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?

I slowly opened the door to Mistaya Lodge and instantly the warm air kisses my cold cheeks and the aroma of baking cookies tickles my senses - I hadn’t even seen inside yet but this kind of cosiness at 2590 meters was not expected. It was decided, calling this place home for the next seven days would be easy.

Spring is in the air! Well, it’s more like summer with the high 20s temps and light until 10 but that’s just Golden. We do everything to the max. Spring usually starts rearing its sun-bleached head late March and by early May the only thing telling you it’s not August is the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Yes, a fresh start. Comfortable temps, blue skies, no bugs. What to do? Everything. The answer is do everything.

It’s mid-April and the lifts just stopped spinning. You look up at the blanket of white stuck from tip to toe to the mountain you love so, wearing moguls like spring goosebumps under a perfect sun and two and a half metres of snow, “How could this be over?” you ask yourself. Someone passing by whispers that it doesn’t have to be, winking coyly at the touring skis in their car.

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.

When winter comes knocking at the door the only sensible thing to do is to head to the Rocky Mountains, where adventure is waiting for you around every curve of the skin track. The snow is sugary powder, the ice is blue and the mountains are beautiful, big and in your face. The area surrounding Golden is the perfect winter playground where you can ice climb one day, ski big backcountry mountain lines the next and then head for a fun day at the ski resort.

Gazing out the windows of the Bluebird Café in Golden BC always seems to inspire an adventure regardless of the season. The ski runs craved into the mountainside of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort stare back at me, and next to them lay the untouched goods of the seemly endless Dogtooth Mountain Range. Both bekcon me to ski them, but today the backcountry wins.