After some smooth talking at the border, Canada decided to let the PTTP Tour and our VW Touareg inside the country. Their reluctance was well founded, because after only a few days in Golden, British Columbia we didn't ever want to leave and the last thing Canada needs is a couple new derelicts calling it their home.

Golden is a rough diamond. It's not polished and carefully cut like Whistler is, but it is no less of a valuable gem. Golden is an unassuming and somewhat drab town, but one only needs to gaze up to the mountains to understand why it offers some of the best skiing and outdoor adventure in North America. Things could change in a few years when the growth around Kicking Horse Mountain Resort's base area is fully developed, but for now Golden is a town overflowing with character and brimming with friendly folks.

Gaining a quick 4,000 vertical feet up the gondola at Kicking Horse, we hiked to the top of Terminator Ridge and dropped down into an intimidating and steep chute that spilled out onto a perfectly pitched powder apron. Former PTTP Tour co-pilot Davey T. was guiding us, and he knew exactly the kind of terrain we were looking for. A ride up the gondola again found us on top of CPR Ridge. We picked our way down a fairly exposed line and caught the Gateway to Heaven Chair up to Blue Heaven where the backcountry opportunities are staggering. A twenty-minute hike to the backside of Ozone led us to a protected powder paradise of steep chutes with tons of rock features to jump off. We called it a day, but could've kept hiking a couple ridges over for even more backcountry.

After a long day of exploring the vastness of Kicking Horse we were treated to a ride up the gondola at sunset just in time to see the surrounding peaks glow pink. We unloaded at the top and stepped into the five-star Eagle Eye Restaurant. We were wined and dined at altitude all evening with our Kicking Horse host Gord and pro skier Mike Douglas.

We tasted the finer side of Golden, and a few days later we tasted the real flavor of the people there. A few kilometers out of town we found almost everyone from Golden gathered behind a country house on a hillside. A few local riders who live at the house had hand built a terrain park in their backyard complete with rails, a tool shed butterbox, a 30-foot gap jump, and a 20-foot quarter pipe against the back of the house. The boys lit a bonfire in the middle of the gap jump, set up some floodlights, turned on a huge speaker system complete with DJ, and the first annual Golden Jibstock was officially underway.

Skiers and snowboarders jibbed the park all night long with prizes going to the best riders. Some serious moves were thrown down and Mike Douglas even showed up to put on a show for the people. Despite an errant jumper landing in the crowd by the bonfire, the competition went off, and went off without a hitch. Post-comp the crowd piled into the small basement of the house for a performance by the best 80s heavy metal cover band in Golden: CockRockFord. With Davey T. on guitar, CockRockFord plowed through all the hits of the 80s and provoked some serious sing-alongs from the drunken crowd.

The PTTP party at the Roadhouse in Golden was one for the record books. Eager to support a good cause, it seemed again like the whole town showed up to our gig. With all proceeds going to the building of the new Golden skate park, folks bought raffle tickets in bulk. Hundreds of loonies later the residents of Golden were rewarded with North Face packs for hiking, Salomon skis for jibbing, and Smith Goggles and Glasses for pimping. The party raged late into the night until Davey T. had perma-grin and they kicked us out.

The skiing and partying in Golden almost managed to keep us in town, but the PTTP Tour woke up, stretched its legs, slammed a Redbull, and hit the road for our final Canadian tour stop.