Generally, the further west down the Columbia valley one travels, the more snow you will find; the further east down the valley, there are more sunny days. Golden is smack dab in the middle of the delicate balance between sun and snow. The cold weather blowing from the Rockies in the Yoho Valley keeps temps cold, the sun out, and the snow light and dry throughout the season. Golden is all about having the best of both worlds.

When the sun isn’t shining, it’s time to go play in the trees; this is 98% of the time in January and February, so having a good stash of tree riding spots is key. The mountains around Golden are synonymous with incredible alpine riding and easy access, but just off the groomed trails are playgrounds of deep snow and perfectly spaced trees. I’m not gonna let you in on all my secret spots, but I will say this, head to Silent Pass to explore a little beyond the groomed trails and rolling alpine.

Spring is my favorite time of the year to ride for a few reasons:

The flagship area for snowmobiling in Golden is Quartz Creek, easy access right off the TransCanada highway, large cabin, and groomed trail right into the alpine make it the perfect area for a family ride but also offers technical riding for the experienced riders. Quartz creek borders Glacier National Park and on clear days provides riders with breathtaking views of glaciers, the Beaver Valley, Rogers Pass, Mt. Sir Donald and a myriad of other peaks.

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

Our first ‘gateway sledding’ tour is only just the beginning

When we first starting coming to Golden, we mainly stuck to downhill skiing. That’s always been our No. 1 winter activity, and Kicking Horse Mountain Resort has been amazing for us in that regard.

But it was only a matter of time, as we came to discover more of what Golden has to offer, that we would also start expanding our repertoire of activities.

Alright listen up, winter is almost here.  Time to pull your sled out of storage and unpack the neatly stored gear that accompanies it.  Or, if you’re anything like me, go across the street to the empty lot where you abandoned your trusty steed last spring, chop down the tree that’s growing through the left control arms, and yard your sled out of the weeds.