Kayaking the Kicking Horse River
Why is the Kicking Horse awesome???
First, some history...
Like most Canadian towns established in the late 1800s, Golden is the product of the famed fur trade. David Thompson,
“renowned fur trader, surveyor and map-maker (was) tasked by the North West Company to open up a trading route to the lucrative trading territories of the Pacific Northwest. (Thompson) first, cross over the Rocky Mountains and travelled along the Blaeberry River to the future site of Golden. In search of the Columbia River and, ultimately, a passage to the Pacific Ocean, Thompson’s travels took him to the junction of the legendary Columbia and Kicking Horse Rivers”.
As Canadian Pacific Rail (CP) dominated the Trans-Canada rail route it began to set up rail yards to deal with the operational needs of the company. Golden became one of the major yards in Western Canada.
Thus, today...
Golden is home to the glacially-fed Kicking Horse River. As winter releases its grips on the glaciated peaks of the Rockies, it lets go of the water needed to fill the Kicking Horse Canyon. Depending on the season, we can see melts as early as May continuing into late September. Despite how rapidly Canada seems to warm up in the summer, we see gradual snowmelt that usually peaks in June and then mellows out to a trickle by the end of September.
The government's water gauges measure flow in the number of cubic meters per second. In full flood, the Kicking Horse can flow at rates up to 300 M3/s. Its regular water levels are in the 100-130 range. We consider low water to begin anywhere below 80m3/s.
So, aside from being awesome, what does the Kicking Horse have to offer?
Most rivers range from class one to five. Five is rated based on the consequence of one's mistakes resulting in grave bodily harm or even death, and Class One is considered a lake with little to no risk. The Kicking Horse can provide all at various times throughout the season. Each section has its own personality and class. The upper section (which starts almost 30km out of town) provides class 2-3.5 white water throughout the season with easy access and incredible views. The middle (located at the rest stop just east of Golden) is the crux of this section of the river and is where you will find class four and five white water flowing from the rest stop to the top of the lower canyon section 2km downstream. The lower canyon is the most famed section of the Kicking Horse Canyon, offering fun bouncy wave trains all the way to the White Tooth Brewery in town.
You can choose a time of year to best suit what you want out of your river experience. In the spring and early summer, you can expect to find fun, big water rafting, and kayaking, not for the faint of heart but most definitely worth the trip. It is some of the best Canadian white water you can paddle. This high-water season makes way for a slightly tamer, but not without its thrills, medium-water season through July and into August. August is definitely the time to come if it’s to kayak Class Three or hang out with the family on a rafting trip.