If you're looking to get outside and make the most of winter why not hit one of these five cross-country ski trails. They are all within an hour of Calgary. West Bragg Creek You are spoiled for choice with well over 40 kilometres of cross-country ski trails in the West Bragg Creek area just 45 minutes away from Calgary. When there's fresh snow this place is magical. Personal favourites include the Telephone Loop if I…
If I was a resident of Sault Ste. Marie (located 675 kilometres northwest of Toronto) I would be making twice weekly trips to Hiawatha Highlands to cross-country ski on trails that have been described as offering some of the continent's finest Nordic skiing. Located less than 10 minutes outside of "the Soo" in a rolling landscape filled with stands of pines, hardwoods, creeks and waterfalls, a day trip to Hiawatha Highlands will leave you feeling…
Canadians have been slow to catch on to the charms of Stokely Creek Lodge, located just 35 minutes by car north of Sault Ste. Marie - especially considering the ease of getting to 'the Soo" from Toronto, either on Porter Airlines or Air Canada. The American owned lodge has been drawing guests primarily from Michigan and Wisconsin since the first cross-country ski trails opened in 1976-77. The lodge was started by an American, Chuck Petersen…
I wouldn't call myself a creature of routine. I thrive on change and new experiences. But there are exceptions and a winter ski trip into Sundance Lodge in Banff National Park is one of those exceptions. I first learned about the lodge through a blog a number of years ago but for the most part this place remains a secret in winter. Few people have heard about it or even know that its open in…
What can you do and where can you go if you have three delicious days to spend on a winter getaway? If you've never been to the Kootenay Rockies, put this area on your must-visit list. In particular plan stops in Kimberley, Invermere and Panorama along British Columbia's famous Powder Highway. Here's how a 3 day winter getaway can unfold, assuming a Calgary start. The drive from Calgary through both Banff and Kootenay National Parks…
Drive 35 minutes north from Peterborough or two hours northeast from Toronto and you'll reach the Kawartha Nordic Centre. With trails for both classic and skate skiing running through Canadian Shield country you're in for a delightful day of skiing in an exceptionally picturesque setting. Ski through stands of towering white pine trees, past frozen rivers and small lakes. Make one of the four warming cabins your destination for the day. Kawartha Nordic rents skis for classic…
As I leave Highway 40 and start climbing up a narrow, snow-covered mountain road I am happy no one is behind my car to see my wimpy driving. I think to myself that I would never make a good rancher's wife. Or a rancher for that matter. After what feels like a long seven miles I arrive at the gates of Latigo Ranch and breathe a sigh of relief that I've made it. I can't get over the…
Down in Alberta's southeast corner within sight of the Sweet Grass Hills of Montana sits Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, a four season beauty that has escaped the notice of almost all Albertans. Of course the folks in nearby Medicine Hat and parts of Saskatchewan know its winter secrets but do you? Mike Ratcliffe, the Head of Visitor Services in Cypress Hills tells me that "the park is a winter playground with loads to do including downhill…
With 135 trails covering the full gamut from perfect corduroy groomers to long cruisers, glades, bumps and powder, Sun Peaks Resort earns the title as Canada's second largest ski resort. Along with its three mountains and a cute, colourful European style village its got Nancy Greene, a gold medal Olympic athlete, Canadian senator and mountain host extraordinaire. Sun Peaks is about a 50 minute drive from Kamloops and its airport. Take a shuttle to keep life simple as you won't need…
The small town of Grand Lake, Colorado - population 471 or thereabouts - sits on the shores of Grand Lake at an elevation of 8,369 feet. It's the gateway community to the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park and as such has all the services you need. It's also a destination in itself. In summer the lake - the largest natural body of water in Colorado, becomes a recreational playground. In winter snowshoeing, cross-country skiing…
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