From extreme cycling and whitewater rafting to golf, there are plenty of adventures in Altin

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My Golden Initiation (Spring 1993) was at a local lumberjack friendly watering hole in that town and it went like this:

New friend: Dude, let's go mountain biking tomorrow. I'll take you down this amazing trail that takes you right to the edge of this amazing canyon. It's called the Canyon Creek Trail. It's epic.

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I: It sounds terrible. I quit. I don't own a mountain bike. I don't know what this sport is. I prefer to play golf. (I recently moved to Golden to work on a new golf course.)

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New friend: I will pick you up at 10 o'clock. (Insert loud vowel due to the consumption of several kokans.) I have a BSO that you can use. It's going to be great.

I: What is BSO? Also, you are a bad person and you seem to want to kill me.

New friend: A bicycle-like object. Well, no, you will live. See you tomorrow. Collect the beer.

As it turns out, my white-knuckle dive into Canyon Creek (perhaps the most questionable two-wheeled vehicle I've ever ridden) scared the living daylights out of me. But it was an amazing, amazing journey. The trip also introduced me to the spectacular and often extreme mountainous terrain that surrounds Golden, British Columbia.

Canyon Creek is rated as an intermediate blue trail on the popular Trailforks App, though with moderate exposure and significant elevation gain/high. But at the time, and given my ability, it was like five black.

Located approximately 265 kilometers west of Calgary in the Kootenay Rockies, Golden is perfect for outdoor adventures. And, yes, I've had a lot of experience with it. The town, located along the Trans Canada Highway (complete with new highway improvements in the canyon east of town), holds a special place in my heart. I lived there for four years in the early 1990s. My “prairie boy” ways got the best of me, mostly from most of the fun, fun-seeking, down-to-earth mountain folk I met there. Some of them – the ones who didn't try to kill me directly – are still my friends.

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While mountain biking is certainly a popular sport in the area (early rides in Golden convinced me to buy a shiny new two-wheeler with shock absorbers), Golden is pure “gold” for anyone. outdoor recreation activity you can think of.

Want to skydive off Seven Mountains, where you'll fly over ice-capped peaks and fly thermally-trapped tandem paragliders that can lift you up to 12,000 feet? You can do it! (Though I was invited several times by a local paraglider to go tandem, I never went ahead with it because I was always just under the 200 pound limit. Wow!).

Fancy a helicopter ride on one of the craziest via ferratas (fixed alpine climbing routes) ever built on Earth? You can do so at Bobbie Burns Lodge, owned and operated by Canadian Mountain Holidays. (It's an intense and overwhelming experience.)

Want to raft the wild whitewater on the Kicking Horse River? Golden's famous rapids offer a world-class rafting experience that has captivated enthusiasts for decades. (As my plain friends visited, this adventure was almost always included.)

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Do you want to fly over a huge gap in a tight track, go over the highest suspension bridges in Canada and ride a unique mountain coaster? You can have this family experience at the new Golden Skybridge Adventure Park.

However, Golden's myriad outdoor options aren't just for adrenaline junkies. Here are six more “easy” outdoor experiences in the city:

Fly fishing. (If you need a guide, try Golden Gillie.)

A scenic wetland floats on the Columbia River. (Columbia Wetlands Adventures is your ticket.)

Flat water swimming. (Rent gear and arrange transportation through Golden Paddle Trips in nearby Nicholson.)

Gondola ride and mountain views at Kicking Horse Resort. (Eagle's Eye Restaurant is the highest restaurant in Canada.)

Golden Golf Club. (One of the best mountain golf courses in Canada.)

The Golden River Walk is a great downtown attraction (home to Canada's longest wooden pedestrian bridge) that's perfect for people with disabilities. Also for lodging, the new Red Fox Lodge at Mount 7 Lodges is fully accessible.

While other mountain towns in western Canada are imploding and losing their accessibility and to some extent their original character, Golden has remained authentic. Blue collar, white collar, no collar, works with Gold. Whether you're a lumberjack, lifter, or chef, you'll find your happy place in Altyn.

Of course I did. I will be back any chance I get. But I will bring my own bike.

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