Wow.  What a way to start off the winter.  It has been a crazy time in BC.  We started off with a huge snow storm a few days ago dumping about 2 feet of snow if not more here at Vagabond Lodge.  See video. Up to now, we had a small amount of snow at the base and about 70cms at the top but it was staying pretty warm here.  And then it hit big time with over 60cms at the top but it began to rain at the base for most of yesterday which made it a pretty major mess. 
We got away lucky in our area.  Some parts of the area lost power for over 24 hours.  We didn't.  And all roads have been shut down throughout the province due to flooding and washed out roads.  I am not sure how long it will take to get things repaired. It may be awhile.  A lot of people have been evacuated from their homes due to flooding and many will be homeless for a long time.  Very sad. 
The weather has cooled off and no snow or rain and from the looks of the forecast we will be getting more snow.  

I am  so proud and relieved of what Kicking Horse Resort has mandated for this coming winter.  You must be fully vaccinated for covid in order to ski or board here.  Click here for details.  Other ski resorts who have followed suit, include Sunshine Village, and Revelstoke along with all the RCR resorts of Fernie, Kimberly, and Nakiska and their Quebec resorts too.
We had decided at Vagabond Lodge to do that over the summer for the health of ourselves, our staff, other guests and our community and take only fully vaccinated guests and of course that is not changing. 
Reservations have been solid for the upcoming winter with a lot of return guests who we haven't seen in a couple years, from overseas and the US as well as some new ones.  Great to see some Australians on the move again.  
Right now the resort and Vagabond is scheduled to open December 10 until April 17.  Historically they always open a week earlier for a bonus weekend but is all dependant on the snow.  Already they have over 50cms at the top but now it needs to get to the bottom and the weather forecast for the next week sounds promising.  
Video is from the end of last season just to get you pumped. 

It turned out to be even better than we expected.   With the weather changing from fall to winter shortly our days were numbered for a final trip to Yoho National Park which is about a 45 minute drive from Vagabond Lodge.  Our intentional was to go for a short hike at Takakkaw Falls; one of our favourite spots and with the long weekend over we were hoping for a quiet day.  When we got to the entrance to the road we found out they had shut the road a day early.  Normally the road to the falls is only open in the summer. We had decided to take our ebikes just in case and we were rewarded big time.  
We were able to ride our bikes the 14 km and it was magical with virtually no-one there.  A few hikers along the road side.  What a great way to end the fall.  A picnic at the old warden's cabin(where we had stayed a long time ago on different occasions) and then back home.  Now we are ready.  
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Wow, Wow, Wow.  What a day on the water.  Along with a few friends recently we decided to go for a lake kayaking trip.  We originally thought Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park which is an easy 45 minute drive from Vagabond Lodge.  It was so crowded with car traffic we didn't even get to the parking lot.  And this is on a Tuesday after the labour day weekend when everyone is supposed to be going back to work and school.  Go figure.  After a few seconds discussing what to do we decided to head up the Banff Jasper highway to Bow Lake.  Best decision we could have made. 
It was just perfect with only about 10 people on a very large lake.  We had an amazing day taking advantage of a classic fall day.  We spent a couple of hours paddling around and found a nice spot to park for a picnic on the water in a little protected cove.  
Bow Lake can be tricky at times with wind gusts and sudden weather changes.  But not on this day.  It was perfect.  
There still were a lot of people around at the various viewpoints and hiking trailheads but not on the water. 
Video is from our day at Bow Lake. 

As the summer is coming to a close, there are a few things left on the plate I want to do yet.  One was kayaking a last time down the Kicking Horse River through the town of Golden.    The water levels have been dropping a lot in the last week or so with the cooler nights and cooler days.  Friend Patrick and I did a more thorough scoop of the river to make sure we weren't going to have to deal with a lot of natural obstacles such as big rocks poking through.  You do not want to hit a big rock.  We found a good route and away we went.  It is about a 45 minute trip and eventually we make our way onto the Columbia River which is more of a gentle float.  
Vagabond Lodge is closing in a couple weeks and then will be reopening for ski season.  International guests are going to be allowed into Canada from a variety of countries in a couple days as long as they are fully vaccinated.  We are looking forward to having them back as they are our lifeline. We have an "Early Bird discount" for the upcoming winter season.  Book now and get a 10% savings.  Phone 250 344 2622 or email info@vagabondlodge.ca.  These reservations need to be booked direct and you must be fully vaccinated in order to stay with us.  Video is from our last trip of the season on the Kicking Horse. 

