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Kicking Horse River
Like a downhill skier who pauses to catch
his breath before making one final, headlong
run, eastern British Columbia's Kicking Horse
River descends swiftly from the ice fields
of the Canadian Rockies, slows briefly into
a broad, U-shaped valley, then plunges wildly
to its Columbia River confluence. Rising from
the ice-cold glacial waters of Wapta Lake,
and joined by the tributaries of the Yoho,
Emerald, Amiskwi and Ottertail Rivers, the
Kicking Horse falls steeply in its upper reaches
before widening onto a flattened valley floor.
Suddenly, it drops again, rushing recklessly
through the narrow, turbulent channels of
the infamous Kicking Horse Canyon. The Kicking
Horse is a river of contrasts: wild and free,
it flows untamed and unobstructed through
some of Canada's most spectacular mountain
terrain. Yet it is bordered by both a national
highway and a transcontinental rail line;
the resorts of Banff, Lake Louise and Golden
are just a short and scenic drive away, and
the evergreen forests, wildflower meadows,
and legendary aquamarine lakes of its watershed
are within easy hiking distance. The waters
of the Kicking Horse flow through the protected
lands of Yoho National Park, part of the vast
and beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks
World Heritage Site. As an ecological, recreational,
and historical jewel of the Canadian West,
the Kicking Horse enjoys the distinction of
being the first British Columbian river to
be recognized as a Canadian Heritage River.
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