For many Goldenites, November is the month to take a vacation. It's our quiet month, allowing those who work in the tourism industry a chance to catch their breath before the winter wave begins. November is kind of an in-between season for us, a short space of time where summer activities wind down and we watch with anticipation the mountain tops fill with snow, reminding us to prepare for the soon-to-arrive sliding season.
Autumn on the low river
Don’t get me wrong, there’s still plenty to do in Golden BC this time of year. Many mountain bikers are still out enjoying the trails. (Many bikers other than me, that is. The ‘outdoorsy-lite’ in me decided October was a good time to hang up my bike and switch to just walking the trails.). But it does seem to me that November in Golden has a quieter, more grounding kind of energy – a ‘winding down of one and preparing for the next’ type of rhythm.
Harvesting the garden
I’ve come to appreciate this changing of the seasons in Golden, the sense of in-between-ness it brings. It brings a pleasant pace to our weekends. We take the dog to the river, letting her splash in the low water and play on the now-exposed river bed. We chop and stack wood. We clean the yard and harvest the last of our garden veggies. We hike the local trails (I’m absolutely loving the long fall walks along Canyon Creek, the river, and on the Cedar House trails this time of year). We go to the movies. We go for dinner. We attend hockey games. We enjoy community activities.
I’ve noticed this about Golden in the fall – the seeming abundance of community events and activities. Fall, it seems, is Golden’s season of community. Building it. Sharing it. Celebrating it. Working it. Every week in Golden BC right now there is some kind of interesting event or activity related to building, supporting, improving or otherwise celebrating the community and culture of Golden.
Finding a furry friend on a fall walk
From a steady stream of fundraisers (like apple pies being baked and sold for the high school’s grad, an entertainment show and cool gear-auction at one of the local bars for Golden’s big mountain freestyle team, and a full-out gala for the local women’s centre) to Kicking Horse Culture’s fall lineup of concerts, movies and plays. From a procession of annual events like the Chamber’s annual Community Excellence Awards gala, the apple picking festival, the ski swap and Golden’s major annual craft fair, to some exciting new events like Golden’s first Local Intelligence Gathering conference.
It’s also a municipal election year, meaning that this November the town of Golden is also infused with the energy of debate. The candidates are doing their part, offering their different visions and strategies for how to help our little mountain town grow into its potential. Golden’s residents are stepping up too, dialoguing with the candidates, shaping the emerging debates, attending community forums and getting ready to vote.
It all makes for an interesting and pleasant Golden November -- as we wait, watch and patiently prepare for the coming snow.
Fall hiking with the family
