Just two minutes down the road from us you’ll find incredible history, stunning scenery in some of the nicest people a little town called Field, BC.    

Tents and shacks were set up as the first settlers arrived in the 1880s to start construction on the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).  This was crucial to not only trading but also the development of the country; it enticed many provinces to join the confederation creating the foundation for Canada.    

a little history rolls past the town of Field.

The townsite was named after an American investor, Cyrus Field, who never ended up investing a dime! The CPR built and developed many of the surrounding hiking trails and even hired Swiss guides to escort amateur mountaineers in order to entice rich potential investors to stay at the many mountain hotels and chalets.   

Swiss Guides via 1900. Photo wasn’t taken in Feild but it gives you an idea!

 When visiting in the area you will find out quickly why so many hiking trails were developed – no matter the direction is it absolutely stunning! There are protected sites like Lake O’Hara and the UNESCO Burgess Shale and hundreds of kilometers of other hiking areas taking you through tall trees, over glaciers and under waterfalls.  

Imagine walking underneath Twin Falls...

Best of all, the history has lead to some amazing people falling in love with the town. Head to The Siding, also known as the General Store for a great meal and connect with some small town locals. They love to share stories and advice about their favorite activities and secret locations! (I mean it…check out this interview with Greg I had earlier this year).   

Some cute Field houses, wouldn't you want to live here?

   During your trip through the Rocky Mountains set aside some time and explore this cute town!

Cathedral Mountain Lodge will make sure your intimate wedding is perfect! Let us take care of the details.

E for the Elopement package!

A CANADIAN ROCKIES WEDDING FOR TWO

If you’re thinking about getting married, have you thought about eloping in the Canadian Rockies this summer? Cathedral Mountain Lodge, located 20 minutes from Lake Louise, offers a unique and intimate setting for the celebration of marriage. With a towering forest on one side and the rushing glacier-fed Kicking Horse River on the other, couples will be hard-pressed to find a setting as picturesque as Cathedral Mountain Lodge.

Run off to the mountains and celebrate your special day in a place as timeless as your occasion.

Cathedral Mountain Lodge offers a package uniquely created to exchange or renew your vows intimately amidst the timeless beauty of the Canadian Rockies. The lodge lends itself to small intimate weddings with two to ten guests. You can combine your desire for travel and the ability to get married in an intimate ceremony with just the two of you.

While planning a large wedding is the dream of many brides, there are some couples that prefer getting married without all the fuss and bother. Eloping offers an alternative to the traditional formal wedding and a way to begin enjoying the honeymoon without the need to stress over the planning details.

We’ll help you make it an even more memorable experience J

OUR PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• 2 nights accommodation in a Premier Cabin
• Sparkling wine and hand dipped Valhrona chocolates upon arrival
• Elegant bouquet of flowers for the bridge
• Marriage commissioner to officiate your special day
• One romantic three course dinner for 2
• Packages start at $910 per couple  plus applicable taxes

To contact the Cathedral Mountain Reservations team, call 1.866.619.6442 or visit our Special Offers page for more info.

Our team of celebrated chefs and their passion for high quality cuisine has led us to become a multi-award winning kitchen and one of the best small restaurants in the country.

Enjoy some mouth-watering delights at the Cathedral Mountain Lodge Dining Room along with spectacular views!

Our belief in supporting local farms and small suppliers influence our menu which showcases fresh local and certified organic ingredients including fruit, vegetables, fish, and meat as well as Canada’s finest wine selection. Guests will enjoy dining in the comfort of a large stone fireplace and elegant Rocky Mountain interior while taking in awe-inspiring views of the glacial-fed Kicking Horse River.

There's nothing like a tasty glass of wine after a long day in the great outdoors!

James Holmes, 35,the Executive Chef at our lodge, is one of Canada’s most passionate young chefs and is rising quickly within the culinary world.

Chef James believes in supporting local farms whether it is game, cattle or produce. Guest can relate and feel comfortable about what they’re eating. Fresh water fish are high priority, drawn from Canadian lakes. He only uses central prairies and western Canadian game. Certified Organic vegetables and fruit when is season are used daily on the menu.

Chef James uses the finest ingredients including local, organically grown vegetables and Central Prairie and Western Canadian game for Cathedral Mountain Lodge guests.

“I believe putting money back into the pockets of local farmers and small suppliers, knowing who’s making or producing your food makes a huge impact on the final product”.

