Radium Bound

acwood (60)in #travel • 7 years ago

Radium Hot Springs, BC

Nina, Danny (our Dachshund) and I, packed up the car and hit the highway early leaving Calgary at about 10:00 am. Radium is about 280 km from Calgary and takes about 3 hours and 25 minutes to get there.

Radium Hot Springs, informally and commonly called Radium, is a village of 776 residents situated in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. The village is named for the hot springs located in the nearby Kootenay National Park. From Banff, Alberta, it is accessible via Highway 93.
The hot springs were named after the radioactive element when an analysis of the water showed that it contained small traces of radon which is a decay product of radium. The radiation dosage from bathing in the pools is inconsequential; approximately 0.13 millirems (1.3 μSv) from the water for a half-hour bathing, around ten times average background levels. The air concentration of radon is about 23 picocuries (0.85 Bq) per litre which is higher than the level (4 picocuries per litre) at which mitigation is necessary at residences; but is also inconsequential (about 0.7 mrem or 7.0 μSv for a half-hour bathing) from a dose impact perspective.
Source

Our first stop was in Canmore, about an hour west of Calgary, where we grabbed a hamburger.

Canmore is a nice little Alpine town nestled in the Rockies.

Then it was back on the road and heading past Banff.

We turned off the TransCanada onto highway 93 that takes us into Radium.

We stopped at Numa Falls to see our friend Jimmy and we brought him some bread.

He stuffs as much as he can into his mouth and then flies away to stash it and then returns for more.

Numa Falls - Pretty much frozen over.

Back on the road.

Coming into Radium

We stayed at Motel Bavaria. It was a nice room with a fireplace and a tiny kitchen. The rate was good. It cost us $160 for two nights including taxes.

After we checked in we went for a drive around Radium and took some photos.

Looking across the valley.

Met these five boys out for a walk along the highway.

Nice sculpture by the grocery store.

This is the "cold" pool at Radium.

Hoar frost around the hot pool at Radium.

The hot pool - Not a great picture.

Radium hot springs winter.jpg
Source
This is a better picture I found online of the hot pool.

Saturday morning, heading back home to Calgary.

Through the tunnel heading home.

The lookout as we head down into the valley.

From the lookout with telephoto lens.

Castle Mountain. Almost to the Trans Canada Highway.

Back on the Trans Canada Highway

I forgot to check my gas gauge and was running on fumes. Luckily, there was a gas station near Morley where we got some gas. Too damn cold to be running out of gas!