Good garb is ice on the cake

							4                                                                                          edmontonsun.canoe.ca                               EDMONTON SUN   CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2008




   Good garb is
 ice on the cake
       BARB MARTOWSKI                The Columbia Icefield and       offers a number of other win-
          Sun Media               both the Cline and Wilson gla-     ter tours, including heli-skiing.
                                  ciers are the company’s favou-     And if your outdoor enthusiast
   Season’s lift passes are a     rite spots to play.                prefers summer over winter,
great gift for anybody who           The company offers scenic       there are a number of sum-
loves to snowboard or ski, but    fly-by tours with a lunch land-     mer alternatives that take you
what happens if you have a        ing, but if there is anybody       into these same places.
snow enthusiast who doesn’t?      on your list who is an adven-         For more information and
   For those of us who spend      turer or explorer at heart, the    to get your gift packaged up,
our winters on the slopes, it’s   specialty tours are the perfect    visit www.www.icefieldheli.
hard to believe, but there are    answer.                            com or call 1-888-844-3514 or
plenty of outdoorsey folks           A heli-snowshoe trip takes      1-866-844-4484.
who love playing in the snow      you into the Cline Valley,            Another great option for
– they just don’t point them-     where you land at a water-         those who like to play in the                                                                                       ICEFIELD HELICOPTER TOURS
selves downhill.                  fall to begin your snowshoe        snow is great clothing that is      Icefield Helicopter Tours operates both summer and winter tours. Here a group of clients enjoy
   Consider giving them a heli-   tour. How long you go – one        going to keep them warm and         a gourmet lunch while taking a break from their hike through Cline Canyon.
snowshoe trip or a canyon ice     to three hours – is up to you.     toasty.
walk to an area not accessi-      A gourmet lunch is included,          Whether it’s outerwear,          keep in mind: rust-proof hard-     great option.                      put a damper on a glorious
ble by vehicle. Would that not    along with maybe some wild-        gloves or boots, there are three    ware, removable linings that          Ultimately, whatever mate-      sun-filled day in the snow.
make them smile Christmas         life sightings (you’ll defi-       things to look for: breathabil-     have been treated with some        rial you chose, make sure it          My best advice – shop at a
morning?                          nitely see their tracks) and, of   ity, water/wind proofing and        sort of anti-microbial treat-      provides warmth and has the        retailer who specializes in out-
   Icefield Helicopter Tours,     course, a scenic flight back.       insulation. Materials such          ment and solid grip outsoles.      ability to wick away moisture.     door gear and clothing. You
an Alberta-based company             Have you ever seen a fro-       as Gore-Tex or other water-            One of the things I always         And let’s not forget the nog-   can be sure the staff is well-
offers year-round helicopter      zen waterfall? Then another        repellent material, Thinsulate      check out first is the temper-     gin; just make sure that the       versed in the product they are
tours into some of Alberta’s      winter trip worth taking is        or goose down (personal pref-       ature rating of a product. As      hat or toque you select covers     selling.
most beautiful backcountry in     the Cline Gallery Canyon Ice       erences here) and a moisture-       a life-long Albertan, I have       the ears.                             Some good choices here in
Banff National Park and Jas-      Walk.                              wicking inner lining are what       yet to experience one of these        Again, I can’t say it enough    Edmonton include: Camp-
per National Park.                   The walk, which is four kilo-   you should be looking for.          so-called -40C days that I’ve      – look for solid stitching with    ers Village, Moutain Equip-
                                  metres long, takes you down           Stitching should be taped        heard a few people mention,        materials that are breathable      ment Co op, Totem Outfitters
                                  onto the frozen creek bed of       and other features such as          but it’s roughly around the rat-   and water/wind resistant. Not      and Wholesale Sports. If it’s
                                  the Cline Canyon floor. It is      shockcord hems or drawcord          ing I would go with first.          being a fan of rabbit fur (or      ski and snowboard gear you
                                  from this vantage point, espe-     closures are a must.                   When it comes to under-         any other fur) lining, my per-     are after, consider Sundance
                                  cially on a sunny day, that you       As for boots, long gone are      wear and base layers, there        sonal suggestion would be          Ski Shop, Fritz Ski Haus, Pace-
                                  see the artistic side of Mother    the days of spending agoniz-        are people who won’t wear          fleece or merino wool – just       setter Sports, Track ’n Trail or
                                  Nature – breathtaking sculp-       ing hours breaking in a good        anything but pure silk next to     make sure the banding is soft.     Skier’s Sportshop.
                                  tures created in ice that reflect   pair of boots. Many are sold        their skin. Alternately, super-    There is nothing worse than
                                  and refract the sun’s rays.        with molded footbeds, but           fine merino wool is another        itchy material; it can seriously      barb.martowski@sunmedia.ca
                                     Icefield Helicopter Tours       there are a few other things to




Light, warm and non-restrictive are the call words for outdoor enthusiasts, including MEC’s
new men’s Fusion soft shell pants (left), 575 fill-power duck down Tremblant Vest (centre) and
the high-performance soft shell Fusion Hoodie.