Hot on the Trail of Mineral Springs
by Jim Couper
On the first day of our vacation the sky clouded over, rain
pummelled the dry earth and the temperature dropped into the
low teens.
I couldn’t have been happier.
The previous week of mid-30s temperatures and blue skies
had me worried.
Now the weather was perfect.
Perfect for what? Spelunking, wandering the mall, watching a
movie?
No, it was ideal for soaking in the hot springs that dot the
interior of B.C like exotic islands on a tropical sea. Spring and
autumn are the preferred seasons for soaking in the mineral waters.
Lazing in 40°C pools while the summer sun, just a few degrees cooler, blazes down, is somewhat short of refreshing. The cool wet weather was ideal.
Hot springs are found in such popular Alberta centres as Jasper and Banff but it is British Columbia that has a near-monopoly on these Meccan centres of massage and therapeutic bathing.
B.C.’s outdoor spas are clustered in and around the Kootenays, about 700 kilometres from the Pacific, and just outside the Alberta border. Most of the populated areas of the westernmost province are within a few hours’ drive of a hot spring. Thermal bathing is found on Vancouver Island and as far north as Liard near the Yukon border.
In the south-east about a dozen hot springs are within a radius of 60 kilometres. That’s as the crow flies. As the car drives, twisting mountain terrain makes these springs as far apart as 130 kilometres.
The mineral water that bubbles up from deep within the Earth emerges at the surface at close to 50 º C. For public bathing it is cooled and channelled into large pools. Nearly all spas feature at least two pools that are designated hot and warm. The bigger resorts offer additional services such as massage, body wrap, hot rock treatments, aromatherapy and various other body manipulations.
Aficionados of the springs are informed about the mineral content of the water and have favourites that are chosen for the amount of the mineral that works best for what ails them. Some waters are rich in zinc, radium and lithium while others accentuate sodium and calcium. An analysis of the mineral content of the water, if not proudly displayed, is available for the asking. If nothing ails you then the reputed healing qualities of the water will have no interest and you can focus on their restorative nature. For the relief of tired muscles or the abatement of the tension of a hectic lifestyle, there are few things that relax like floating in a warm pool – and floating is the main activity since the normal depth, other than in diving areas, is between one and 1.5 metres.
Amazingly, the mineral springs are open year round. A mid-January dip with snow falling on frosted hair, icicles dangling from railings and a cloud of steam rising from the water is an experience not quickly forgotten.
The entry fee for developed springs is about $7 for one visit and $9 for a day pass. The flow of thermal waters is sufficient that pool water normally changes several times a day and every night the pools are drained and refilled. Government regulations usually require a small amount of chlorine be added.
A feature common to the majority of springs is a spectacular view. There are generally at an elevated spot and the vista that awaits the happy soaker is one of lakes, rivers and snow-capped mountains. The springs are mercifully free of insect irritants and in my five-day tour I wasn’t bothered by a single mosquito or wasp. The only pest was the rare biting fly that was easily made flat. The majority of the commercial hot springs have an adjacent campground, which makes walking to the springs a simple matter.
In addition to the developed springs that are easily found close to main highways, B.C. boasts numerous natural hot bathing spots that are off the beaten track. These are not well-marked or signed and access generally involves driving on logging roads and then hiking through the woods. The complex directions are best obtained at local tourist information centres and we won’t deal with them here. But, be forewarned - wilderness springs are generally clothing optional so don’t be surprised by bathers who opt for their natural state.
Anyone touring hot springs country is bound to take a puzzled look at a map, or even drive to the dead end of a major road, and wonder what happens next. The end, at water’s edge, is actually the beginning of the best part of the trip – a free ferry ride. Ferries take all sizes of vehicles across Kootenay Lake and Arrow Lakes on scenic jaunts that tourists are normally prepared to pay for. One such
trip, from Balfour to Kootenay Bay, is rated as the world’s longest
free boat ride and takes about 45
minutes.
Nakusp Hot Springs is 12 kilometres from the pretty town of the
same name which sits on the edge of Upper Arrow Lake and is a
minor vacation centre. The drive from the town to the springs, on new
blacktop, epitomizes the B.C. wilderness experience. The
lightly-travelled road follows the Kuskanax Creek with white billowing
rapids to the right and thundering waterfalls to the left. Beyond the
towering spires of pine and spruce, snow-capped peaks pierce the
normally-blue summer skies. Toss in some deer at the side of the
road, wild turkeys and the occasional black bear and this is what
motoring in B.C. is all about. In fact, a tour of the springs can serve as
an excuse to get out on the byways that are obsequient to the natural
terrain and do not push it aside as do toll roads and divided highways.
