Kootenay National Park

After a bit of a lie in we decide to do a ‘proper’ walk which involves retracing our steps about 70km back up the park - distance and time are blurred in Canada!

We stop for a warm-up walk to the quaintly named “Paint Pots Lakes”. Hmmm. Really a couple of ponds with an interesting colour hue somewhere between teal and leaf green. But the short trail was beside a beautiful light teal rushing river then through ochre mud and a short  climb up a wooded valley. On the way back some prints in the mud were seen - possibly bear? Who knows! Then a little picnic beside that river again readies us for the next trail.

Stanley Glacier trail. Majestic vertical wall mountain on one side, high peaks on the other. Dense but fire damaged forest and a winding trail going ever upwards. Waterfall sounds ringing in your ears followed by the silence of the forest. This is a long walk and Alex does so well. He is rewarded with a gorgeous mountain stream to refill our bottles (using a clever water bottle with a filter) and perhaps to catch his breath.

Ever upwards and out of the tree line we go. The reward - beautiful views of the waterfall coming off the glacier. The towering wall of the mountain. The trees stretching out below and across the valley to more impressive peaks.

The ground squirrels appear hoping for scraps (don’t feed them - it makes them dependent on humans!) and then some movement across the scree of the moraine. What is it? What are they!? Research afterwards with park rangers suggests Wolverines - a very rare sight indeed.

Back to Wendy, tired but elated after the walk and then a bonus, big horned sheep spotted as we enter the campsite. We've walked nearly 10 m all in and so proud of bean! Spaghetti bolognese, hammock time and then sound sleep zzzzz!

A late rise followed by bacon and sausages restores our energy. The forecast was poor but actually gorgeous sunshine is lancing through the trees. So a short ish hike to the thermal springs ensues.

Radium hot springs has a natural hot spring - naturally! The water temperature is blood hot and just eases all the aches of yesterday away. Relaxing in hot water in the hot sunshine we heed the advice to only stay in the water for 10 mins at a time and after an hour haul our pink and relaxed bodies out of the springs. It is a bit odd being in a hot water open air swimming pool with heavy trucks and RVs passing by about 100 feet away - that’s the Rockies for you.

We walk back alongside the road to view the canyon into Radium Hot Springs (not Radiator Springs for you ‘ Cars’ fans) and slake our thirst with slushie and ice cream drinks. Walking back to the campsite and climbing the steps gives us another encounter with big horned sheep. Luckily we move pitches and get the chance for a campfire - Alex is a pyromaniac after all. Fajitas and S’mores finish off the day with a thunderstorm threatening around the mountains.

Fathers Day dawns with overnight storms persisting into the morning. I get cards from Alex and Zara accompanied with a bear bracelet and some fudge - excellent and I love them so much.

Still feeling somewhat tired we head to Invermere on Lake Windermere (we are still in the Rockies, not the Lake District!) for a gentle Sunday potter around. In reality it was to find a bear (Edit from Zara here: they were actually bighorn sheep Dad!) necklace the girls had seen on a park ranger the previous day! Success for the ladies and Alex has one as well.  Invermere is a lovely art place so we linger and head to the lake.

(Dad with a Moose arse circa 2023, oil on canvas)

And beside the lake is … a good distillery under a pub, heaven. The purple gin is purchased (after the tasting, naturally) and then into the pub for a Fathers Day meal and flight of local beers. We watch the Osprey nest from the pub but no occupants seen.

Em and Zara got a flight of Tea themed cocktails using the products from the distillery below where we had dinner!

Back at the camp site the poor weather persists and one of those great things happen. There is a covered communal area with two log burning stoves nearby. A Chinese family are using one for cooking so we light the other for some warmth. And the place becomes a magnet for a multi-cultural occasion. Emma does some stone painting with an Indian lady, the Chinese /Korean family offer their food out, a Sikh grandfather keeps the fires blazing brightly, tea is made and drunk and a little gin shared. The children play with lazer guns and Lego and everybody is smiling with the Sikh grandad chatting up a Chinese grandmother in sign language - brilliant end to being in Kootenay National Park!

Guy