Radium Hotsprings, Kootenay & Banff National Park

From Castlegar, we drove to Radium the next morning via Creston. Creston is known for its local fruit stands. We couldn't resist the fresh fruit and bought plums, small watermelons, cherries, and a delicious strawberry jam. After almost five hours of driving, we arrived in Radium - short for Radium Hot Springs. We went across to the other side of the river in search of a campground. While we found some spots, it was unclear if they were public or private. We also couldn't find any sanitary facilities - not ideal for us "tent tourists". We crossed the river again and checked in at the Readstreak Campground. We were assigned a spot next to an older couple who turned out to be extremely friendly and communicative (which may have been partially due to the alcohol). We set up our tent and studied the brochures we had obtained from the tourist office. As the alcohol level rose, the giggling and laughter of our neighbors became louder. By nine o'clock, the lady had drunk so much that she had difficulty coordinating her limbs. A few minutes later, we heard someone tumbling down the slope. Mathias rushed to help - the lady was not exactly lightweight, and we weren't sure if the gentleman could lift her up on his own - luckily, she was uninjured. After several attempts - most of which ended in fits of laughter - they managed to get her into the tent. We couldn't help but smile. Tsk tsk, always these young, um, old people. The story became even funnier when the lady had to go to the bathroom about an hour later. Like a child, she snuck away and fell into the woods again. Loud cracking, laughter, some swearing from her partner, and a lot of convincing to get back into bed. Teenage soap opera in pure form - just missing the popcorn.

The next morning, the couple seemed lively again, albeit a bit quiet. After breakfast, we set off on our hike to Cobb Lake. On the way to the starting point, we passed the famous Radium Hot Springs and made a stop at Olive Lake. This small lake is home to a special, very small species of trout. We were able to spot some specimens in the water. The animals are not particularly colorful or distinctive. To us, they looked like young trout.

It was only about 3 kilometers from the starting point to Cobb Lake. We encountered few people and enjoyed the tranquility of nature. The only sound breaking the silence was our bear bell. Cobb Lake is a peaceful body of water in the middle of the Canadian forest. It is an idyllic place that is not overrun by tourists. Most visitors focus on Jasper and Banff National Parks. Back at the parking lot, we decided to visit the hot springs. On the one hand, we could use a shower after the hike (a regular shower before bathing!), and on the other hand, we wanted to give our feet some relaxation. The entry fee was surprisingly affordable at $6.30. There are three pools, 39 degrees, 29 degrees, and 18 degrees. We could never stay in the warm water for more than 10 minutes. After that, we had to immediately cool off. However, we still enjoyed bathing in the warm springs.

The next morning, we packed up and left Radium for Banff National Park. We drove the beautiful route to Lake Louise under a clear blue sky. Unfortunately, the campground was fully booked except for the last spot. But that was to be expected. Lake Louise is one of the tourist hotspots in Banff National Park. We followed the Icefields Parkway north and tried our luck at the next campground. Unfortunately, that one was also fully booked. Half an hour later, we reached the Silverhorn Campground. We easily found a spot for our tent there. Toilets and firewood were also available. We set up our camp relieved. Afterwards, we visited the nearby Peyto Lake - in our opinion, one of the most beautiful lakes we have seen so far - and the Crowfoot Glacier at Bow Lake.

Since it had rained in the area the night before, it wasn't easy to start a fire. But after two hours, we had enough embers to grill our sausages. By chance, we ran into a young couple from Switzerland who were spending their honeymoon in Canada. We chatted with them for a long time. Then we added some logs to the fire and enjoyed the starry sky. You can only see so many stars in remote mountain regions in Switzerland. Absolutely beautiful! The downside of the clear sky, however, became apparent on our whole bodies shortly afterwards. It became bitterly cold! The temperature dropped to about two degrees. Wrapped in several layers of clothing, we cuddled up in our sleeping bags. We had never slept in a tent at such temperatures before. Thanks to Warren's insulated pants and Jerry's jacket, Andrea could sleep comfortably too. Without the additional equipment from our friends, we would definitely have been freezing that night.

In the morning, we first made ourselves a cup of coffee to warm up from the inside. After breakfast, we packed a lunch and set off for Lake Louise. We actually managed to snag a parking spot near the village center. The parking lot at the lake had been hopelessly overcrowded at 8 o'clock in the morning. Since public transportation only runs every two hours, we decided to walk to the lake. It was a very easy hike. After just over half an hour, we were already in front of the magnificent lake. We were surprised that so few people had chosen to hike and preferred to wait for the bus. Even with children, this route is easily manageable... The lake sparkled in a beautiful turquoise blue. Hundreds of tourists crowded around it. We sat off to the side on the lawn and enjoyed our lunch. From our spot on the lawn, we could watch all the canoes gliding over the surface of the water. We had studied the prices beforehand - half an hour cost $115, an hour cost $125 - so there was a nice amount of money floating around on the lake. We counted around thirty canoes!

Since we still had energy, we decided to hike the trail to Lake Agnes. We weren't the only ones - there was practically a highway through the forest going up. The sign at Lake Agnes announced that the Big Beehive was only 1.5 kilometers away. Since our Swiss colleagues had recommended going up here the day before, we couldn't resist the temptation. We had actually only wanted to do a 'small hike', but it turned into a 15 kilometer march. But that didn't matter, our efforts were rewarded with a wonderful view of Lake Louise! The water color looked even more impressive from above. Around 200 meters below us, there was a steep drop - definitely not for the faint-hearted. We took some pictures and started the descent. We reached our car tiredly. We also refilled our water tank on the way back. It was cold that night too, but nowhere near as cold as the night before. The sky was overcast, and it was drizzling lightly. We secured the tarp over our tent. We were ready for the storm that fortunately never came.

The next morning, we set off for the Columbia Icefields. Unfortunately, the weather had worsened overnight. Despite that, we can say that the stretch between Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefields was our favorite in terms of the surroundings. The Rocky Mountains, the many lakes, and the healthy forest create an impressive picture. We were fortunate enough to spot a bear on the way. It was probably a grown male of the black bear species. The huge animal looked peaceful and loving during its berry browsing. However, one should never underestimate the danger posed by wild animals. The car offers good protection. After a while, all the berries had been harvested, and the animal retreated into the forest. What an emotional moment.

It started raining at the Columbia Icefields. However, between the rain clouds, the sunbeams occasionally appeared, giving us a good view of the ice fields. We consciously decided not to take a guided tour. We can also visit glaciers in Switzerland. Plus, we didn't want to share this experience with a hundred other people.

To be continued in the next post.