This is the third and final photo post… you may want to check out Part One and Part Two of my blog post series on Kicking Horse, Golden BC, and the surrounding areas. The fabulous HD movie of the trip is of course still coming!

We really felt like we were part of a mountain community in Golden. The town is completely nestled in the hills, and they have spectacular views just about every day. Allan and I were pretty much seething with jealousy the entire time we were there. Talk about a sight to wake up to!

We spent our last day there exploring around and found several of these frozen over waterfalls…

We also explored under the river and the bridge until our fingers pretty much froze off…

… and noticed that there were just mountain goats and other wildlife wandering around in broad daylight…

… or they would just hang out in people’s yards at night. We saw this deer family hop over people’s fences, hang out on their lawns for a while, and do a little tour of the neighbourhood. It was awesome.

Our last night we stayed at Copper Horse Lodge, which right in Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, just a 2 minute walk from the gondola. Pretty sweet location! They also have a fine dining restaurant called “Corks” which we ate at a couple times. They have a Twitter account as well.

The Lodge has only 10 rooms, so it really is a boutique hotel. I managed to chat with the owner for a few minutes while I was there and he mentioned that they don’t want to expand at all because they care a lot about giving personal attention to guests. Again, I felt an extreme sense of wanting to open my own B&B or hotel in a mountain resort. Argh. Why am I working in video games again?

Nothing like relaxing in a hot tub after a day of snowboarding.

Again, I was really impressed with our choice of accommodations here in Golden! We really lucked out… everywhere we stayed was awesome, and the people were so friendly. It kind of reminded me of Whistler 10 years ago.

Anyway, our room was HUGE! King bed, couch area, flat screen TV, and lots of places to throw our gear everywhere. The place literally looked like a train wreck after we were done spreading out all our snowboard gear to dry. The big bathroom was a bonus too… mmmmmm jetted tub.

We hiked around the area to shoot some little snowboarding videos. I can’t wait to edit it all together.

After snowboarding we headed to the Local Hero Pub. It’s obvious to me that Golden is awesome. Where else do you have JENGA in the middle of a BAR? Haha!

We met up with our newfound friends, Mike (our guide from Canadian Powder Adventures) and Steve (from Tourism Golden… he helped us find places to rent our backcountry gear). Many tequila and whiskey shots were had…

Then it was off to Corks Restaurant (part of Copper Horse Lodge) for our last dinner in town. They had some really nice drinks and appies… we ordered several cocktails, had a mango shrimp appetizer, shared a carrot ginger coconut soup, and some different types of flatbread. Oh, and I snuck a little photo of the chocolate torte we had for dessert in here.

Yes, we eat a lot. Well, Allan does. We also had to have pizza since pizza is a must after snowboarding. I noticed a LOT of locals were coming into the restaurant and getting pizza and beer as well.

The mains were really the best part though. Allan ordered the lamb which had an orange glaze and a spicy mint sauce… such a nice combination.

I had the tilapia with the seafood and tomato saffron risotto. I LOVE risotto and this one was especially good… saffron is my weakness. The chef, Kalon is from Australia and you can definitely tell where some of his influences are from!

Why are my posts always about food? *sigh* I guess we just like to eat. Well, in the morning we woke up and had amazing eggs benedict served at Corks Restaurant by the couple who manages the place. Such nice people! Relocated from Vancouver… hmmmm… argh!

So alas, we had to say goodbye to beautiful powdery Golden, BC… till next time! We will most definitely be back.

This past weekend Allan and I headed out to Tofino again for some surf and relaxation. This time however, we were invited to stay at the famous Wickaninnish Inn. “The Wick,” as it is affectionately called by locals and fans, is well-known for its fabulous location on Chesterman Beach, luxury accommodations, world-renowned spa, and five-star dining. No wonder — it’s a Relais & Châteaux property. I also found out a little interesting tidbit from some folks in town which confirms my theories… the Twilight Cast stayed there while they were shooting New Moon. The Inn cannot comment on this of course due to privacy issues, but you can be sure I did as much digging as possible on the subject from the locals.

The Wickaninnish Inn has long had ties to the area and the Pacific Rim National Park. It is family-owned and operated by the McDiarmid family who were born and raised in Tofino. You can read more history on the Inn here.

