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Cranbrook
Airport
There
where the mighty mountains bare
Their fangs unto the moon.
There where the sullen sundogs glare
In the snow-bright, bitter noon.
And the glacier-glutted streams sweep down
At the clarion call of June.
Robert
W. Service
Our
Great Drive to Hot Springs
Heaven
by
Jerry W. Bird
 The
eternal icefields wear a "necklace of thermal
springs", fed from water trapped in fissures and
caverns deep in the roots of the Rockies. Raging
rivers, glutted by the seasonal runoff, churn and
boil like some concoction from a giant soda
fountain. Oh the joys of steamy, bubbly-hot,
sulfur-scented waters; Solus Par Aqua (health by
water) to the Romans; a sacred rite to Canada's
native peoples, and Shangri-La to we hot springs
fanatics. Speaking of natural spas, the Kootenays
have them in spades; Ainsworth, Halycon, Nakusp,
Ram Creek and Wild Horse. Many of these natural
spas along the Columbia Valley and Continental
Divide are so enticing, you'll want to stop the car
right there and take the plunge. Poem by Robert
W. Service.
East
Kootenays and Columbia
Valley to Golden, Banff and Jasper. :
You
can relax at one of the local hot spring resort
locations, such as Fairmont Hot Springs, which has
four pools with an average temperature of 40
degrees Celsius or Radium Hot Springs, with two
springs averaging 35 degrees, both north of
Cranbrook on Highway 95. Nearby and hottest of all
is Lussier Hot Springs near Canal Flats, whose
waters hit a healthy 44 degrees.
.Map of river
and area below shows access via airports and
highways..
Click
for map
C ranbrook
(See
latest Airport
Plan)
The hub city of British Columbia's East Kootenays
is Cranbrook, located in a mountainous region where
ranges and valleys run north to south. This
geographic event affects the course of rivers and
human development. The city has been a major rail
center since the opening of the Crow's Nest pass,
and is home of the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel.
Cranbrook is
the largest community in the southeast corner of
the province and acts as a major service center for
the region. The city is close to several skiing
areas. In summer, those opportunities turn to
hiking, fishing, climbing and camping as the
surrounding mountains provide all the wilderness
and scenic beauty imaginable. Its primary
industries include forestry and mining.
Cranbrook
Airport is
the gateway to the East Kootenay tourist region and
is served by both Canadian Regional Airlines and
AirBC, with daily scheduled flights to Kamloops,
Vancouver and Calgary. The airport also houses
Horizon Air, offering charter services and flight
training and Mountain High Helicopters, providing
charter services for both business and pleasure
travellers. Though less than 30 years old, the
airport is nevertheless an essential part of the
community, responsible for generating around $40
million for the regional economy annually and
sustaining several hundred jobs. One of the regions
latest preoccupation is in the area of golf course
development. There are now ten 18-hole and a
variety of 9-hole courses with an average distance
between them of only 35 k, so several can be played
in a few days. Destinations to note are Kimberley,
Radium and Fairmont Hot Springs, each of which has
two courses as well as awe-inspiring
scenery.
A
Rocky Mountain
High
A city of some 18.000 friendly people, Cranbrook is
the largest community in the southeast corner of
the province and acts as a major service centre for
the region. Its own primary industries include
forestry and mining while the region boasts a
healthy tourism industry. Cranbrook is located in a
picturesque, mountainous region where ranges and
valleys run north and south, guiding the course of
rivers and human development. In summer, golf,
hiking, fishing, hunting and climbing are popular
pursuits while, in winter, skiing in the
surrounding mountains provide panoramic vistas and
challenging runs.
Those interested
in historical sights will enjoy the award-winning
Canadian Museum of Rail Travel and the turn of the
century Fort Steele Heritage Town, a "living
history" town where over 60 homes and buildings
have been restored or reconstructed to evoke the
turn of the century. Then there's Kimberley, north
of Cranbrook on Highway 95A, where you could
imagine yourself in Bavaria. Outdoor oompah bands
play in "Der Platzl"- the central square- where you
can also hear the sounds of the world's largest
cuckoo clock.
