From just beyond the front porch of the Cathedral Mountain Lodge in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park, the hotel’s namesake mountain towers over the narrow valley, a speck of glacier clinging to a small shelf on its massive, sheer face. Just a few steps away, the ice-blue torrent of the Kicking Horse River rumbles.
The property’s 31 log cabins feature wood-burning fireplaces, custom log beds, deep soaking tubs, and large porches, all set among the trees. The lodge is one of the park’s three luxury accommodations, and it seems to be working hard to make up for the fact that it’s not set on Lake O’Hara or Emerald Lake like the other two, where there are plenty of hiking trails and activities that leave practically from your doorstep.
At Cathedral Mountain, guests have access to an outstanding complimentary breakfast with items like gourmet cheese and housemade granola, a daily afternoon tea with brownies and cookies, free canoe rentals at Alberta’s Moraine Lake (which is just 20 minutes away and normally charges a fee), and a complimentary guided hiking program leaving from the lake with advanced reservation. You can also purchase hiker’s lunches for a day in the mountains and s’mores kits to enjoy at a fire pit by the river.
Inside the lodge’s Riverside Dining Room, the property’s rustic elegance continues, with a roaring fireplace and big windows for taking in the scenery outside. The food is excellent, with dishes like pan-seared scallops with a house-smoked bacon marmalade, venison carpaccio, duck confit with gnocchi, charcuterie with housemade chutney, lamb rack with sweet pea risotto, and herb roasted chicken breast stuffed with brie. For dessert, enticing choices include Okanagan apple fritters with warm maple toffee and cinnamon cream, a Meyer lemon pot de crème with blackberry preserve and a chocolate beignet, and a featured dessert “inspired by the season.”
The food here is not mind-bendingly innovative, but every dish is well executed, with every detail attended to. Many of the ingredients are sourced regionally, so the menu varies a bit with the seasons: salads and soups change, as do accompanying vegetables on main dishes. The wine list is similarly crafted, with a flurry of British Columbia wines dominating the red and white selection, along with a handful of international labels.
Along with hiking nearby trails in the national park, visitors can also take part in whitewater rafting, skiing, whitewater rafting, and horseback riding.
The lodge’s 2016 season will run from May to October; accommodations can be booked here.
