Your Ticket to Ride - KOOTENAYS-HOT SPRINGS
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Home PageTourBC 2009, heads out of Creston west and north, through wetlands and along the east side of Kootenay Lake to Crawford Bay ferry. We will cross Kootenay Lake to Balfour and head north on Highway 31 to Woodbury Resort, just north of Ainsworth Hot Springs. From Woodbury, we continue north to Kaslo and then turn west on Highway 31A to New Denver. Our second day finishes going north on Highway 6 into Nakusp.
On Highway 23, we travel north from Nakusp, continuing along the shores of Upper Arrow Lake to Galena Bay. A short ferry ride takes us to the west side of the water and we continue north into Revelstoke. Day 4 will be our most challenging day of the tour, following the railway and Highway 1 out of Revelstoke northeast into Glacier National Park and over Rogers Pass. We will travel through several snow sheds on both side of the Pass and turn south again to arrive in Golden.
Continuing south on Highway 95, we are following the Columbia River once again, through the Columbia Valley into Radium Hot Springs, a popular resort area. Our second last day sees us cycling south on Highway 93/95 before turning east on Highway 95A into Kimberley. The last day of our trip we will take back roads into Cranbrook, and then head southeast on Highway 3/95 almost to the US border before turning east and into Creston to finish our ride.
Day OneSunday, July 19th - Creston to Woodbury Resort (just north of Ainsworth Hot Springs)
Our adventure starts at the geographic centre of the Kootenays in the town of Creston, just 11 km north of the border with the US. Like many other towns in BC, Creston's history stems from the gold rush and the development of trails to get to the gold fields. In this case, the gold was east in the Fort Steele area and the trail which opened the east-west access in this southeastern area of BC was the Dewdney Trail. Previous to the development of the trail, the only access to the area was via water transport.
The first official record of white settlement in this area is 1883 when a customs house was established on the 49th parallel. Previously, the area was home to the Lower Kootenay native band, one of seven bands that make up the Ktunaxa Nation. What the white settlers found was a broad lush valley prone to spring flooding. This rich agricultural area is a wonderful fruit belt, famous for its cherries and peaches.
Our route out of Creston will take us past some of these wetlands as we follow a route along the lower road to Wynndel, famous for its strawberries. Turning north on Highway 3A, we will cycle along the east shore of Kootenay Lake. This is a distinctly rural area with few formal settlements. We will pass by the oddly named Sirdar Pub and General Store and the even odder Glass House in Boswell.
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| Kootenay Lake | Orchard in the Creston Valley |
This unusual roadside attraction was built from over 1/2 a million discarded embalming fluid bottles. In 1952, David Brown retired after 35 years in the funeral business. He felt there should be some practical use for the empty embalming fluid bottles. Traveling western Canada, Mr. Brown collected over 250 tons of empty bottles from his friends in the business and built this unusual house. The house sits on solid rock, is 1200 square feet and has an upstairs room.
The Glass House at Boswell
Gray Creek is the next small community we will encounter on our journey north. This was once a landing and supply centre for steamboats plying Kootenay Lake in the early 19th century. In fact, a sternwheeler, called the City of Ainsworth lies off the shores here. After passing many artisan workshops, we will arrive in Crawford Bay the eastern terminal of hte Kootenay Lake Ferry. This crossing calls itself "The Longest Free Ferry Ride in the world, and it is a 40 min. scenic crossing to Balfour on the lake's west arm. Crawford Bay is named after "white man Jim", a gold miner and prospector who lived in the community.
BC Ferries - Crawford Bay to Balfour
A quote from the locals - "By the way, it's not "Bal Fore", but "BAL fer". Just humour us."
We are almost at our destination for the day. We continue north on Highway 31, passing the world famous Ainsworth Hot Springs. These natural hot springs feature a unique horseshoe-shaped cave where the darkness, the mineral deposits, and the humidity all combine to make this an exhilarating experience. The springs originate in the Cody Caves directly above and to the west of Ainsworth. The caves are old mine tunnels carved out by miners attempting to increase the flow of hot water from the springs. Ainsworth Hot Springs are considered to be the best commercial Hot Springs in BC.
And a scant 5 km further north, we turn into our first night's campground at Woodbury Resort. Situated right on the shores of Kootenay Lake, we will have opportunities to swim, boat, or just hang out.
