Heading to Golden B.C. this snow season? I did and was excited to visit Golden and skiing for the first time.  Here are the places that I visited and what I did during my trip there.

We flew into Calgary, Alberta and my brother-in-law picked us up. He was living in Golden and working at The Kicking Horse Resort. Our trip was going to last three hours by car, through the beautiful snow top mountain landscape back into B.C. I was informed that they had recently got a massing dump and they were loving all the pow. I hope I got that lingo right.

The small town of Banff

We made a stop for dinner in Banff  which has an elevation of 4,537 feet making it the highest town in Canada. It looked like a picturesque mountain side town, that belonged on a postcard. There were plenty of locals and tourist walking around. We unfortunately on had enough time to eat dinner, we headed back on the road due to time, we still had an hour or so to get to Golden.

The Northern Lights Wildlife Sanctuary

The next day, the snow was coming down and we headed out to a local wolf sanctuary. The Northern Lights Wildlife Wolf Center (cost $12 CAD per person), we were the only visitors since it was very cold and it had not stopped snowing on us. We did get there just for feeding time, and it was a bloody cool sight to see. The wolfs were very placidly eating deer. They had eight wolfs that have been rescued. They were paired up and separated from each other. The guide was very informative and passionate about saving the wolves. It is very important to understand animals such as wolves, and the important roles they play in the ecosystem. They are animals that due to Hollywood, get stigmatized as the bad guys. They are predators and they are not to be taken in as pets, but we as humans should be watching over these creatures instead of hunting them down and killing their population. So, I am all for places that are about informing people about conservation and protection.

Kicking Horse Resort

This Latina hit the slops for the first time. I was full of emotions: scared, excited and full of adrenaline. We went up to Kicking Horse Resort, which is just a short drive from where we were staying. We got a killer deal on passes and ski rental due to family discount. I was already loving the experience. Putting on ski boots for the first time felt like putting up cemented blocks on each of my poor feet. They felt heavy, allowed no movement for my ankles and made me walk very funny, which meant the were correctly fitted.

I clicked on my skies as soon as I reached the bunny slops, and my feet immediately started to ski and slide. I was very happy to have both my husband and brother-in-law there to guide me. I learned fast how to pizza and french fry, both ski lingo. I stayed on the bunny slops all day. I was in no rush and I just wanted to learn the basics without falling, which I didn’t. The most funny and scary thing happen to me right at the beginning. As I was about to get on the conveyor belt to head up the hill, one ski got stuck between the gate as the other was on the belt, it caused me to do the splits and we had to push the emergency button to stop, I suffered no injury. The next day muscles I had no idea existed ached, but I can’t wait to try skiing again.

Lussier Hot Springs 

On our third day, My brother-in-law and a few of his house mates picked us up and drove us down to a natural hot springs. They are located just about three hours south of Golden, so we all packed in the car and headed on a road-trip. It was fun because everyone shared fun stories about travel and adventure, and we even  spotted wildlife on our way down.

Lussier Hot Springs was worth the drive,  with snow all around us and the freezing temperatures we couldn’t wait to jump into the pools. We past a few man made hot spring resorts, but you have to pay for them. Lussier is free and host an amazing view. So we headed down a logging road off the main road to our destinations. We were all dressed in full winter gear and I couldn’t phantom the idea of dressing down to bathing suits. When we arrived we noticed the designated walk way was completely frozen over with a thick layer of ice, making it very unsafe to walk. So, we decided to climb down along side the mountain. 

The reward, was arriving at these awesome hot pools with steam floating out of them. They also smelt strong of natural sulfur. We dashed out of our clothes with chattering teeth and jumped right into the pools. The natural hot pools warmed you up immediately that you could not feel the ice cold weather surrounding you. It was so nice and relaxing. There were only a few other families there so there was plenty of room for everyone. The view was something only mother nature could provide.

There were a few dare devils that decided to take on the polar bear plunge, by jumping into the icy cold river and then jumping back into the hot pools.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised that Canada has so much to offer even in the winter time. I really enjoyed my snow filled adventure, meeting my new brother-in-law, and making new friends. If your heading to Canada make sure to check out the places I highlighted here, and let me know what you think of them.