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Here's an article about Golden which was found on
www.canada.com and
republished here for your edification. Happy Reading!
Golden Adventures
Outdoors enthusiasts will find that the tiny mountain town near the
B.C.-Alberta border has something for everyone, from wildlife watching to
thrilling white-water sports.
Monica Andreeff
Southam Newspapers
GOLDEN, B.C. - The plane ducked low and circled past the sheer walls and
sharp peaks of some of the most remote mountains in the Rockies. With 80
kilometres of back-to-back glaciers and 300-metre waterfalls dropping into
remote, bluer-than-blue lakes, this is a sight for soaring high flyers,
Golden Eagles and a handful of serious backcountry climbers. "People just
can't get over the scale, the absolute size of things and the absence of
human activities," says Steve Neill, speaking through the pilot's head set.
But that's Golden.
This small British Columbia mountain town is near the Alberta border and
straddled on the east and west by the Rocky and Purcell mountain ranges.
Golden's terrain is as stunning as the neighbouring national parks, with
wildlife watching, fishing, scant crowds and thousands of kilometres of open
spaces for hiking and camping. You won't need to buy a pass, get a special
backcountry permit or jump through any hoops to have fun. Unlike its
bureaucracy-bound cousins in Yoho, Glacier, Kootenay, Jasper and Banff
national parks, in Golden almost everything is possible.
A veteran mountain pilot, Neill and his wife Ann operate Alpenglow Aviation
from the Golden airport and fly through the heavens each day, past lakes at
2,000 metres and peaks that soar above 3,000 metres. "It's really continuous
glaciers from Lake Louise to Mount Robson," says Neill. Many people drive
through Golden on the TransCanada Highway, glance at the ubiquitous
white-water rafting signs, then refuel the gas tank and their blood sugar
levels at the roadside stop and keep going. But beyond the highway, there
are well-run and affordable bed-and-breakfasts scattered throughout the
valley, a summer-long slate of activities and a variety of tours available,
guided and self-guiding.
Be prepared to look beyond the surface when you visit Golden. The centre of
town is not its best asset, set among the construction and logging detritus
that thus far has dominated the economy and the street layout. The real
beauty of the area is only a few minutes away. Down in the valley, two great
rivers, the Kicking Horse's frothy rapids and the mighty Columbia, meet
within the town.
The 180-kilometre-long upper stretch of the Columbia features the largest
and most important river wetland system west of Manitoba, supporting more
than 260 resident and migratory species of birds. For a water-level view,
jump on board an interpretive float trip, where you can spend hours spotting
different species, checking out their marshy habitat and even the odd moose
that wanders by.
For high adrenaline, the rivers offer rafting, kayaking and canoeing on
white water rapids or through calm pools and eddies, as well as great
fishing. Hikers will find the Gorman Lake Trail an easy one- to two-hour
walk into the Dogtooth Range, where they'll discover glacier lilies in the
spring and great angling.
The Blaeberry Valley, just north of Golden, provides direct access on trails
to the Mummery Glacier, a popular summer route. Farther up the valley lies
Howse Pass, which leads to Saskatchewan River Crossing, a route once
proposed as a highway shortcut through the Rockies. The Blaeberry's dense
forest is also packed with mountain-biking trails that could take months to
get to know.
Closer to town in the Moonraker area -- just up-slope towards the ski resort
-- there are former Nordic ski trails converted into summer single tracks
for mountain bike riders.From the top of Mount 7, just southeast of town,
you can test your nerves on an extreme bike descent or hitch a ride on a
tandem hang-glider. There's also an 18-hole golf course, rated among the top
10 in B.C., where you can still get a Saturday morning tee-time in
mid-summer.
Formerly a logging-industry town now struggling for a tourist reincarnation,
Golden's 4,000 residents are an eclectic mix of lumberjacks, former urban
professionals, their families and young people who are there to play in the
outdoors. "I decided this was a good place to come back to," says Marlon
Chambers, a 33-year-old native of Golden who returned after 10 years in
Calgary to work as the business development officer for a local tour
company.
There's also a new wave of bed-and-breakfast operators and tourism
entrepreneurs -- many hailing from Switzerland and Germany -- lured in
recent years by the area's obvious potential. They've custom-built new
wooden post-and-beam bed-and-breakfasts with an eye to open European style
and efficiency, some with saunas, hot tubs, bicycles and fireplaces and with
prices that start at $65 for two people, including breakfast.
This summer, there will be museum and photographic exhibitions, theatre
productions, street entertainment on weekend evenings, centennial ascents of
mountains and various celebratory events to mark the 100-year-old Swiss
guiding tradition of the Rockies.
Imported by the Canadian Pacific Railway at the turn of the century to keep
their luxury hotel guests in Banff and Lake Louise from falling off the
nearby mountains, Swiss guides wintered in Golden and used it as a home base
for many of their first ascents of the Rockies. (To catch a glimpse of the
area's earliest homes there is a newly refurbished Swiss village open for
daily tours throughout the summer.)
These pioneers spawned a mountaineering tradition in Canada that flourishes
today and many licensed Association of Canadian Mountain Guides
professionals can be hired in Golden for climbing trips.
People with little time who want to hike through the wildflowers of the high
alpine, can hook up with Purcell Heli-Skiing, a reputable operator with 25
years' experience in the area. You bring lunch and they supply the guide and
the short helicopter ride into remote places.
When owner Rudi Gertsch came to the area from Switzerland, he remembers how
local residents thought it laughable that he would stake his business and
family's future on recreational visitors, rather than forestry. "For a long
time no one realized how important tourism was," said Gertsch. "Now they're
just waking up."
BRIEFING: GETTING THERE, CONTACTS
Getting there: Golden is on the TransCanada Highway near the Alberta border.
Accommodation: Golden has hotels, motels, lodges, hostels, campgrounds and
bed-and-breakfasts. Call the Chamber of Commerce.
Kicking Horse Country Chamber of Commerce
500 10th Avenue North
Box 1320
Golden BC, Canada, V0A 1H0
Phone: (250)344-7125
Fax: (250)344-6688
Toll Free: 1-800-622-GOLD
Recreation: Golden has close to a dozen white-water rafting companies and at
least four different wetlands tour operators, a bike shop with rentals and
numerous guides.
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