I am always in awe of what we have in our backyard.  The latest was a trip a few days ago to Mummery Glacier which is basically to the north of us down the Blaeberry Valley.  It involved about an hour drive, then a short ebike ride and a 45 minute hike to an amazing viewpoint of the glacier and all the waterfalls coming off it.  It was one of those perfect days. 
With cooler weather, rain off and on the smoke has cleared.  It doesn't get much better. 
Our summer is winding down and Vagabond will close on September 20th.  September is always my favourite month for hiking and exploring with fewer people, no mosquitos, cooler temperatures and no smoke. Give us a call at 250 344 2622 or email info@vagabondlodge.ca .  You can also book direct using by clicking Here. 

We finally got a much needed rain a few days ago.   Wow.  Did we need it.  And the good news is there is more on the way which will help get some of the wild fires we have burning in BC out or under control.  
We have a few in our area but not big ones thank goodness.  We are not under any threat but depending  on which way the wind is blowing it can get smokey  and it has been. 
But yesterday I decided to head out to see what it was like at the top of the mountain and it was a lot better than a few days prior.  It actually was foggy at the base but at the top nice and sunny.  
Nice to get out of a hike and see the mountains. 
Better days ahead. Video is from my hike. 

Yes I am already looking forward to winter and we aren't even half way through our summer.  The  reason for my winter anticipation is the hot and dry weather we are having here at Vagabond Lodge.  We even had some previously unheard of 40C plus days.  And now we have a lot of smoke from wild fires in our province.  So far nothing really close by here but depending on which way the wind is blowing,  it can get ugly.  
The other reason we are looking forward to ski season there is a lot of optimism the border may be open to vaccinated travellers by September and that means our overseas guests can come back skiing this winter.  
We have already had some good bookings for the ski season from Europe but of course it all hinges on the opening of the borders.
Canada is doing a good job with vaccinations and our numbers have gone down dramatically in the past month.  
In Golden we went about a month without any new cases but recently we have seen 4 new ones which percentage wise is concerning.  
​People are travelling now and the means people coming here who are not vaccinated.   Sorry...some people just don't get it. FYI here at Vagabond Lodge we are only accepting fully vaccinated guests. That is for our safety, the safety of our other guests and our community.  End of story. 
Video is from this past winter to get you pumped.  I know I am. 

I managed to get back on the Kicking Horse River for a kayak trip for the first time this year.  Along with friend Patrick we had a great ride.
With some warmer weather the river was getting high with a lot of snow melt .  There was some debris in the water but nothing serious.  It is not a long trip; probably about 30 minutes total on the water but always a bit of a rush, especially the first section which can get some nice rapids.  
We end up on the Columbia River and then it is a leisurely float for the last 15 minutes or so.  A day later I checked out the river and it was really high and muddy with trees floating down.  We will wait for the water level to drop a bit before going again. 
I managed to get my second vaccine shot which was nice to get over with.  We are optimistic about the summer with the resort opening on June 25th for the summer season for mountain biking and sightseeing along with the grizzly bear refuge.
The BC government has put June 15th as a date for more reopening and giving the green light for travel around the province.  Right now we are restricted to staying within our health region.  The provincial covid numbers have been going down steadily.  By July they are planning to allow more travel within Canada.  No word on when the US border will be open but there is a strong push for vaccinated Americans to be allowed into Canada.  We shall see.  We are going to take reservations at Vagabond Lodge for only vaccinated guests as a safety measure for other guests, ourselves, staff and our community.  
We haven't seen our two neighbourhood grizzlies for a couple weeks and hopefully they have moved on but now we have some black bears including a mom and 3 young cubs wandering around. It is not too often when I go between Vagabond and Golden which is just a 10 minute drive when I don't see at least 1 bear.  We had some hot weather last week with temperatures close to 30C which means the grass and vegetation is nice and green.  The bears love it. 
You can book your stay direct through our booking engine on Vagabond Lodge for the best rate or give us a call at 250 344 2622 or email info@vagabondlodge.ca