destinations neighbourhood
B
ookended by the Purcell and
the Rocky mountains, at the
confluence of two mighty rivers,
Golden brags multi-sport appeal year round.
But the options for outdoor fun are at their
peak in the spring when it can feel almost
like summer in town, and winter a mile
above at Kicking Horse Mountain
Resort (kickinghorseresort.com).
Skiing
March finds Kicking Horse buried under
the deepest snow of the season with the
best conditions for carving its 1,200 metres
of vertical. Meanwhile, the resort's more
mellow runs bask in the spring sun, turning
the snow into buttery corn. The winter
season winds down by mid-April, ending
on a high with back-to-back weekend
concerts and events.
Off the SlOpeS
Away from the mountain, Golden's more
than 100 kilometres of hiking and biking
trails begin to emerge from the snowbanks
in March. One of the first to resurface is a
path along the Kicking Horse River. Midway,
detour across Canada's longest timber-
frame bridge to Spirit Square where you'll
find the Art Gallery of Golden (kicking
horseculture.ca), home to works by 80
local artists, plus Bacchus Books & Cafe
(bacchusbooks.ca), a book lovers' paradise
serving strong coffee and amazing soups.
Dining
No eatery in Golden brags a better view
than the Eagle's Eye Restaurant at
the top of the Kicking Horse gondola; at
2,347 metres it's the highest five-star
restaurant in Canada. Just south of town is
the area's fanciest dining, at Cedar House
Restaurant & Chalets (cedarhouse
chalets.com). End the day with chef Corey
Fraser's seasonal menu of local and
sustainable fare.
n – Ryan Stuart
36 bca a .com spring 2015 Tourism Golden, Kicking Horse mountain Resort, (Eagle's Eye Restaurant) Resorts of the canadian Rockies
Golden
Springtime turns this mountain town into our province's
multi-sport hub
(clockwise from top) glide on
spring snow at Kicking Horse
Mountain; enjoy the view at
Eagle's Eye restaurant; spot a
grizzly with Columbia
Wetlands Adventures.
Treat yourself to exclusive BCAA Member discounts on spring
skiing and accommodations at Kicking Horse and other B.C.
mountain resorts, including Cypress Mountain, Sun Peaks Resort,
Silver Star Mountain Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort and Fernie
Alpine Resort. For savings details, check out bcaa.com/membership
MEMBERS SAVE!
Wild SidE
Surrounded by
mountains and
waterways, Golden sits
in an important wildlife
corridor, where black
and grizzly bears, deer,
moose, big horn sheep
and plenty of bird life
make regular
appearances. The
columbia wetlands,
26 km south of Golden,
are especially rich;
naturalists at Columbia
Wetlands Adventures
(wetlandsadventures.
com) can help you spot
the locals.
