This has become my new favourite spring hike, and while it would be a great hike any time of the year, spring is magical when there is actual ICE in the ice cave. Visit later in the season, and it's just a cave (still cool, but not exactly an "ice" cave.) There's no better spring adventure than biking and hiking to an ice cave! When the trail is dry, the hike is generally family-friendly for experienced youth who have done intermediate/advanced hikes with some easy scrambling. I wouldn't recommend it with babies or young children (for rock fall hazard alone,) and to fully enjoy every ..read more

Lake Louise is always a safe bet for a cross-country ski weekend from mid-November through early April. The Moraine Lake Road and the Great Divide Road are usually trackset by the third weekend of November (earlier if we're lucky) and you can safely plan a spring break trip to Lake Louise, knowing you'll still have great snow to ski on. (Often we're even able to ski at Louise for Easter!) Spring Skiing on the Moraine Lake Road Table of Contents for this Guide: 1. Early Season Skiing on the Moraine Lake Road 2. Early Season Skiing on the Great Divide Road 3. Our Favourite Ski Trail ..read more

My family looks forward to our annual ski trips to Panorama Mountain Resort every winter, and it's always an added bonus when we can stay slopeside in the quaint mountain village, walking distance to chairlifts, restaurants, and the outdoor hot pools (largest slopeside pools in Canada!) Plan a Ski Getaway to Panorama Mountain Resort in British Columbia Introduction to Panorama Mountain Resort Panorama Mountain Resort is located 20 minutes outside the Community of Invermere in the Columbia Valley. From Calgary, it is approximately a 3.5 hour drive across the border into British ..read more

Looking for a fun affordable winter ski getaway near Calgary? Radium Hot Springs has it ALL going on for a cross-country ski weekend with several different Nordic Centres and trail options nearby for every ability and skill level. Radium Hot Springs has it ALL going on for cross-country ski getaways (Photo location: Nipika) The Village of Radium Hot Springs is located in British Columbia, and is a 3-hour drive from Northwest Calgary via Kootenay National Park. It is easily reached Friday night for a short ski weekend or I recommend visiting for a long weekend if you really want to tak ..read more

Shadow Lake is one of my favourite places to visit in the Canadian Rockies with a gorgeous backcountry lodge located near the lake. Spending a weekend at the lodge breaks the trip up into two very reasonable ski or hiking days with a third day spent exploring around the beautiful lake. Shadow Lake Lodge in backcountry Banff National Park I was extremely fortunate to visit Shadow Lake Lodge  twice last year, and I was able to return to the lodge last month for an incredible ski getaway with a large group of friends. Once again, I got to experience the luxury of going bac ..read more

Here we go again! We're still making plans for ski getaways and now it's time to start thinking about the camping season as well. Ready or not, it's time to pull out that calendar and to start planning for the summer. The May long weekend is coming soon!  National Park Reservations  National Park campsites can be booked online for the entire 2024 camping season beginning in JANUARY this year. Reservations will open in January for the entire 2024 visitor season. And unlike with provincial parks, there is no 90 day or three month window. You can book any site for ..read more

 Shadow Lake is one of the most beautiful destinations in backcountry Banff National Park, and it is easily reached year round via the Redearth Creek Trail. The trail can be hiked, biked, or skied as a long day trip (14 km one way,) but I recommend splurging on an overnight stay at the decadent Shadow Lake Lodge. A few weeks ago, I was given an incredible opportunity to spend two nights at the backcountry Shadow Lake Lodge in Banff with my family, and we were able to time our trip to see the golden larch trees above the lodge. Backcountry Shadow Lake Lodge in Banff Nationa ..read more

Whether you're looking for a fully serviced RV site or a peaceful riverside tenting site, there is something for all styles of camping at Fairmont Hot Springs in the sunny Columbia Valley. Two campgrounds provide services for both RV camping + tent camping, with convenient access to the hot spring pools at the main resort. Summer is glorious at Fairmont Hot Springs in British Columbia Introduction to the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort is located in the Columbia Valley between the communities of Radium Hot Springs and Invermere to the north, and ..read more

We spent a long weekend at the RidgeView Resort in Radium Hot Springs, and it seriously raised the bar! Camping has never been so comfortable, and “glamping” would perhaps be a more accurate term.  Many campgrounds label themselves as RV “resorts,” but this one truly deserves the title and gets a 5 star rating from my family. Camping is pretty comfortable when you stay at the RidgeView Resort in Radium Hot Springs Highlights for us included - Large fully serviced RV sites with wooden decks and covered gazebos, BBQs + propane included on every site, and outdoor electrical sockets ..read more

Shadow Lake is one of the most beautiful destinations in backcountry Banff National Park, and it is easily reached year round via the Redearth Creek Trail. The trail can be hiked, biked, or skied as a long day trip (14 km one way,) but I recommend splurging on an overnight stay at the decadent Shadow Lake Lodge. Gorgeous Shadow Lake in Banff National Park A few weeks ago, I was given an incredible opportunity to spend a night at the backcountry Shadow Lake Lodge in Banff. My family wasn't able to join me (work + school) but I wasn't passing up this trip - and I found a coup ..read more