Isolated lodge offers cozy retreat in the Rockies

Canada first protected Waterton as a park in 1895. In 1910, it became forever linked to its giant neighbor to the south — Glacier Park is eight times bigger in area — when James Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway in the U.S., decided to make Glacier and Waterton "the playground of the Northwest" with a network of hotels, camps, and chalets targeting wealthy tourists who would travel on his railroad.

His son, Louis Hill, chose a knoll overlooking Waterton as the spot for a new grand hotel, linked on a circuit to three others in Glacier park. The Prince of Wales Inn, resembling a giant alpine chalet, opened in 1927.

It still overlooks the village of Waterton, and staying there is a highlight for many summer visitors. It is closed in winter, and few even venture there because of the fierce and frigid winds that can howl down Upper Waterton Lake. Those that do visit the Prince of Wales can see the thick steel cables that literally keep the huge hotel from blowing away.

At the townsite below, the wind is buffered by trees, and it is calm when we return to the Kilmorey after our adventure on skis. It makes for a pleasant evening stroll through the snow around the shore of the partially iced-over Emerald Bay, listening to the honking of hundreds of Canada geese.

Evening comes early in winter, and the glow from the lodge windows is an invitation. Just off the lobby is a small, cheery pub where we can sit by the fireplace and look out over the snowy wilderness.

As in many old inns, the rooms are each unique and range from cozy to spacious. But all have antique furniture, plump mattresses and thick comforters that invite you to snuggle in and sleep late. The rooms have no televisions, telephones or dataports, and there is no cell phone service; this is not the place for such intrusions.

IF YOU GO ... KILMOREY LODGE Located in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada; Web site or 403-859-2334; The lodge contains 23 guest rooms, two of which are wheelchair-accessible. Winter rates range from $85-$168, the latter for a two-room family suite; summer rates are higher. In winter, the only food service in the village is at the Kilmorey, where dinner entrees in the dining room range from $15-$34. A more casual menu is available in the inn's pub. Getting there: Waterton Lakes National Park is located in the southwest corner of Alberta. From Calgary, Alberta, drive south on Highway 2 to Cardston, then southwest on Highway 5 to Waterton. From Great Falls, Mont., drive north on Interstate 15 and cross the U.S.-Canada border at Sweetgrass. Seven miles north of the border, turn west on Secondary Highway 501 and follow it to Cardston, then follow Highway 5. WATERTON LAKES NATIONAL PARK Web site Source: The Associated Press

Dining at Kilmorey is a treat; a list of Canadian restaurant awards over the last few years fills a half page of the guest directory, and plaques fill a wall in the Lamp Post dining room. The menu and wine list belie the isolation of the small lodge.

This night we opt for an appetizer of black tiger prawns sauteed with maple-infused Canadian whisky and a hint of crushed garlic. For a main course we choose pescatore — scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, calamari, cod and prawns sauteed with garlic, Italian herbs and onion and finished with sauvignon blanc and cream, then tossed with linguine.

Then we head to one of Kilmorey's most pleasant features — the back library, with its comfy armchairs gathered around a wood-burning fireplace. You can choose to take your coffee and dessert here after dinner. But it's always a quiet refuge, the perfect place to curl up with a good book, listen to the crackle of the fire and watch the softly falling snow deepen outside the door.

Perhaps we'll be snowed in. We can always hope.

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