It’s called a Mecca for a reason... 

Standing outside in Golden BC, I peer upwards above my steaming thermos. Big, steep, white, and endless are the peaks that surround this strategically placed town. I nearly trip over my own feet as I perform a slow shuffling 360 while drooling over the sea of mountains and wonder, how do I choose where to ski tour first?

Ski touring is the ultimate way to enjoy fresh untracked snow, but available terrain is limited to access from the highway or ski hill. Due to the recent increasing popularity of touring, you may not be alone in locations such as Rogers pass, Kootenay Pass and the backcountry off of Kicking Horse.

Backcountry lodges offer helicopter-accessed, fully catered, fully guided ski touring trips of varying lengths, (as well as self-catered and self-guided), but the increasing popularity of such trips are now making it nearly impossible to book less than a year in advance.

The most important things to bring while snowboarding with a snowmobile in Golden, BC

Or skiing, if you’re into that kinda thing.

Going snowboarding with a sled in the backcountry requires a little more preparation than heading to the ski hill. It might be a good idea to make a list of things to bring with you.

Things you won’t find in the backcountry:

A journey to powder through mountainous terrain complete with adventure, views, fresh air, ideally good company and finished with face shots – this is why backcountry skiing is trending. Golden, BC is home to some of the best backcountry skiing/snowboarding opportunities in North America, and we’re keen to share it with you, but first make sure you’re ready for what awaits.

Somehow I get into a lot of fun situations with the “great ideas” my friends toss my way.  The latest grand plan was to run from the top of the Gondola at Kicking Horse Resort to Gorman Lake.  This is a pretty signature route in Golden as a traverse of the Dogtooth Range so, needless to say, I was keen! Here are a few things I wish I knew before I strapped on the shoes for the day of adventure...

We are lucky to live in an area where we are free to explore our mountains at will, only the valley bottoms and areas close to the roads are private property. The Rocky and Purcell Mountains around Golden don’t care about what the Canadian dollar is doing, or what the price of oil is; time stands still and the only thing that matters is the mountain in front of you. The logging and mining industry not only brings employment to the province of British Columbia but they also build roads for resource extraction that we can use to access the backcountry