Just another unusual pandemic winter. This time ’round, my wife, Kristi, and I emphasized weekend get-a-ways and longer breaks to enjoy outdoor activities. As many of you know, we reside in Toronto and intend for the next several years to pursue dual citizenship, so we are taking advantage of what winter fun Canada has to offer, both near Toronto and across the country.
If you are planning a visit to the “Great White North” country of Canada, here are some excursions you should consider both in Eastern and Western Canada.
Weekend Get-A-Ways
In Toronto, Kristi and I make sure to take walks outside every day, even if it’s only 30 minutes – we find it hugely restorative. However, along with visiting as many National Parks as I can, as a couple, we are also keen on taking advantage of our continued exploration of the great outdoors and weekend getaways that are near our home in Toronto.
We did two-weekend get-a-ways that offer some outdoor fun, upscale lodging, and meals and spa treatments that provide enjoyable, relaxing, and restorative weekend get-a-ways that I highly recommend.
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa
Langdon Hall Country House Hotel & Spa is a 2-hour drive west of Toronto, in Cambridge, Ontario, and is set within the northernmost reach of the Carolinian Forest. A Relais & Chateaux property, the estate is over a century old and is named after a former owner, Eugene Langdon Wilks, a descendent of John Jacob Astor.
Fun Fact: John Jacob Astor, whose wealth derived from a fur trade monopoly and the timely redeployment of that capital into NYC real estate, is credited as becoming the first U.S. multi-millionaire.
Our visit in late January coincided with a period of bitter cold and lack of snow. Fortunately, there was plenty of sunshine, which often seemed to accompany the most bitter cold. Trails that would have made for lovely snowshoeing offered picturesque hiking instead. And the spa services at Langdon Hall are extensive, which I highly recommend you indulge in.
Ste. Anne’s Spa
Ste. Anne’s Spa is a 2-hour drive in the opposite direction, east of Toronto, in Grafton, Ontario, and offers a similarly idyllic setting among the rolling hills and woods of Northumberland County. Built-in 1858 as a country castle, Ste. Anne focuses on personal wellness and bills itself as “Canada’s Favourite Spa.”
Although spa services are extensive, and I did join my wife for a massage and facial (no comments, please), it is the numerous outdoor hydrotherapy pools that must not be missed. One is encouraged to follow a sequence, from warm to hot pools. And there is the frigid plunge pool in which I joined my wife (briefly!). It is something she loves…and I do not! Our timing in early February was much better for snowshoeing – plenty of powder and not nearly as frigid – and we took advantage of the greater diversity of trails at this property.
Tip: You may enjoy all these services with a day pass for a unique treat and terrific experience. However, if you stay overnight as we did, you will receive a luxurious robe that you may prance around in all day – even at the restaurant!
Skiing Canada’s East & West
As in the U.S., many areas in Canada offer opportunities to get out and ski – no matter whether your choice is cross-country or downhill – although the province of Ontario offers no challenge for the experienced downhiller. You must head east or go way west.
Skiing Canada’s East
Mont Tremblant Ski Resort, north of Montreal, is the marquee destination for many. (It’s also a great locale in the summer and fall for hiking and trekking.) We went with friends who drove up from Boston and were pleased that everyone was respectful of COVID protocols. Although we stayed in a nearby Airbnb home, the base village is charming and convenient, with many dining and accommodation options. FYI, it’s essential to dress in layers as Tremblant is infamous (especially in January and February) for its frigid temps.
Skiing Canada’s West
British Columbia (aka BC) and Alberta are the two westernmost provinces in the southern region of Canada, hosting a wide variety of ski destinations, with Whistler (near Vancouver) and Banff/Lake Lousie (near Calgary) as the two best known. Having been to Whistler, I decided this year’s family trip would start at Lake Louise and then we’d venture to the BC interior to Revelstoke Mountain Resort which boasts the highest vertical drop in North America at over 5,600 feet.
A bit of background: The Canadian Rockies are an extension of the U.S. Rocky Mountains, essentially separating the two provinces of Alberta and BC. Calgary is the big city of Alberta, an hour’s drive from the Rockies, not dissimilar from Denver’s perch at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies.
It is the gateway to four adjacent National Parks! Otherwise, known as a National Park’s visitor’s dream! (That’s me!) You can access Banff NP, Jasper NP, Kootenay N.P., and Yoho NP! I plan to visit these Parks together during a future summer, the season that they shine!
Fun Fact: Banff N.P. was established in 1923 as the world’s third N.P., following in Yellowstone’s footsteps.
Lake Louise, Alberta
Lake Louise Ski Resort is the most ski-worthy and picturesque of the resorts around Banff National Park. Summertime in Banff and nearby Jasper NP offers some of the most visually exhilarating hiking in North America. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is the most iconic upscale hotel and very much worth it. Located on the edge of Lake Louise, the views of the nearby mountains are spectacular. Have a terrific fondue dinner at the Austrian restaurant, Walliser Stube – ask for a table upstairs, and your courses will arrive via dumbwaiter. Cool.
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Driving west from Lake Louise and after crossing the Continental Divide, one enters B.C. and soon leaves behind the Rockies to arrive in the Columbia Mountains, home of mighty Revelstoke. Nearby are two more National Parks – Mount Revelstoke (the ski area sits outside the N.P.) and Canada’s Glacier (not to be confused with the U.S. Glacier N.P.).
Revelstoke Ski Mountain, along with Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in nearly Golden, BC, are arguably the most challenging ski areas in North America. Plenty of double-diamond steeps, a bevy of bump bowls, with numerous gnarly glades. And of course, there’s the mile-high vertical. Also worth noting, summit elevations are 3,000-4,000 lower than Colorado/Utah resorts, making these BC peaks a much easier acclimation for us low-landers. Two negatives: (1) at this time of year, the bottom third had “cement-like” snow quality; and (2) as is typical in B.C., we didn’t see the sun for the entire five days.
Mount Revelstoke N.P. is a 15-minute drive from the ski area, so I took a day off to rest my ski legs and spent the afternoon there on a solo snowshoe outing. There are both moderate and challenging trails on the mountain, and I did about 10K through beautiful dense forest. I rented footwear from Revelstoke Snowshoe Company, and they provided me with some helpful information: “make frequent noise and stay on the lower trails.” I learned that the black bears had awakened from their lower-elevation hibernation so my noise would avoid an unexpected encounter and that sleeping grizzly bears, along with avalanche risk would be found at higher elevations – so don’t go there! And I didn’t.
Canada has some of the finest skiing in North America, and I encourage you to take advantage of exploring its best ski regions. Like the US, Canada is vast and diverse and offers an array of outdoor activities and areas to explore which may be easily accessed even from its largest cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary. Take note, these are likely direct flights for many of you in the U.S… Just saying…
Get Out There and Carpe Diem!
Peter