When you arrive, what strikes me most about the property (and what staff seem to be most proud of) is how the Inn sits on the fine line between the ocean and old growth forest. Compared to most other properties in Tofino and BC, the Inn does an incredible job of preserving the natural surroundings. Every single room has an ocean and beach view, but not at the expense of chopping down the old growth trees in front of the window. When you lie in bed and look out the window, you feel a little bit like you are floating somewhere between ocean and forest.

You can tell that Managing Director Charles McDiarmid spares no expense with his attention to detail. Every room has pieces of nature integrated into the decor, from the driftwood chairs to the solid rock bookends. Every piece of wood in the rooms and around the hotel is hand-crafted and custom made, including the moldings in the rooms, the closets, the doors, bedframes, desks… it’s really something to see.

And all with a focus on sustainability without it being a trend. Claire Macdonald, Marketing Planner for the Inn, spearheads many of the projects herself. The Pointe Restaurant at the Inn actually composts 100% of all its food waste. Claire also organizes frequent beach cleanups with the Surfrider Foundation in Tofino.

The Canopy Room is one of the fanciest rooms in the Inn, with a gorgeous canopy teak bed, living room, plasma TV, multi-jet shower and double soaker tub. Not to mention a great view. I hear it is the celebrity choice when staying at the Inn.

Our room was awesome too. A deluxe top floor room at the Inn, we enjoyed the King bed, local artwork, double soaker tub, and glass panel shower looking out onto the ocean.

The service was great too — all our bags and personal items were organized in the room and the closet. The huge closet also held complimentary rain gear and gumboots. Definitely a plus for storm watching in Tofino.

We also of course had to order breakfast in bed.

Yeah, after surfing Allan and I spent quite a lot of time in our double soaker tub looking out onto the ocean. I’ve probably never felt so relaxed in my life. Honestly.

Of course, I had to try the spa while I was there. The Ancient Cedars Spa is probably one of the most talked about parts of the Inn. It has won so many awards it’s crazy, including being reader-voted as the World’s Best in Travel + Leisure magazine.

The real shame here is that I had to take photos of the Spa after hours, so unfortunately I couldn’t capture how beautiful it is with the natural light streaming in and the ocean views. So bear with me!

Every aspect of the Spa is beautiful… from the wood carved handles on the lockers in the shower rooms, to the huge wood burl mirrors and tables. They also carry a really unique line of spa and beauty products, many from Vancouver Island and BC. Many influenced by the ocean and nature.

They also have an incredible (you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it-kind-of-thing) Cedar Sanctuary where you can get treatments done… in a beautiful cedar house literally looking onto the ocean. Imagine having a massage while the ocean is spraying up in front of the windows… wow! All guests also have access to the Rainforest Sauna… which smells exactly like… the rainforest. So nice.

I decided to go for a massage treatment at the Spa. When I showed up, I was offered refreshing citrus water and tea, and shown to my hand-carved locker in the ladies room. I popped into my robe and slippers and enjoyed a steam in the Rainforest sauna for a while.

Then I was shown to a beach chair outside overlooking the ocean, given a warm blanket and a hot foot soak with pebbles in the bottom to roll my feet over. After an aromatic consultant and some time to relax while taking in the ocean breeze and the view with some hot tea, I was shown to my treatment room. Each of their certified professionals must have over 1000 hours of experience before they can work at the Inn, and my masseuse was no different. A wonderful woman with an amazing background (she previously worked in the advertising industry at notables such as Ogilvy and Mather), she worked her magic on me for an hour. I was completely relaxed. So, “Ahhhh at the Spaaaaa” gets a very relaxed thumbs up from me. You must read about the treatments there.

Of course, our experience wouldn’t have been complete without having dinner at the Pointe Restaurant. We had eaten here before so we knew it was going to be good, and we were looking forward to trying some new dishes.

The restaurant overlooks Chesterman Beach and is situated at a rocky point, which causes dramatic sprays of water and the sounds of waves to accentuate your dining experience. You must visit the Inn during storm-watching season (late Fall and Winter), as that is when the waves are the most dramatic. Believe it or not, that’s the coolest time to come to the Inn and see the power and wildness of nature. We always make sure to visit Tofino at least once a year during this time. Anyway — back to the restaurant — they also occasionally mic the waves underneath the restaurant during a storm for the full effect.

