Toby Creek Adventures... adventure.

Answer to the question: Yes!

The question was: do you want to go snowmobiling in Panorama with Toby Creek Adventures? My good friend Martin (of Canada Rail Vacations <link>, and former guide at Toby Creek) asked. In minutes we were connected via email with Nicole Barsby of Toby Creek Adventures<link> and then after only a couple emails we had a date set to come sledding! I hadn't been sledding since I was 8, and that was on the lakes and farmers fields in Saskatchewan. So I was pretty excited and nervous right away.

As soon as we arrived, my nerves were put at ease by the knowledge and demeanor of our guide Chris. He had us suited in up in the latest equipment and onto a couple of new snowmobiles and out on the test track to get comfortable with the powerful machines. His advice and examples were spot on and before long we were away on the 14km trail ride (with 4700 feet of elevation gain) to Paradise Basin. Along the way we stopped for photo ops at all the best vantage points. My 7 year old son Andrew was having the time of his life, telling us all that he just loved this day.

The operation

The #1 Snowmobile Tour Company in the BC Rockies

Environmentally Friendly Snowmobiles
Visit the historic remains of an old silver mine at 8000′
Warm “Private” Cabin with a Million-Dollar Alpine View
Quality Equipment, Regularly Maintained and Upgraded
Fireside Mountain-sized BBQ Meals Served Hot at our Alpine Cabin
Operating Snowmobile Tours Since 1996

Plus:

Over 32,000 Acres of Operating Area to Ensure You Get “Fresh Powder” turns in 8 High Alpine zones.
All Paradise Tours include Free Upgraded Ski-doo and Arctic Cat 660cc Touring 4-stroke 60 hp snowmobiles with electric start, hand warmers, thumb warmers, fully automatic machines with reverse.
Book early to guarantee an upgrade unit.
Smoke FREE snowmobiles! We are the only tour company in Banff to have adopted this 4-stroke technology.
They have High Performance Snowmobile Upgrades – Sport M600’s, M800’s Arctic Cat and Skidoo sleds.
They supply you with quality helmets, suits and boots for FREE.
They offer a full range of snowmobile rentals and trailers.
They offer longer running trips – 3 hrs, 5 hrs of actual riding time.
They have our 5-STAR Alpine Cabin to warm up and to get out of the weather and sit down for lunch beside a crackling fire. Banff and Canmore Snowmobile Tours include FREE transport in our deluxe 24-seat bus with interpretive tour of Kootenay and Banff National Park.
*unfortunately there is cell service at the top.

The Experience

Just to spend time in a place that far away from normal life is worth the trip alone. It was very similar to the trip on the Rocky Mountaineer Train <link: my blog> that we took last year, in that, once you pressed the gas, everything else going on in your life takes a big step back… and you truly live in the moment. You are focused on the trail, in tune with the machine, and taking in the sheer beauty of the nature that surrounds you and astounds you around every bend. And then you reach Paradise! Paradise Basin is the end goal for most of the tours and I am certain no one has ever complained about this incredible spot. I will admit to being on the side of caution and possibly prudish with my efforts on the snowmobile, maybe leaving a little bravado in the tank for the next trip out, but I found myself in such awe of the surroundings we were consumed by, that I felt like I had received a heart full of experiences just by being here.

For the adrenaline junkies, Paradise Basin is one gigantic sandbox of awesome, challenging every skill level from me to pro. I’m not sure of the proper snowmobile terms used by the kids these days, but pow and rad, and wow and dude and yeah and woot come to mind for descriptors for the terrain.

My son and I had a truly brilliant day on the trails and can’t thank Nicole, Chris and Martin enough.

The intangibles

Our guide Chris was truly a champion of our safety and enjoyment. He has been guiding in this area for many years and his instance on making our day a special one was evident from the moment we arrived. One real highlight was taking a break for a short hike up to a frozen waterfall, including a very quiet and careful detour to see a hibernating bear in her den. Andrew really liked that. Among so many other ‘little’ things, this day couldn’t have been better. Oh, and the delicious cookies at the cabin that apparently you can’t buy, they are specially made for Toby Creek.