Chasing the End of the 2020 Season: Whistler, Kicking Horse and Lake Louise
SkiBuds
In March 2020 SkiBuds founder Stephen Phillips left Colorado for one last trip of the season. It started with friends at Whistler and became a road trip across British Columbia and into Alberta with a rider he had just met through the app. A week later, resorts across North America began closing. This story follows the SkiBuds Instagram posts from those weeks, with their publication dates, and Stephen's own account in History, Vision, Future of SkiBuds.
A Whistler reunion with friends from Colorado
The trip began by driving from Colorado to Salt Lake City and flying to Whistler. On March 9, 2020 the account posted: “SkiBuds meet up in whistler with some friends met on the app down in Colorado earlier this season. Fun day hitting Khybers and Million Dollar.”
That post is the best kind of SkiBuds story. People who met as strangers on a Colorado chairlift in January were riding together in British Columbia two months later. Earlier that winter the account had said goodbye to a group of Colorado riders with “catch y'all soon in Whis.” They did.
The trip had a sequel nobody planned. Ten months later, in a long lift line at Heavenly, the rider behind Stephen overheard him mention SkiBuds and said he had used the app “to meet someone in Whistler in March.” That story is in Finding ski buddies around Lake Tahoe.
The same day, the account posted a photo of a flag inside a glacier ice cave. Glacier travel and ice caves carry serious hazards that change from day to day. Only explore that kind of terrain with the right training and equipment, or with a guide who knows current conditions.
Whistler Blackcomb is really two mountains with several bases. Whistler Village, Blackcomb Base and Creekside serve different itineraries, so a meetup needs a mountain and a base, not just “Whistler.” Agree whether you are staying on Whistler or Blackcomb, and set a return base and time before you cross between them.
A new friend, and a change of plans
That week ended with a new friend. In his history article, Stephen wrote that the trip “culminated in meeting a new friend, Aodhgan, via the app.” They rode two days at Whistler. Aodhgan was heading to Kicking Horse next, and Stephen took him up on the offer to come along. On March 14 the account posted from the road: “Now I am on the way to kicking horse with another homie I just met on the app. It's pretty cool how we are traveling around interior BC.”
Traveling with someone you have just met is a bigger step than sharing a chairlift. Before you get in a car together, agree on the route, shared costs, accommodation and what happens if either of you wants to change plans. Tell a friend where you are going. Our guide to finding people to go on a ski trip with covers these conversations.
The last day at Kicking Horse
They rode Kicking Horse on its last day before closing. Months later the account was still posting photos from it. In December 2020 it shared a shot of the ridge with the question “Which line would you take? Kicking horse March last day of the season,” and in March 2020 it posted a “shot of the day” of “some gnarly chutes.”
Kicking Horse sits above Golden in the Purcell Mountains, and its upper bowls, ridges and chutes call for strong skills and current terrain knowledge. If you are visiting with a group of mixed abilities, our Kicking Horse guide suggests a base reunion rather than trying to meet up in the alpine. The lower mountain, including the Catamount chair, offers an easier start.
Lake Louise, Revelstoke and the end of the season
From Golden they drove to Lake Louise for its last day of the season, then spent a day backcountry snowmobiling near Revelstoke. That October the account looked back: “Last day of my season last year! Chased the snow until everything shut down with a homie I met on skibuds.”
Lake Louise is in Banff National Park, with front-side terrain, back bowls and the Larch area. If your group splits up, agree on a route and return time before the connecting lifts close. Revelstoke rises above its village on Mount Mackenzie. The Revelation Gondola links its lower and upper mountain, so say which lodge and elevation you mean when you arrange to meet.
Backcountry snowmobiling and riding outside resort boundaries call for avalanche training, rescue equipment and current local avalanche information. Read our guide to reading an avalanche forecast and how to find a backcountry ski partner before heading out.
Planning a spring ski trip through BC and the Rockies
- Check closing dates. Resorts close on different dates, so a late-season road trip can string together several last days.
- Allow time for mountain driving. Check road conditions and closures before every leg.
- Agree on the trip, not just the ride. Discuss costs, accommodation and changes of plan before you leave with someone new.
- Meet at named bases. Whistler, Kicking Horse, Lake Louise and Revelstoke all have more than one meeting point.
- Respect alpine terrain. Chutes, glaciers and the backcountry need the right skills, equipment and information.
Every resort on this route has a SkiBuds guide with terrain by ability, arrival advice and a snow forecast. Start with British Columbia ski resorts. For how this season began, read Finding Ski Buddies in Colorado.
Questions riders ask
Can you ski Whistler and Kicking Horse on the same trip?
Yes, although they are far apart, and the drive crosses mountain highways in British Columbia. Check road conditions for every leg and allow travel days. Resorts close on different dates, so a late-season trip can string together several last days, as this one did.
Where should I meet friends at Whistler Blackcomb?
Name the mountain and the base. Whistler Village, Blackcomb Base and Creekside serve different itineraries, so choose a public landmark near the right base, and agree on a return base and time before crossing between Whistler and Blackcomb.
Is Kicking Horse good for beginners?
Kicking Horse is best known for its alpine bowls, ridges and chutes, but the lower mountain and the Catamount chair support beginner progression. Mixed groups should plan a base reunion rather than an alpine meeting point.
Photos and quotations come from posts on the SkiBuds Instagram account between January and December 2020, and from Stephen Phillips's 2021 history article. Dates are the dates the posts were published.