Woodbury Resort Ainsworth Hot Springs
Day Two
Monday, July 20th - Woodbury Resort to Nakusp (Hot Springs)
Our route on the second day takes us further north on Kootenay Lake through rolling terrain for 16 km until we reach Kaslo. The Village of Kaslo is the oldest incorporated community in the Kootenays and it was a key shipping point for silver ore in the late 1800s. The village also has the distinction of being call BC's prettiest town with wide tree lined streets and elegant victorian era homes along with magnificent lake and mountain views.
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| Historic SS Moyie docked in Kaslo | Kaslo Fire Hall |
From Kaslo, we will turn on Highway 31A to go west to New Denver. This isolated highway travels through the Valley of the Ghosts - old mine sites and towns which have been abandoned. We will pass Retallack, Zincton, Three Forks though you won't realize you have been through these towns, as well as the entrance to the restored town of Sandon. Once we reach the top of the climb, we will roll along through a very scenic area with the river running along the road and the occasional lake and lots of abandoned mine shafts. We have an exhilarating descent into New Denver.
New Denver is a very scenic village situated on the Slocan River and surrounded by mountains. As with all other towns in this area, the silver mining and transportation is a big part of its background but New Denver also became an internment camp for Japanese-Canadians during WWII. While men were sent to labour camps in eastern Canada, women, children and elderly men were sent to New Denver where they lived in small shacks. A memorial, the Nikkei Internment Memorial has been erected to acknowledge this shameful period of history.
Nikkei Internment Memorial
From New Denver, we head north again on Highway 6 leaving Slocan Lake and going over the hill to the next valley to the Arrow Lakes. We will pass Rosebery which used to be the northern mooring of the Slocan Lake railway barge but now supports a large log yard. Summit Lake will be the end of our climb and we will head down into Nakusp at the foot of the Selkirk Mountains, on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake. Ringed by mountains - the Selkirks to the east, the Valhallas to the south and the Monashees to the west, Nakusp is not only famous for its beautiful setting but also its Hot Springs and lake front promenade. The town was first established during the mining boom and the railway was completed in the late 1800s. Paddle steamers operated on the lakes until the early 1950s carrying timber, produce, and passengers. Nakusp is located at the junction of Highway 23 and Highway 6.
Tuesday, July 21st - Nakusp to Revelstoke
Highway 23 will take us north to the ferry terminal at Galena Bay. All along this route there are numerous undeveloped hot springs up almost every gravel road. We will not encounter any settlements and not much traffic, but we will like see some interesting wildlife along this route. After we cross over Upper Arrow Lake on the ferry to Shelter Bay and continue along Highway 23 into Revelstoke. Be on the lookout for wildlife. With no significant settlements and very little traffic, we are likely to encounter deer and perhaps even a black bear. Once we enter into Revelstoke, we will cross the Columbia River on a small one way bridge to find our way into town and our campground. Revelstoke is known for its backcountry heli- and cat-skiing and is called the capital of the Canadian Alps. It is situated next to Mt. Revelstoke National Park and Glacier National Park.
Wednesday, July 22nd - Revelstoke to Golden
This day is our longest, our hardest, our busiest, so it is a good thing that we have had 3 days to prepare for this challenging ride. Leaving Revelstoke, we will head east on Highway 1 and ascend Rogers Pass, the crowning glory of the Trans-Canada highway and one of the great mountain crossings in the province. We will encounter several snow sheds, many of them quite long. For this reason, I am requiring a flashing rear red light. The snow sheds are open on the south side, but can still be quite dark. The actual Pass was first used by the railway in 1885 and was a hard-sought and forbidding route through the Selkirk Mountains. Road construction through the pass was completed in 1962, the last step in completing a road from coast to coast.At the summit, we will stop for lunch and there is an interesting interpretive centre to visit. This will give you time to recover and prepare yourself for the fabulous descent on the other side, practically all the way into Golden.
Glacier National Park Rogers Pass
Bracketed by Glacier National Park on the West and Yoho National park to the east, Golden is right in the heart of some of the most pristine wilderness to be found in the Canadian Rockies. Wildlife viewing, birdwatching, fishing, mountain biking, skiing - these are all reasons that Golden is truly a Golden City.