Chef Nutting was in the kitchen that night, and put together some amazing dishes for us. Unfortunately I’ve recently found out about some allergies (egg, dairy, wheat… which feels like everything), but the chefs did an amazing job of working around the allergies. Allan got an amazing selection of bread (including olive and chorizo bread), and I was surprised to see I was also going to get bread… some delicious grilled rice bread and pappardum.

I had a mojito, and Allan tried a sidecar and a Manhattan.

For appetizers, I had the scallops with dungeness crab, pine mushrooms, and a chicken jus. Allan had the grilled octopus with baby shrimp, cherry tomatoes, foccacia croutons, pancetta vinaigrette, and watercress.

For mains, I had a crispy sablefish with citrus, asian pear, bok choy in a szechwan pepper sauce with braised pork belly.

Allan had the Lingcod with fingerling potato chips and chorizo sausage.

I finished off the meal with homemade blueberry sorbet, and Allan had a quartet of creme brulee — vanilla bean, saffron, strawberry, and dark chocolate. I think I’m going to steal that idea for my party coming up. Some homemade truffles came at the end as well, with honey and thyme. Mmmm.

We explored the property a bit the next day before leaving. The Inn has built so many amazing boardwalks, trails, and paths around the area. We found out they shot some of the scenes for New Moon on Long Beach, and also right on the beach in front of the Wick!

And of course, we made sure to get our surfing in.

And that wrapped up a fantastic long weekend at the Wickaninnish Inn. If you haven’t already, check out the website… you must check out the restaurant menu, the accommodations, and definitely the spa treatments. The Wick is a fantastic place for a romantic getaway, a surfing weekend, a mother-daughter or girlfriends pampering experience… or just because. They’ve got some awesome deals coming up for the stormwatching season and the O’Neill Coldwater Surf Classic, so check those out.

Hope you enjoyed the review!

Back at work after a long weekend spent in Tofino. I have to say — I’m a little bit sunburnt, very sore, and I still haven’t had a chance to wash the salt of the ocean out of my hair yet. But I feel great!

Here are some photos from our trip…

We stopped by Second Wave and the Sitka store in North Vancouver last week… Allan is looking for a new surfboard. I’ve heard both bad and good things about the Sitka surfboards (because of where they are made, in South America even though they are a Victoria-based company)… but I was pleasantly surprised by their new designs this year. Looking good!

The new Sitka store in North Van has lots of clothing and their famous hoodies of course. I love my yellow Sitka hoodie! Their entire store is made from reclaimed or recyled materials! Go check it out.

After the long ferry fiasco on Thursday — Oh BC Ferries, you suck — we headed out on the long drive to Tofino. By now we are used to it, but I remember when I used to get car sick from the twists and turns and how long it felt. Now, I love it!

There was snow on the highway on the way to Tofino. Brrrr… an indication of cold things to come. Surfing while there’s snow still on the ground.

In Tofino, the park’s always hilarious (but useful) Wave Hazard sign alerted us that the waves were “EXTREME!”. It just meant big waves for us. This weekend definitely had some of the bigger waves I’ve surfed in Tofino in a long time. Or maybe it felt that way because I hadn’t been back in the water for a while.

I was really stoked to drop into about 3 of the biggest waves I’ve caught yet on Friday at Cox Bay. Cox was definitely going off. There were some really pro surfers in the water, so definitely intimidating, but I still had a great time. It was great riding down such a steep wave. Surprisingly good conditions for Tofino.

Saturday it got even bigger and we headed to Cox again, but the waves were a bit messy. I got pummeled quite a bit, but I managed to catch a couple waves. Need to work on those paddling muscles… snowboarding all season doesn’t help those And it was cold… I needed my winter suit (5 mil) with gloves, boots, and hood just to stay warm. I could only stay in about 2 hours before my feet and hands went numb. They didn’t thaw out until I got in the hot tub. It usually takes about 30 minutes before I start feeling pins and needles in them again…

We had a nice cabin rental in Tofino, which is always great this time of year when it is super cold. This is the view from the living room, you could also walk down a wooden bridge and get into the hot tub at the end, overlooking the inlet. Gorgeous!

The weekend was filled with cooking, playing Settlers of Catan, Taboo, and relaxing in the hot tub.

