday along with friend Ken and we did a little bushwhacking not far from the  resort and out of avalanche harms way and found a nice stash of untouched snow to play in. 
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Welcomed Snow

2/9/2023

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It hasn't been our best snow year by anyones stretch of imagination.  And it has been a few weeks since we got a relatively good dump, but we finally did. We got about 18 cms new snow which really made a big impact.  
Along with friends Ken and Patrick we headed slightly off piste and were rewarded with almost untracked terrain.  A couple of people got the jump on us, but still was worth it. 
It looks as if we will be getting some  more snow off and on in the next week and hopefully that will be the case until the end of the season. 
We still have a few rooms left later in March and early April. Book direct at www.vagabondlodge.ca or give us a call at 250 344 2622
​

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Earn Your Turns

1/29/2023

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No question we are spoiled.  We expect powder skiing every day, but that is not reality.  Especially lately.  But after a bit of a dry spell, we had a nice snow squall roll through a few days ago and dumped about 15 cm in a matter of an hour or so.  
Usually our routine is heading out of bounds off the top of the mountain  to find the best skiing but because of severe avalanche hazard we stayed on the lower part of the mountain. Along with friends Patrick and the other Ken(our leader) we did some bushwhacking and some skinning but at the end, we found it.  It was a lot of work but worth it.  
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Finally

1/19/2023

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It's been a long wait for our first hike to T2 Kicking Horse Resort.  Usually we would have gone a dozen or so times already. 
T2 had been closed until a week ago and then within a few days of opening, a slide was triggered that swept across the top part of the run off the top. 
The hike was the best part.  The skiing was a challenge as we had to make our way across the slide with a lot of either rocks or hard chunks of snow and the visibility was marginal.  But we made it.  
The snow conditions are certainly not what we have been used to but we know it will get better. But just getting to do our climb again was a great feeling. More on the way. 
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Merry Christmas

12/27/2022

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Yes we are back open and ready for business at Vagabond Lodge.  And Christmas couldn't have been better.  We were lacking in good quality snow conditions prior to Christmas plus it was cold.
It was skiable but a lot of the terrain wasn't because of natural hazards such as trees and rocks.  
But over Christmas we got dumped on with over 40 cms in a couple days and more on the way.  It was the best Christmas present we could get.
Big news from Kicking Horse around Christmas.  There now is a town shuttle from Golden numerous times a day plus there is an airport shuttle from Calgary.  Click here for the link.  
We don't have many rooms at Vagabond Lodge available over the next couple months but if we can fit you in, we will. Phone us at 250 344 2622 or email info@vagabondlodge.ca 
Video was from December 26. 

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Another season underway

12/15/2022

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Another season is underway at Vagabond Lodge and Kicking Horse Resort.  It hasn't been the start we were hoping for in terms of snow unfortunately. 
We had a good dump early but not much since which means staying to the groomed runs which isn't the way I like to ski.  
But it is still early and we normally get our big snowfalls after the New Year.  
It looks like a busy winter for Vagabond Lodge with a lot of return guests from around the world which is awesome.  Some are staying with us for extended periods.  We are working closely with CMH which is the big heli-skiing operation and will be flying some of our guests directly out of the resort.  And the best part is, if weather conditions are such they cannot heli-ski, they can spend the day on the resort.  A lot of the terrain we ski on here, used to be terrain used by Purcell Heliskiing which was bought by CMH a few years ago. .  In other words, pretty special. 
I have been getting out daily for a run or two and but not attempting too much as I am saving myself for the powder.  It looks from the forecast,  snow will be joining us around Christmas.  The best present ever. 
Enjoy the video.  Some hi lights to get to ready for your next visit. 
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Winter is here

11/6/2022

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Things are looking great for the start of ski season here at Vagabond Lodge.  Kicking Horse Resort isn't scheduled to be open until December 9 but with the snow conditions we have I wouldn't be surprised if it opens a week early. 
The top of the mountain has been getting some nice dumps over the past week or so and now the snow has moved down to our level with a good 20 cms a couple days ago and 30 cms new snow at the top.  They now have over 100 cms at the top. 
It looks like a busy winter for us at Vagabond with some dates fully booked especially in January and February.  There are still some open dates in mid March.  Give us a call directly 250 344 2622(text too)  or email us at info@vagabondlodge.ca and we can see if you can fit you in.  You can pre-purchase lift tickets through the resort for a bit of savings.  Click here for the link. 
​Looking good.  Video is from November 5th. 
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    Ken

    Ken along with his wife Lori are the owners and operators of Vagabond Lodge at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. 
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