Kingfisher has been taking my breath away since 2013. Big snow, big mountains, and big smiles never fail to mark a day exploring this magical place. To date, we’ve named about 250 runs, and still have about that many left to discover. The runs are not just legendary for their deep snowpack and massive old-growth cedars, but they’re also alive with the stories of those who skied them first. When a guest skis a first descent, they get the privilege of naming the run, which lives into eternity at Kingfisher.
Lodge Destinations
Guided Adventures
June 20, 2024
Leaving Your Mark on Kingfisher
Naming a Run
"Hyena Hills"
My first time skiing Kingfisher resulted in such a story. It was our first day with guests, and, in true BC fashion, it dumped 80cm the night before. The terrain was brand new for us at that point, so when we spotted an open meadow deep in the Monashees that seemed promising, we landed. Our guests were first-time heli skiers, and to say we were stoked would be the understatement of the year. Much to our surprise, the “open meadow” we’d cautiously selected suddenly steepened and thickened with trees, gracing us with an unexpected thrill complete with blower pow, zero wind, and a totally bottomless base. I paused to peek up at my crew, but could only make out billows of powder emitting wild giggles and shouts—a tell-tale sign of a bunch of guests having the best day ever. Snow plastered to their grins confirmed my suspicions as they met me, and it wasn’t long before we dubbed the run “Hyena Hills” to commemorate the boisterous noise of that first descent, which turned out to be 1,800 vertical feet of steep open trees.
"Bucket List"
Not surprisingly, it’s very common for returning guests to absolutely insist on revisiting “their” run. One mom of a particular local family named her first heli-skiing run “Bucket List” at the ripe age of 76 years young. As she swore, she’s since returned to relive that glorious first descent, a wide open chute about 35 degrees and 2,000 vertical feet. Other guest-named classics are Pillow Talk, Spring Break (my favorite!), Sin City, and Cha Ching, each with an equally as memorable story behind it. Sure, Kingfisher is blessed to be smackdab in the middle of the snowbelt and receives a typical 3–5 meters of snow by midwinter, but it’s these personal stories that make the tenure truly irreplaceable. And since there’s tons left to name plus new terrain opened yearly, there’s a good chance you’ll get to name a first descent, making your mark on Kingfisher forever and paving the way for others to experience more of the rush we’re all seeking on our 300,000-acre playground.
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