Fort
Steele
 Sam
Steele of the Scarlet and Gold was a family icon.
His saga of heroism and grit prompted my father,
Don Bird, to leave his Seattle home, enlist in the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police and seek a Klondike
posting. Shortly after arriving in Dawson City, a
local beauty crossed Dad's path, and the rest is
history. While Commander Steele roved the entire
west during a long and legendary career, his name
remains at an historic site, near Cranbrook. An
1860s vintage mining town in the East Kootenays,
Fort Steele tops any movie set for authenticity.
Behind its walls is a steam railway, a working
blacksmith shop, heritage homes, hotels, a
newspaper and police barracks. Actors at The
Wildhorse Theater and Music Hall relive the glory
days when mining was a big time operation. When the
CPR went South -- so did the town's fortunes.
Kimberley:
Cuckoos, Gingerbread and
Lederhosen:
Ach der leiber! -- did you know that Kimberley is
known as Little Bavaria, and is Canada's highest
city. Small wonder -- you can get high just
breathing the air! With ski runs almost on the main
drag, we found ample apres ski time to quaff frosty
steins of German lager, gnosh on schnitzel, and
sing along to an oom-pah-pah band. On the Platzl,
accordionists stroll, midst a scene of gingerbread,
gushing fountains, sidewalk cafes and footbridges.
Happy Hans, who dwells inside the world's largest
cuckoo clock, pops out to yodel on cue. Stop and
smell the flowers at Cominco Gardens, or hop aboard
the Bavarian Mining Railway.
The
Spirit Trail:
Four mineral pools tumble down the hillside into
the Lussier river at Whiteswan Hot Springs, near a
lake of the same name. Many First Nations people
made pilgrimages to these sacred waters via the
Spirit Trail. At Canal Flats, your map shows two
mighty rivers flowing side-by-side. Great lovers in
Indian folklore, the Columbia and Kootenay Rivers
were pledged to remain apart until completing their
separate journeys.
To the K'tunaxa
peoples, Columbia Lake's shores were a Garden of
Eden, where the Creator placed his first people.
Today, it's the site of Fairmont Hot Springs, which
boasts Canada's largest natural hot pools, a lodge,
and two golf courses. The original native bath
house is open to visitors at no charge. Beyond
Invermere and Lake Windermere, the road forks;
route 95 heading north via The Bugaboos (of
Heli-skiing fame) to Golden and Yoho National Park;
route 93 becomes Banff-Windermere
Parkway
Kootemik-Radium
Hot Springs
Imagine if
you can -- two million litres of hot, mineral-rich
water gushing from the ground each day. That's a
lot of Perrier! With healing powers reputed to
relieve arthritis and a list of ailments as long as
one's arm, a wily Medicine Man could have made a
fortune selling it by the bottle. Known as Kootemik
to local Indians, whose legend of Nipika traces
their origin, the springs were popularized in the
1890s. At Radium's Aquacourt, you can soak
year-round in the steamy, odorless mineral water,
or swim in two outdoor pools. The Lodge has an
18-hole golf course, campgrounds and
shuttle-bus.
Of
Marble and Paint Pots
According
to experts, Kootenay National Park is an
ancient ocean floor. Over 70 million years ago, so
they say, it was compressed, folded like a gigantic
pretzel, and sculpted into what we call the Rocky
Mountains. In 1920, Ottawa bigwigs dedicated the
park in a move to preserve the canyon's mineral
springs, and protect waterfalls along the highway.
Landmarks on the Banff-Windermere Parkway include
Sinclair and Marble Canyons, Vermilion Pass and the
Fireweed Trail. Heard about The Paint Pots? Would
you believe they're ponds of red, yellow and
orange, just like a kiddies' coloring set? The pots
are fed by oxide-bearing streams, and there's an
endless supply. For ages untold, Indians mixed
ochre from this site with fish oil or animal fat to
decorate rocks, teepees -- and each other. Near
Vermilion Pass, the Alberta- BC. boundary marks the
summit of the Continental Divide; rivers east of
here drain to the Arctic Ocean or to far off
Hudson's Bay; waters to the west flow to the
Pacific.
