| Kicking Horse River | |
|---|---|
 Kicking Horse River | |
  Location in British Columbia | |
| Location | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| District | Kootenay Land District |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Wapta Lake |
| • location | Yoho National Park |
| Mouth | Columbia River |
• location | Golden |
• coordinates | 51°18′N116°59′W / 51.300°N 116.983°W /51.300; -116.983 |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Golden[1] |
| • average | 40.9 m3/s (1,440 cu ft/s)[1] |
| • minimum | 2.25 m3/s (79 cu ft/s) |
| • maximum | 402 m3/s (14,200 cu ft/s) |
TheKicking Horse River is in theCanadian Rockies of southeasternBritish Columbia, Canada.[2] The river was named in 1858, whenJames Hector, a member of thePalliser Expedition, reported being kicked by hispackhorse while exploring the river. Hector named the river and the associatedpass as a result of the incident. TheKicking Horse Pass, which connects through the Rockies to the valley of theBow River, was the route through the mountains subsequently taken by theCanadian Pacific Railway when it was constructed during the 1880s. The railway'sBig Hill and associated Spiral Tunnels are in the Kicking Horse valley and were necessitated by the steep rate of descent of the river and its valley.
Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge inGolden is the longest authentic covered timber-frame bridge in Canada.[3] Planned as a community project by the Timber Framers Guild, local volunteers were joined by carpenters and timber framers from Canada, the United States and Europe. The bridge structure is 150 feet (46 m) long, with a 210,000-pound (95,000 kg)Burr arch structure. The bridge was completed in September 2001.
TheTrans-Canada Highway traverses the river at several points fromYoho National Park to Golden, British Columbia. The river is spanned by the new Park Bridge.Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, named for the river and pass, is located in theDogtooth Range of thePurcell Mountains, on the west side of the town of Golden.
The Kicking Horse River begins at the outlet of smallWapta Lake and flows southwest. It receives theYoho River upstream fromField. The river continues to flow southwest until after it drops overWapta Falls, when it takes a near hairpin turn and flows northwest into theColumbia River inGolden.
The river has three waterfalls along its stretch. The first is the Kicking Horse Cascade, a longtalus cascade which occurs just below the first highway crossing of the river below Wapta Lake. The second is the Natural Bridge Falls nearField. The final and largest is 100-foot (30 m)Wapta Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in Canada in both volume and width. They are over 500 feet (150 m) wide.
The River’s unusual name stems from an incident near Wapta Falls in August 1858, SirJames Hector writes:
"A little way above this fall one of our pack horses, to escape the fallen timber, plunged into the river, luckily where it formed an eddy, but the banks were so steep that we had great difficulty in getting him out. In attempting to recatch my own horse, which had strayed off while we were engaged with the one in the water, he kicked me in the chest, but I had luckily got close to him before he struck out, so that I did not get the full force of the blow. However, it knocked me down and rendered me senseless for some time. This was unfortunate, as we had seen no tracks of game in the neighbourhood, and were now without food; but I was so hurt that we could not proceed further that day at least." - James Hector chronicles, 1858
As surgeon and geologist to thePalliser Expedition from 1857 to 1860, Hector explored the country from theRed River Colony (Winnipeg) to Vancouver Island. He made many important observations regarding the geology and ethnology of the Canadian West and the Rocky Mountains, discovering the Kicking Horse Pass and giving the Kicking Horse River its name.
On 4 February 2019, aCanadian Pacific Railway freight train with 112 cars and 3 locomotives derailed near theBig Hill ofKicking Horse Pass. The train landed in the river, and three crew members were killed.[4]
Several whitewater rafting companies, as well as kayakers and canoeists, use the river. The first company to raft the Kicking Horse river is named Kootenay River Runners. They continue to raft trips on the Kicking Horse daily, as well as two other nearby rivers. There are three main sections of the Kicking Horse River used for such recreation. The upper canyon (accessed via Beaverfoot Road off Highway 1 West) is a class 3-4 whitewater run suitable for canoes, kayaks and rafts. Prior to a landslide in the upper canyon, boats had to portage a one kilometre stretch of rapids in order to avoid getting caught on rocks. After the landslide, the river was narrowed, allowing boats to pass freely through the rapids. Nowadays, this stretch is named Portage/Shotgun, hence the previous need to portage the area. The middle canyon (accessed via Kicking Horse rest area) is a class 4-5, depending on water levels. This run is suitable only for experienced kayakers and rafters. Commercial rafting companies avoid this section, due to the risk involved. The lower canyon is another class 3-4 whitewater run that is run by commercial rafting companies at suitable water levels. Prior to the start of the 2016 rafting season, Canadian Pacific railway installed a gate, prohibiting road access to the lower-canyon. Because of this, many rafting companies have been forced to stop rafting this portion of the river, resulting in revenue and job loss. The Kicking Horse is home to many varieties of freshwater fish, making fishing a viable activity.
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