The in-between. Fall’s spectacular colors and warm sun are giving into moody browns and greys and fog, the trademark of November. Golden is waiting patiently for snow to move in and open the doors to winter and winter play. Skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and Nordic skiing await us. We’re eager, but our anticipation doesn’t make it come any sooner.

So what can you do to pass the time in Golden during the dreaded shoulder season?

First, if you’re interested in fall travel (underrated and overlooked), late August, September, and early October are the perfect slots to enjoy the turn of autumn. This means the mountains are stunning colors of gold and burgundy, but the sun is warm and the days are still long enough to get in those big adventure days; hiking, biking, and even paddling. 

Paddling on the Kicking Horse River

Photo: @ajsergent

As we get into late October, the weather gets grey and moody and the mountains start getting little snow coatings, which makes their peaks less appealing for a traverse on foot. October is a good time to direct your attention inwards, towards the culture and spark of Golden. Here are a few things you can get into:

Community Events

Goldenites create things to do during shoulder season, like planning events and activities to pass the moody days. Take a look at our events calendar to see what sort of events are happening while you’re here.

Halloween is a big occasion at the end of October, for example. And cafes & restaurants will bring in musicians or host local artists. The Art Gallery of Golden and the Golden Museum curate powerful exhibits that are worth dropping into. It's neat to attend such events because you can really immerse yourself in the culture and feeling of our community. A party is really great when everyone shows up, and they're all going to show up because these outdoorsy folk are getting pushed indoors.

Find our events calendar here, and you can download the free Golden BC App to access it as well. The app will send you push notifications on the day of an event, so you’re always going to be in the loop.

Live Music & Theatre

The local arts organization, Kicking Horse Culture (KHC), puts together a live music and theatre series during the winter months called Live Kicks. These shows happen monthly or twice a month and bring in acts from every walk of life. The shows have a reputation in Golden for being incredible works of art, and you get to witness the feeling of watching something powerful within a close-knit community, whose attendees regularly come to the shows. If you go to more than one show you'll start to recognize familiar faces. 

KHC also puts together film screenings at the Golden Cinema to showcase the best of Canadian and International films at the Golden Cinema, this is called Film Kick. Films are presented approximately every two weeks throughout the Fall and Winter season.s

You can see upcoming  Live & Film Kicks performances on our events calendar.

Credit: Bruno Long

Mountain Biking

You might think grey weather marks an end to Golden’s outdoor summer activities, but, in reality, the bike trails can be enjoyed well into November. Because we have so many trails close to town in the valley bottom, snow doesn’t usually pile up on them as it starts to do up in those alpine peaks. This means the biking season can be extended as long as Mother Nature chooses to afford it. Just remember to bring some warm layers and maybe plan to pop into a cafe downtown for a hot drink after you're finished. You’re bound to be rather chilly.

If you keep an eye on community happenings in Golden, shoulder season isn’t nearly as bad as it’s made out to be. It’s a time of warmth and community and creativity, as folks band together to pass the grey months and patiently await snowfall and all of the winter excitement that it carries.

Fall Cruising on Mount 7

Credit: @goldencyclingclub