Golden BC Canada, The Outdoor Sportsman's Paradise

Written by Margot B


Golden is a village of 10,000 population situated inrepparttar confluence ofrepparttar 134220 British Columbia and Kicking Horse rivers in a long deep valley betweenrepparttar 134221 Rocky and Purcell Mountain ranges in eastern BC, at an elevation of 790 m [2591 ft] located atrepparttar 134222 heart of six mountainous national parks: Yoho, Banff, Jasper, Kootenay Glacier and Mount Revelstoke. Yoho National Park,repparttar 134223 'adopted' park ofrepparttar 134224 community, is a half-hour drive east of Golden. From May to September mountain biking, hang/paragliding, bungee jumping, and snowboarding are popular, and of course skiing duringrepparttar 134225 winter.

Winter Activities: Tobogganing, skating, or Nordic skiing through rolling windy trails through woods. Downhill Skiing, Snowboarding, Heli-Skiing, Cat Skiing, Snow mobiling, Dog Sledding, and Ice Climbing from mid-November torepparttar 134226 End of March.

Summer Activities: Pilots from all overrepparttar 134227 world flock torepparttar 134228 Mount 7 flying site to paraglide and hang-glide. Horseback Riding, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, fishing, and air tours. World class white water rafting, ATVing, motocross, and rock climbing attract international thrill seekers. Bird and wildlife viewing, slow floats, wetland scenic forest tours.

Boating and angling are common activities at recreation sites. Most sites allow car top boat launching only. That means you can hand-launch only canoes, kayaks and boats small enough to be carried on top of your car. Trailered boats can be launched safely and conveniently from those sites with ramp facilities. In most cases,repparttar 134229 ramps are suitable only for small and medium-sized boats.

A plane or helicopter ride will show yourepparttar 134230 Selkirk, Purcell and Rocky Mountain ranges and their glaciers. You can even land on a glacier for a closer look. Air tours are available year-round.

For local history there'srepparttar 134231 Golden Museum where you can learn about repparttar 134232 important role that Swiss Mountain Guides played inrepparttar 134233 birth of Canadian mountaineering traditions. Or at Ray's Antique & Collectable Museum you can browse through some old farm equipment and antique tools. Take a guided hike way, way back [some 515 million years] and visitrepparttar 134234 fossils ofrepparttar 134235 renowned Yoho Burgess Shale or, if art is your scene, there are many local art shops.

Tours: Cruiserepparttar 134236 numerous small mountain roads. Tour season is [weather permitting] from May to October.

Bird / Wildlife Watching: The Rocky Mountain Trench is a major migratory path, and a great diversity of birds also settles inrepparttar 134237 Columbia Valley. 265 transient and resident species have been counted in Golden so far. Reflection Lake,repparttar 134238 Edelweiss slough and Moberly Marsh are favourite birding spots. You can do bird watching year-round, although there are more species during migration in spring [April to June] and fall [September to October].

Canoe / Kayak Tours: Atrepparttar 134239 Columbia River you can view birds of prey, herons and ducks. Paddlerepparttar 134240 Blaeberry River for more action. The Kicking Horse River isrepparttar 134241 place to be for great whitewater action. For very experienced kayakers repparttar 134242 lower canyon with its class IV rapids is ideal. Season: May to October.

Climbing: In 1912 six Swiss Mountain Guides and their families moved permanently to Golden. Canadian Pacific Rail had hired them as professional mountain guides forrepparttar 134243 many tourists who wanted to explorerepparttar 134244 Canadian Rocky Mountains. Today there are many ACMG certified mountain guides who live and work in Golden andrepparttar 134245 mountains around. Golden attracts climbers from all overrepparttar 134246 world.

Cross-Country Skiing: Track-set trails are just minutes from town atrepparttar 134247 Golden Golf Course. More challenging trails can be found at Dawn Mountain Nordic Trail System atrepparttar 134248 base of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. Many more tracks set by XC-enthusiasts can be found inrepparttar 134249 Blaeberry and Columbia Valley. The season is from December to April.

Cycling: Golden isrepparttar 134250 centre forrepparttar 134251 'Golden Triangle' Tour where you crossrepparttar 134252 Continental Divide twice. You can go at your own pace or book a package with one ofrepparttar 134253 tour companies.

Dog Sledding: Season lasts from late November to April.

Downhill (Alpine) & Cat Skiing / Snowboarding: The new Kicking Horse Mountain Resort is being developed into a 250- acre resort, encompassing 4005 acres of ski and snowboarding terrain, with views ofrepparttar 134254 Canadian Rockies. The new gondola rises torepparttar 134255 summit ofrepparttar 134256 Dogtooth Mountain Range at an elevation of 7705 feet [2350 meters] whererepparttar 134257 new Eagle’s Eye Restaurant is located. The excellent snow conditions will include a vertical drop of 4,133 feet [1260 meters] fromrepparttar 134258 top lift, making itrepparttar 134259 second highest in Canada. Ski season is from early December torepparttar 134260 end of April.

