As we are a helicopter access only lodge, all our guests, their luggage and gear and all supplies needed at the Lodge are flown in. Helicopters have limited space and weight that they can carry on each flight, therefore we have to weigh each flight to ensure that it is within the weight restrictions. We ask our guests to pack everything in soft shell bags (duffle bags) as it is much easier to pack into the small cargo area of a helicopter than anything that has hard sides or wheels.

We do not have cell phone coverage at the Lodge. As for internet and telephone use, we do have a satelite system that provides us with these services. The staff uses these tools to keep in contact with the office, place food orders, to get weather information and in case of an emergency. Otherwise we discourage the use of the phone and internet.

If you can hike up a hillside you can backcountry ski! Essentially backcountry skiing, also known as ski touring, is hiking up the mountain with your skis on and skiing down. The equipment is slightly modified from traditional downhill ski gear. The boots have a setting that switches from ski to walk, making the boots more flexible for climbing up the hill. Skis have special bindings that release the heel of the boot (much like cross country skiing) but the toe is still engaged, allowing you to climb with ease. The skis also require skins, these are strips of syntetic mohair that hook on to the tip and tail of the ski and stick on with a special "skin glue". The skins provide traction while climbing and are removed at the top of the mountain. Skiing down your conquest makes it all worth the trip!

No we do not have any rental equipment up at the Lodge. We do have a few beacons, shovels and probes if any are lost. There is a store here in Golden that has touring and telemarking equipment to rent as well as beacons, shovels and probes for rent. The store is called 180, the phone number is 250.344.4699 and you can visit thier website at www.180golden.com. You can also visit our Helpful Links page which will give further information on rental shops in the area.

Gratuities are up to our guests discretion. Should you have an exceptional experience, it is likely due to our team approach to customer service. Management will gratefully accept any gratuity and distribute it equally among all the staff. The gratuity is generally based on 5 - 10% of the cost of your trip.

The Lodge itself owns 2.4 hectares of the land that it sits on. Our hiking and skiing range is a bit more than that, we have about 50 square miles or 3200 acres of wilderness to play in.

Yes, when your reservation is made we will ask about food allergies. Our talented Chef's are happy to accomodate vegetarian meals as well as make provisions for any food intolerances.

Most of our summer days at Purcell Mountain Lodge are spent with temperatures between 15°  and  20°  Celsius, that’s between 60° and 70° Fahrenheit!

The overwhelming majority of our days at Purcell Mountain Lodge are spent with temperatures between 0 and  -15° Celsius. That’s between 32° and 5° Fahrenheit! A typical day at Purcell Lodge starts at around  -12° Celsius and warms up to about  -7° by lunchtime.  Ideal skiing weather, and ideal temperatures for good quality dry powder snow conditions!

We think it is easiest to describe our terrain mix in the same language as one would describe a downhill ski area. With an appropriate terrain mix, we can meet the needs of beginner, intermediate and expert skiers or snowboarders. We ski a very large undeveloped wilderness area, without clearly defined “runs” as such. However, the combined wisdom of our veteran guiding staff provides the following terrain analysis:

Skill Level:

Easy - 30% - Cross Country skiing, Ski Touring, introductory Telemark lessons.

Intermediate - 40% - General Telemarking, tree skiing, ski improvement clinics.

Advanced - 30% - Peak to creek powder skiing!

Terrain:

Alpine - 40% - Sweeping bowls, mountain faces, rolling alpine meadows.

Sub-Alpine - 60% - Naturally gladed semi-open forest, forest fire burns.

There are many varied hiking oppportunities to be had right from the front door of the Lodge. Out into the meadows of wildflowers, up mountain ridges or exploring the valley bottoms. The Purcell and Selkirk mountain ranges provide some challenging hikes and all can be reached without technical climbing gear or knowledge. For those guests who prefer a less energetic outing, our extensive alpine meadow runs for many miles to the north and south, providing a wealth of flora and fauna to admire. Our guides are all professionally trained as well as having attributes such as being biologists, naturalists or ornithologists. Many of our guests marvel at all the new things that they learn up at the Lodge!

The Lodge is about 13 miles west of Golden, British Columbia, a 10 - 15 minute helicopter flight. We are in a large alpine meadow at 7200 feet, on Bald Mountain. Glacier National Park is adjacent to the west of our terrain.

Longitude 51 degrees north 15.6, Lattitude 117 degrees west 19.