Kim brought her dog Kona out as well, and we also played with her quite a bit on Chesterman’s. Chesterman’s was a bit small and not very exciting surf-wise when we were there, so we just hung out on the beach.

I was surprised to see so many tourists with rental boards out so early in April!

Didn’t see too much wildlife… just a few birds here and there, and a seal in the ocean beside us. In the summers you can usually see deer, bears, and lots of water creatures.

Long Beach was also blown out, but you can kinda see what the waves looked like this weekend. A bit messy, big, but still surfable. Long Beach is my favourite beach to surf at in the summer.

I was also glad that the weather pulled a fast one and stayed sunny from Thursday to Saturday. Sunday it got a bit dreary and rainy but we really lucked out.

Spring is coming, and soon the surf trips will begin in earnest. I can’t wait.

In other news, the Canucks start their playoff series against St. Louis on Wednesday and I am very excited. One of our friends is a very big St. Louis fan so there’s a lot more invested in this series than just the Canucks! We have to slaughter them. Wednesday I will begin my jersey wearing until the Canucks are out of the playoffs.

Stinky jerseys, here I come!

You’ll have to watch the video to find out what I mean.

So I finally had a chance to do some video editing this weekend. I’ve put together the footage from the Mount Washington snowboarding trip to Courtenay on Vancouver Island in February, as well as the huge Big White bus trip to Kelowna.

Check out the video above! Video features… tree runs, powder runs, rails, jumps, and lots of silliness of course. Oh, and leg wrestling. Make sure you watch to the very end of the video Video is totally safe for work.

Here are also a few pictures from the two trips…

Big White was great… here’s a view from the chairlift.

We had a huge group together (54 people)… it was definitely crazy.

Yup, it was Big White-out for a few moments that weekend.

The Telus Park at Big White was awesome… boarder cross, rails, jumps and tons of everything.

My friend Adrian (above) and Chris made it up from San Francisco. They are two of my good friends from university and it was wonderful to see them again.

The private hot tubs in our cabins were awesome! And frequently used.

The view from Mount Washington on the Island is probably one of the most beautiful views you will ever see snowboarding. Wow!

Amy and Tom show off their goggles in the bar.

Teddy Bear stands are necessary, even in the snow.

The tequila was incredible… and yes, many drinking games were played…

… including the now infamous “BOXHEAD” game…

A huge vat of pasta was cooked for dinner, plus a huge breakfast in the morning. Group meals!

We had a great group.

All this sun and lack of snow (and a lackluster snowboarding season in terms of snowfall) is making me ache for the ocean again. It feels like it’s been a long time since November, and I’m dying to get back into the water.

I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get to go surfing this winter. It just didn’t factor into the finances and snowboarding was on my mind. I am planning to go later this month or early April, so the freeze factor will definitely still be there.

Although I definitely consider myself a winter lover… snowboarding… ice hockey… skating… and Christmastime… there’s still a part of me that looks forward to spring every year. The sunshine, the Canucks in the playoffs, and the excellent surf.

I miss Tofino.

I have to admit I’m looking forward to the summer this year…

Heading to Tofino… one of my favourite breaks and lookouts, Flo Bay..

I purchased my first surfboard a year and a half ago… I love my 7′10″ Red Al Merrick Water Hog. Now it looks all used and covered in wax… but it’s still my baby and it’s still beautiful

I love surfing with friends in Tofino… I love Long Beach… especially when it is big surf and just right in the spring…

I love building fires on the beach…

I love all the beaches, even Chesterman’s when it is small and easy and fun in the summer…

I love the peacefulness of the inlet…

I love heading out to the water a few times a month for several months, getting out there when I can… even though it never seems like enough.

I’m looking forward to getting better at skimboarding…

I love finding free hidden spots to camp in the woods…

I love surfing road trips with friends!

I still remember one of the first waves I ever caught… it was super tiny at Long Beach and all I could catch was the white wash. But it was still fun. And so the adventure began!

I DO NOT miss lining up for the ferry every weekend. Oh, if only I lived on the Island…

I love the sunsets off the back of the ferries on the way home… even though it never quite feels like I’m at home when I’m away from the wildness of the Pacific Ocean and Tofino.

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On a completely unrelated note, I just reserved my copy of Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360. YES! SO EXCITED!