The 16 metre-diameter pool at Nakusp Hot Springs is divided into a
large warm area and a smaller hot section. The water, which has high sulphur
content (but no smell) is piped in from its source, 1.5 kilometres distant. One of the joys of visiting Nakusp is hiking to this source. This involves crossing a pedestrian suspension bridge slung over the racing river, passing steaming pools of scaldingly hot spring water and feeling the spray of a pounding series of impressive waterfalls. An RV park which accommodates all sizes of rigs is beside the spa and the sound of rushing river water is a great sleep inducer.
On Highway 23, 32 kilometres north of Nakusp, Halcyon Hot Springs provides four pretty, but small, pools that are typical of the commercial spa layout. There is a hot pool at 40 º C., a warm 38 º C. pool, a swimming pool at 30 º C. and a cold plunge pool of 10 º C. The only thing missing is a diving board to keep kids amused.
Ainsworth Hot Springs is east of Nakusp and the two are joined by highways 6, 31A and 31: the former two are writhing mountain roads with dazzling scenery that dares you to take your eyes of the road. Let the navigator tell you all about it – or you will be describing, to the ambulance attendant, your 100-metre plunge.
Ainsworth is right on Highway 31 and it offers the most variety of any of the bubbling oases. The most attractive feature is a deep, dark, steamy, U-shaped tunnel called The Cave that burrows towards the source of the hot water. It was dug many decades ago by silver miners who wanted more of the precious hot water. It is steaming-hot (44 ºC.) with mineral water trickling from the stalactited ceiling and cascading from the walls. There are coves where bathers can sit in the dark, observe the entrance and watch energetic swimmers stroke through the shallow waters within the cave. Most visitors are happy to break free into the fresh air after a couple of minutes. This is not a place where the claustrophobic will be happy.
In addition to the cave there is a small hot water pool and a large warm pool. For the intrepid, a cold plunge pool is a screaming delight. It features an icy waterfall of fresh stream water with a temperature that ranges from just above freezing in winter to 11 º C. in summer. There are few sensations as alarming and invigorating as taking the cold plunge and then entering the hot tub and feeling your skin burn like it being etched with acid. The weird sensation quickly changes to severe pins and needles and then fades away.
Next year Ainsworth will have RV parking, but in the meantime there are plenty of campgrounds in the area.
Fairmont Hot Springs vies with Harrison Hot Springs as the destination resort/hot springs champion of the west. Harrison is on a picture-perfect lake about 100 kilometres east of Vancouver, near Hope, and the best bathing is within the confines of the town’s biggest hotel. If you should decide to forsake the trailer or motorhome for a night or two you can opt for a luxurious hotel room with access to five private pools. The bathing alternative is the town’s somewhat drab, public indoor mineral pool.
Fairmont offers golf, lodge, campground, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, biking and skiing along with its hot water experience. It is designed to encourage stays of weeks rather than days. The springs are the centre of activities, but there is more to them than a diving pool (with high and low boards), a hot pool and a huge warm pool where one can swim in lanes when it isn’t crowded. Behind the pools a cold river runs in a deep ravine. Overflow from the constantly changing water in the pools plunges over the ravine’s banks to form a rarity – a hot waterfall. Bathing in the pool below the waterfall is a delight and the 20-metre cascade provides a punishing staccato massage not to be missed.
Each evening at 10 p.m. the hot pools close to the public and a valve is opened to drain the water. This cascades into the ravine over a smooth rocky cliff quadrupling the normal overflow. A dozen determined bathers secure themselves in the rocks and are treated to a warm, pounding massage while a handful of spectators watch.
The facilities at Fairmont include a huge RV park with full hook-ups, drive-through and a connection to the pools via a foot bridge.
Fairmont is the middle of three springs along Highway 93/95. About 50 kilometres south, Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park provides bathing in the Lussier Hot Springs, near the west boundary of the park. The springs flow out of the mountainside and fill a series of green pools at the edge of the icy Lussier River. A trail leads to the undeveloped springs.
Just 35 kilometres north of Fairmont, Radium Hot Springs, at the edge of Kootenay National Park, has two pools, which, unlike other spas, are deep within a rocky recess affording little in the way of scenic views. The pools are spacious and one has a diving board. If you are going to the springs for a day-visit, the purchase of a national park pass is not required.
Located on the Trans-Canada Highway, between Revelstoke and Golden, is Canyon Hot Springs. This two-pool facility, in the midst of an RV park, gives a convenient sampling of the spring experience for anyone cruising the national highway.
For hundreds of years the hot springs spa treatment has been associated with good health and has been called “taking the cure.” Whether a good dousing in hot mineral water promotes, provides or procures good health is up for debate. For certain it is pleasurable and does no harm as long as you follow the posted guidelines for length of stay. The very name Spa comes from a spring in Belgium celebrated for the curative properties of its mineral waters.