Banff
to Jasper on the Icefields Parkway
Banff
Park's Castles and Caves
Imagine
spending twelve festive days of Christmas in a
fairyland castle! Truly unforgettable, when it's
the Banff Springs Hotel. During many memorable
stays, l learned of the hotel's hey day from band
leader Louis Trono, who was on a first name basis
with the Hollywood greats. As a return to elegance,
the hotel offers a new $12 million health spa, with
cascading waterfalls, mineral whirlpools and
Turkish baths. The Banff Springs is an Epicurean's
delight and a golfer's challenge. The first
tee-off, from high above the Bow River to its far
shore, still gives me goose pimples.
Upper
Hot Springs
After
skiing Mount Norquay, hiking Sundance Canyon, or
fishing Lake Minnewanka, Sulphur Mountain's Upper
Hot Springs is a Banff ritual -- hot plunge, icy
shower, steam bath, blanket-wrap and massage. Loose
as a noodle and ready to devour an ox -- is how one
usually feels after that routine. A gondola nearby
will whisk you to the summit for a sweeping view of
the valley. Sundance Canyon Trail leads to The Cave
and Basin National Historic Site, where like
honeymooners for generations past, we gazed through
a telescope at surrounding peaks. Clad in
Rundle-stone, like most Banff buildings, this site
contains displays, a theater, and tours into the
misty grotto, with its emerald pools, and warm
sulfur water dripping down the cavern walls.
Priceless Indian relics at nearby Luxton Museum are
well worth seeing.
The
Teahouse of Lake Louise
If you
really want to seize the moment, rent a canoe, or
pedal your way to Bow Falls, Tunnel Mountain, or
101 equally delightful places. Heading north west
from Banff, one can cruise the Trans Canada via
Sunshine Village to Lake Louise in a breeze. For a
change of pace, however, take the old road (Hwy 1A)
along the north bank of the Bow River via Johnston
Canyon, with its ink pots and nature walks. Chateau
Lake Louise is a jewel in an exquisite crown. Talk
of beauty and serenity! -- when one's creative
spark needs rekindling, the Chateau is my choice.
You can paddle a canoe in a scene right out of
Hiawatha, or take the alpine trail to a Tea House
for granola cakes and wild berry tea. The azure
lake far below gets even smaller, as you climb the
corkscrew path. Breathe deeply folks -- it gets to
be a challenge near the top. Guess who was left
standing still by a German couple in their mid
80s?
Jasper
Sunwapta Safari
Louise is
a hard gal to say good-bye to -- but not to worry
-- there's more beauty ahead. The Ice fields
Parkway ranks among the world's great highroads,
with glaciers standing like 100 icy sentinels.
Jasper National Park begins at The Columbia Ice
fields, a marvel of nature with the largest mass of
ice in the Rockies. A fleet of Snow coaches
traverse the Athabaska glacier, looking from a
distance like ants on a giant vanilla marshmallow
sundae. This seventh wonder is part of a formation
that blanketed Canada for a million years. The
highway follows the Sunwapta River, joining its
cousin the Athabaska at Sunwapta Falls. The hottest
water on the entire drive (54°C) is at Miette
Hot Springs, near Jasper Lake and Punchbowl Falls.
Don't worry, it's cooled to a comfortable 39°
in the swimming pool.
Air
connections
Take the
Air Highway to Cranbrook or Calgary Airport, then
rent a car for this journey to Hot Springs Heaven.
You can do it in high style, at any of the resorts
I've mentioned, or rough it with a pup tent,
Coleman stove and eiderdown. Glancing at a map,
you'll spot many glaciers, mineral spas and place
names we haven't had space to mention. All I can
say is -- "don't miss this Great Canadian
experience, with its hot springs and freezing
glaciers."
...More
in our Adventure
Roads
series.
...The
Yellowhead Highway.
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