Radium Hot Springs is a quiet town at the entrance to Kootenay National Park in the Canadian Rockies. If you think of the sleepy little town of Radiator Springs from the movie Cars, but without the cars, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what it’s like. It is named after a naturally radioactive hot spring that was very popular for its alleged healing properties back in the days before we fully understood radiation. Fortunately, the radiation levels in the water are really quite low, and the water today is deemed safe for bathing and swimming.
For our first two nights of camping during the trip, we stayed at the Redstreak Campground at the entrance to Kootenay National Park. The big draw of this campground is that you can take a “short hike” to the hot springs. According to the map we were given at check-in the trail was about a half-mile one way. It failed to mention that the half-mile includes a climb to the canyon rim and then decent back down to the springs – it was a great opportunity to get those muscles warmed up and ready for a good soak!
The springs themselves have changed dramatically over the years. What started out as a creek=side tent and a pool lined with rocks back in 1900 is today a modern resort-style spa. The “hot springs” is basically a large swimming pool with very, very warm water. The modernization was helped, in part, when a tanker truck of gasoline ran off the road in the canyon just above the springs, sending a “river of fire” downstream incinerating the old lodge and pretty much anything that would burn.
Today, in addition to soaking in the warm waters, the other main attraction is the herd of Dall Sheep that climb the walls of the box canyon surrounding the springs. Dall Sheep look like Big Horn Sheep, but apparently are different in ways I don’t fully understand. The local herd seemingly likes to clamber and slide up and down the nearly vertical canyon walls to get a good look at all the silver-haired humans simmering in the giant pool of hot water. I’m certain they find it very entertaining. “Look maaaaaam! Did you see the big one pass out from overheating and fall back in the water? That looked like a baaaaaad fall.” I’m not certain what sheep laughter sounds like, but I’m pretty sure we herd it. (Bad pun intended.)
The return hike was even more challenging as our leg muscles seemed to have been turned to rubber by the hot soak (or possibly radiation poisoning.) Other than some light rain, our first couple of nights camping in Canada were wonderful. The sun still set at night. The only camp visitors were sheep. We had yet to encounter mosquitoes. We were off to a good start.
Below the Line
The Columbia River
On our way to Radium Hot Springs, we followed the Columbia River to its headwaters at Columbia Lake. In 2019 when we were touring the Pacific Northwest, we drove the Columbia River through the Columbia River Gorge and on to Astoria, Oregon where it meets the Pacific Ocean. It was a fun moment to stumble across the origin of this great river.
Bonus
We got schooled in Lethbridge, which is just south of Calgary. Calgary is pronounced cal-GARY by the locals, not CAL-ga-ry. Apparently, we Americans are always emphasizing the wrong syllables. Apologies to the kind people of CalGARY.
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