So come savour his mouth-watering Maple whiskey and vanilla apple butter seared Scallops, or tantalize your senses with a scrumptious Duck Confit “shepherds pie” and finish your evening with a succulent chocolate pate crested with Vanilla salt, accompanied with lavish Bing Cherry white chocolate gelato.

You can check out our full menu here.  See you soon!

Nestled in stunning mountain ranges Canmore is just outside of Banff and is a town filled with real locals – people who live year round and raise families. Besides the stunning scenery including the famous Three Sister mountains, the world class Nordic centre, and best brewery in the Rocky Mountains I love Canmore for being able to experience the Rockies without being trapped in a tourist town.   

One of the most unique way to explore the Rocky Mountains is to go inside of one. Just outside of the town stands Grotto Mountain, holding what’s called Rat’s Nest Cave (I promise it’s not overfilling with rats!).   

I don’t see any rats in here…

While repelling down into the chilly 5C caves you discover an inside view of how the mountains were forms, the effects glaciers have on the land, and how animals use the caves.  

Who would want to live here...

If you’re at all claustrophobic be careful when they take you through the laundry chute – you have to go head first!  

Ahh! So much fun!

Check out Canmore Caverns for information about the different types of tours they offer or talk to the Adventure Specialist.  

See the rest of the ABC’s in the Rockies series:  

A  

B

Native to the Rocky Mountains, these ferocious looking creatures are fairly common in Yoho National Park.  

Rawr!

Before I dive into fun facts about these awe-inspiring giants please be aware that although rare, defensive attacks on humans can happen if you startle them. Bears try hard to avoid humans, so please learn some bear etiquette through Parks Canada’s tips  

Bears are lazy!

 We’ve all imagined the scenario of a bear chasing us through the woods, nipping at our backpacks that we filled with smoked salmon. The thing is… bears aren’t going to chase you unless absolutely necessary. In fact, there is a lot of work they would rather avoid:  

Like us, they just want to lounge around

Shelters

Black bears use existing structures, such a hollow trees, depressions, under logs, caves and rock crevices to make their dens. Grizzlies on the other hand will spend hours digging their dens building muscle as they go, giving them that large hump on their back.   

Both bears hibernate in the cold winter months when food is scarce purely because they become tired and lethargic. During this time bears do not enter true hibernation because they can wake up. Instead they feel lazy and spend most of their time napping, similar to the average teenager. Unlike the average teenager, bears keep their dens very clean!  

Meals

Bears are 75% vegetarians. When they decide to munch on some tasty meat it is most likely already dead. They are too lazy and slow to kill their own feed. I mean, wouldn’t you rather go to McDonalds than kill your own food?  

Humans

Rather than have to face confrontation bears would rather just continue minding their own business. In fact… 

Splash!

As some staff members at our sister property Moraine Lake Lodge will tell you Bears are great swimmers! One summer a grizzly climbed the famous rockpile, caught the eye of tourists and felt trapped so she climbed into the freezing cold waters and swam across the lake just to avoid us!  

Both grizzly bears and black bears roam the trails; can you spot the difference?  

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Check out the previous ABC of the Rockies: A

A – Adventure Specialist

My role at Cathedral Mountain Lodge is to have the inside scoop on the best hikes, wildlife viewing, sights, cultural experiences and actitivities in the area. I am taking the opporunity to steal the ‘A’ in this series of blog posts to brag about this dream job!

Last summer I had the time of my life conquering mountains, lakes, rapids, caves, horses and of course the occasional beer. Not only have I done almost every tourist option available to me I have also found the best trails that only locals know about. Here’s a peek at the advice I would offer a guest at Cathedral Mountain Lodge that wants to hike off the beaten path:

Tower of Babel

The discoverer or Moraine Lake, Walter Wilcox, named this towering spire after the biblical Tower of Babel that reached to the heavens (even though this is far from the highest peak in the area). 

The Tower of Babel on the far left overlooks Moraine Lake

This hike isn’t for everyone, it’s an hour of two of going straight up loose scree but it ends with an amazing payoff for the amount of time you spend hiking.

Climbing down the tower

You end up on top of the towering spire with amazing views of Moraine Lake, Consolation Lakes and Mount Temple. The best part is being able to enjoy these views in the living room; over the years people have built a couch, chairs, TV and table with rocks. 

Lounging in the living room at the top

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It’s my job to keep exploring the Rockies so I can give you the best advice to enrue you don’t miss out the perfect opporutnity during your visit! Drop me an email at adventure@cathedralmountain.com if you have any questions.

Do you have any great “local’s” trails I should embark on this summer?