The majestic Rocky Mountains are Canada’s grandest evidence of geologic forces of long ago. Their towering peaks seem to be silent sentinels of history past but forces continue to act upon them in a slow dance of time and geology. One noticeable result is the soothing, relaxing waters of mountain fed hot springs.
Aspen Meadow’s Lake Windermere real estate is just 20 minutes from the refreshing, therapeutic waters of Radium Hot Springs.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2001, Radium Hot Springs is nearly as old as the Rocky Mountains. Located just 20 kilometres from Windermere real estate, the hot spring pool at Radium is the largest in Canada and one of the best known.
During the formation of the Rockies, powerful underground forces cracked the Earth’s crust along a fault line, creating an underground chasm more than two kilometers deep. Snow melt and rain erode the mountains, picking up minerals along the way. Some seeps into cracks and crevices and finds its way into the underground chasm.
The mineral-rich water travels deep into the crust where the Earth’s primal energy heats and pressurizes it, forcing it back to the surface. Typical for hot springs, anaerobic bacteria deep down reacts with sulphur in the water, creating hydrogen sulphide gas – an awful smelling product that is the signature of many hot springs.
At Radium Hot Springs, hydrogen sulphide gas is filtered out before it reaches the surface and the result is the crystal clear, warm and odorless water that attracts a quarter million visitors a year. The water at Radium contains more than 700 milligrams of dissolved minerals per litre and gushes from the Earth at a rate of 1,800 litres per minute.
Sir George Simpson, the governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, was the first recorded visitor at the hot springs in 1841. In the late 1800s, the first permanent settlers came to the region and the hot springs gained in popularity. Roland Stuart purchased the springs in 1890 for $160 and continued owning them until 1922, when they were expropriated for inclusion in the new Kootenay National Park.
In 1914 the first bathing pool was constructed. The pool was extended in 1927 and a bathhouse was built. Construction began in 1941 on the Radium Hot Springs Aquacourt. Finished in 1951 at a cost of nearly $1 million, the Aquacourt is historically recognized and has been classified by the Government of Canada as a Federal Heritage Building.
The Aquacourt is situated in the Sinclair Valley and is towered over by a sheer rock wall. It features a u-shaped building around a large, cool pool (27 C, 84 F) and the hot spring pool at a constant 39 C (103 F). There is a cappuccino bar, a restaurant and nearby campground for visitors.
See the directions here! www.radiumhotsprings.com
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