Located at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and the Columbia Rivers, and the junction of Highway 1 and Highway 95, Golden is a transportation hub as well as a key recreation area in the province. Our campground is located right on the Kicking Horse River.
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Pedestrian Bridge on Kicking Horse River
Day 5
Thursday, July 23rd - Golden to Radium Hot Springs
On Day 5, we will head south out of Golden on Highway 95. No big passes today, just rolling countryside as we follow the Columbia River and its wetland through the Columbia Valley all the way into Radium Hot Springs. The Columbia Valley incorporates the region of the BC Rockies from Golden to Cranbrook and contains the longest continuous wetlands remaining on the continent. These lush wetlands provide fertile wintering ground for elk, deer, moose and many other creatures and spans 180 km.
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Wetlands near Radium Hot Springs Radium Hot Springs
Radium Hot Springs is located within the boundaries of Kootenay National Park which has the same mountain peaks and glaciers as the more famous Banff National Park. People come from all over the world to soak in the hot springs which are reckoned to be the finest in the world. And in addition to the hot springs, wildlife viewing is a popular activity. Big Horn sheep and deer are treasured residents of Radium.
Used by the native Indians, the local hot springs were first discovered in the mid-1840s. Settlement of this valley started in the late 1800s and the Canadian government took over the construction and maintenance of the pools in the 1920s. Once the pools were established, other services quickly followed.
Day 6
Friday, July 24th - Radium Hot Springs to Kimberley
On Day 6, our penultimate cycling day and second longest distance day, we will leave the campground and continue south through the Columbia Valley. The terrain is rolling and we cross the Columbia River several times as we head toward Kimberley.
Skookumchuk, meaning strong water or turbulent water, will be our stopping point for lunch. This is where the Lussier and Skookumchuk Rivers join the Kootenay River, south of columbia Lake in the Kootenay River Valley. Just before Wasa, we will take Highway 95A into Kimberley.
Kimberley is the highest city in Canada and is a classic mining town in the Rockies region. It was named after a diamond mine and after being incorporated as a city in the late 1960s, became the Bavarian City of the Rockies in the early 70s. This city is also known as the City of Festivals.
Our campground is located on the south side of Kimberley in the St. Mary River Valley.
Riverside Campground
Day 7
Saturday, July 25th - Kimberley to Creston
Our final cycling day will see us leaving the campground and using back roads to head south to Cranbrook. Skirting around the west side of Cranbrook, we will join Highway 3 and follow this south and east all the way back to Creston.
Highway 3 will take us past Moyie Lake and Yahk (pronounced Yak) while following the Moyie River. Moyie Lake is about 10 km long and is caused by a great depression in the landscape left there by a retreating glacier and a leftover piece of ice - a kettle pond lake. The village of Moyie, now officially a ghost town was once a prosperous town engaged in lead and silver mining
Like the village of Moyie, Yahk is also a shadow of its former self. Originally a railway lumber town, Yahk is still very picturesque, situated where the Moyie and the Yahk rivers meet, just 40 km from our final destination. At Yahk, our route takes us east and directly into Creston
Moyie Lake Yahk
Click here for a locator map of the general area.Click here for overall profile of the route.
TourBC not only offers you great scenery, but great support also. We have an exceptional on-route team. Our medic provides medical support to take care of you, and our mechanic provides mechanical support to take care of your bicycle. Our tour leaders ride with you and are a font of information about the area as well as capable mechanics and first aid support. The entire route is signed for you, so that you will always know that you are on track.
On the road, we provide catered cyclist-sized meals with staffed water and lunch stops. Our luggage vehicle travels ahead of the group to make sure that your tent and gear arrives at the next stop before you do. For those who choose to stay in motels instead of camping, we will deliver and collect your luggage for you. It is your responsibility to make sure that our truck driver is given a list of which days you will be using motels and which motel you are using. Our massage therapy staff are on hand after the day's ride to aid with your recovery. And our photographer makes sure we capture the great time you are having and the wonderful scenery.Our group is small in comparison to other mass bike rides - we limit ourselves to 120 participants. We have a very high participant return rate and a good participant to staff ratio. You are never just a participant number, but part of the TourBC family. We endeavour to make sure that your trip meets your expectations. Please read this website thoroughly so that you know what we are offering and what you can expect. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
TourBC offers seven days of fun, fun, and more fun, for experienced cyclists and cyclo-tourists.