Would the Iceline Trail live up to the hype?
This thought rang loudly in my head as I hopped in my truck destined to find out for myself. Since noting its appearance in Explorer Magazine's top 25 hikes in BC I had been craving first-hand validation.
It ain’t no secret that there’s a new trail in Golden. The Schacher Trail (pronounced 'Shocker') has been more than four years and half a million dollars in the making and it’s finally complete.
Mt 7 has been a destination for extreme adventure seekers for decades in Golden. Pilots launch their hang gliders and paragliders from four different launch sites on the mountainside and downhill mountain bikers also launch themselves down the mountain on a network of trails made famous by the Psychosis DH race.
It’s a bluebird day in Golden and the family is getting restless, what to do? Why not take a tour of our Rotary trails? Grab your bikes or walking shoes, family, pet (if you have one) and take a cruise around our community. Cross over the Kicking Horse Pedestrian Bridge Away from Spirit Square and take a right to head West along the Rotary Trail. The Historic Kicking Horse River awaits you, piquing your imagination with its glacial blue waters as they gurgle by. Explore downstream along the river path, noticing the stunning views of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort.
It’s amazing how quickly spring comes to our valley! Not too long ago it seemed like we had to skate along sections of the rotary trails and now we’re able to cruise all of the singletrack trails with barely a puddle to dodge.
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.
Hey guys! My name is Riley Suhan, I am born and bred in Golden BC with a passion for sledding and have been at it since I was 3 years old. I have enjoyed the beautiful valley of Golden for 24 years and I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. It’s the perfect place to pursue my passion for mountain sledding.
S’up, Columbia Wetlands.
I’ve always been curious as to why SUP is the short form for stand-up paddle boarding and not SUP-B. I mean it’s catchier and all, but is there any danger of somebody trying to SUP a kayak or canoe? Maybe that’s the extreme future version of the sport.
A weekend is fast approaching and all you know is that Golden, BC is a mountain biking mecca and you want to be there. What are the networks? Where do you bike? Where is the best food? Worry not, fellow mountain biker, I’ll show you the way.