Freshwater Fishing / Ice Fishing / Heli-Fishing: The area's fishing opportunities are endless, ranging from early and late rainbow trout, small cut-throat trout in alpine lakes to char inrepparttar 134261 river and giant ling [turbot] and Dolly Varden inrepparttar 134262 hydro reservoir. Guides can take you torepparttar 134263 type of fishing you prefer and provide allrepparttar 134264 equipment from boats to heli-fishing. One ofrepparttar 134265 more popular lake areas is south of Golden, near Parson and Brisco. Many ofrepparttar 134266 lower lakes open early in May, and more fishing can be found at higher elevations as summer arrives. A popular lake is Mitten Lake. Also excellent arerepparttar 134267 Cleland and Jade Lakes, and torepparttar 134268 west,repparttar 134269 Blackwater Lake. Stocked rainbow trout up to 24-inches can be caught in these areas. North/northwest of Golden arerepparttar 134270 Susan and Jeb Lakes inrepparttar 134271 area ofrepparttar 134272 Big Bend Highway and are usually open by early July. These two lakes are renowned for their Brook trout. Anglers should note thatrepparttar 134273 waters torepparttar 134274 north remain cooler longer inrepparttar 134275 summer and often provide a more vigorous fish thanrepparttar 134276 lethargic ones ofrepparttar 134277 southern waters. Many ofrepparttar 134278 higher alpine lakes, which open at various times later inrepparttar 134279 summer offer exciting and picturesque fly and spin- cast opportunities. The more popular areas include Gorman, Quartz and Silent Lakes - and all trailheads are within 25 minutes of town. Hike-in distances range from several kilometres to much longer.

For river fishing,repparttar 134280 Columbia opens early inrepparttar 134281 spring providing Rainbows and Char. With a red and white spoon or a wet fly you'll likely nab one. Also available inrepparttar 134282 Columbia are Dolly Varden, Whitefish and Kokanee. Creeks and streams open officially on June 14. and a lightweight fly rod is recommended. Inrepparttar 134283 Glacier and Yoho National Parks is superb fishing but you must have a special permit aside from your regular license to encourage catch and release in these areas.

Golfing: The Golden Golf & Country Club is rated one ofrepparttar 134284 top 10 is B.C.,repparttar 134285 75th best course in Canada by Score magazine, with Golf Digest rating it three-and-a-half stars. Whether you play pro or beginner there are complete facilities and services atrepparttar 134286 18-hole championship course. The season is from mid April to October. The course ranges from 5,380 yards to 6,818 yards long. One hole,repparttar 134287 11th, has such a fine setting that wedding parties have utilizedrepparttar 134288 spot for photographs. It is a par 4, running 385 yards downhill from an elevated tee, with Holt Creek running beside it. This course features a pro shop, which can completely outfit all golfing needs. As well, there is a full-service restaurant, lounge and outdoor patio.

Traveling with Your Pet: A Quick Checklist for Pet Owners

Written by PetFriendly.ca


Inrepparttar rush and excitement before leaving for a trip, it's so easy to forget something. And when you're a pet owner, it's even more of a challenge -- not only are you packing for yourself, but you're packing for your pet, too!

[It doesn't help when Fido runs around wildly with excitement, poking his nose into piles of clothing... while Fluffy daintily picks her way through each and every suitcase!]

Here's a quick list of things to prepare for your pet before you leave:

* Medications. Before you leave, consult with your vet. Pick up refills of any medications your pet will need while you are away ... and find out whether or not there are any health concerns aboutrepparttar 134219 area to which you are traveling -- for example, fleas and ticks are common concerns which can be alleviated with certain medications. Talk to your vet.

* Kennel or carrier. Some places ask that you kennel your pet if you are going out and leaving him inrepparttar 134220 room. The kennel is also a safe way for your pet to travel; please don't let your dog ride loose inrepparttar 134221 back of a pickup truck; he could fall out and suffer serious injuries. If your pet is prone to jumping out ofrepparttar 134222 car unexpectedly (ie. while at a rest stop, or when repparttar 134223 doors are opened),repparttar 134224 kennel will keep him safe.

* Food and water bowls.

* Food (and maybe even water)! Keeping your pet onrepparttar 134225 same diet that he's accustomed to will help to prevent an upset stomach. If your pet has a sensitive stomach, you may also want to bring water. Don't forget to bring along a few treats!

* Stain remover/cleaning supplies... just in case! Please be courteous and clean up as much pet hair, etc. as you can. Vacation rentals do not have to allow pets; a few minutes spent cleaning can help to ensure that our four-legged friends continue to be welcomed.

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