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Columbia River Valley Roundabout
A
Drive Around the Mountains
The Columbia and Kootenay Rivers
begin near the town of Canal Flats,
located 1 kilometre south of the
16-kilometre long Columbia Lake,
cradled between the Purcell Mountains
to the west and the Rocky Mountains
to the east. Drivers can follow
the Columbia River path along
Highway 93/95 from where it emerges
north out of Columbia Lake through
the ecologically famous Columbia
Basin Wetlands towards the towns
of Fountain and Radium Hot Springs
and Invermere to Golden on the
Transcanada Highway (Highway 1).
While the river heads further
north, drivers head west on Highway
1 to Revelstoke, where they meet
up with the Columbia on its journey
south, running parallel to Highway
23, rushing to the Arrow Lakes
region town of Naskup; from there,
drivers take Highway 6 to Castlegar,
not too far from the U.S. border.
To complete the circle, travellers
head east on Highway 3, then north
again on 93/95 along the Kootenay
River to Canal Flats.
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The Columbia River, its headwaters flowing
from Columbia Lake, between the Rocky Mountain
Range to the east and the Purcell Mountains
to the west, has served as a transportation
route for human, beast and plant for thousands
of years. Seismic and volcanic nature created
the Columbia's flow north to Kinbasket Lake,
from which it turns south at the 'big bend'
near the northern point of the Selkirk Range,
then through the Arrow Lakes region. Below
the Arrows, it takes on the flow from the
Kootenay River.
The Kootenay and Columbia form a neat circle
around the Selkirk and Purcell Ranges, as
the headwaters for the Kootenay are parallel
to the Columbia's, about 1.5 kilometres
apart, separated by a berm of earth, near
the town of Canal Flats. From there the
Kootenay flows south into the United States,
then back north again into Canada and its
merge with the Columbia near Castlegar.
21st century travellers to the Valley benefit
from the human inclination to build a road
along a traditional waterway to travel between
communities that inevitably grew out of
the 10,000 year old native culture and the
400 year old European influence on the Columbia
River. Along the highways that accompany
the Columbia on its path through the mountains,
people can drive a similar route to access
remote mountain backcountry adventure and
alpine towns, complete with hot springs
resorts, heritage sites, arts and entertainment;
world-class skiing, biking, hiking, rafting
and camping; scenery and wildlife viewing,
wetlands, conservation areas, boating and
fishing; and the many hydroelectric generation
stations and dams that have disturbed the
Columbia's original flow, but made it what
it is today.
Sports and Leisure
Everywhere
There are hundreds of recreational activities
available along the Columbia River Valley
system, including:
• Sight-Seeing: Mica Dam - built
in 1973, located 135 km north of Revelstoke,
storage size: 14,800 million cubic metres,
capacity 1,805 MW, 4 generators, free tours
from late June to early September, spectacular
view of the huge powerhouse, Kinbasket Lake
and the mountains of Columbia River Valley.
• Backcountry Adventure: in
Golden - Hang-gliding and paragliding thermals
in the mountains, Golden Hang Gliding and
Paragliding Society flies at Mount 7; Western
Canadian Hang Gliding Championships on Mount
7 during the August Long Weekend; Bugaboo
Mountains - alpine technique rock climbing
on the granite Purcell Range located south
of Golden; Spillimacheen Crags - limestone
walls with over 50 routes available from
early spring until late fall - Grade 5.6
to 5.12; Dutch Creek Hoodoos - visible from
Highway 93/95 south of Fairmont, these pillars
of rock catch a photographer's fancy best
during the 'golden' light of early morning
and late afternoon; Delphine Glacier - take
an exciting, visually stunning heli-sightseeing
tour to this icefield, the setting for the
movie 'Alive' (Disney); Kootenay Lake Region
- Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park hiking
among lakes and glaciers; include caves
at Cody Caves Provincial Parks.
• Hot springs resorts: Arrow
Lakes Region - Nakusp Hot Springs and Ainsworth
Hot Springs in the Selkirk Mountains; Radium
Hot Springs - near Columbia River headwaters;
Fairmont Hot Springs in the Rocky Mountains
north of Canal Flats, overlooks the Columbia
River.
• World-class skiing: Golden
- Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, downhill
skiing and cross-country trails, 8-passenger
gondola to top of Dogtooth Mountain; skiing
or boarding mogul and natural terrain in
the Purcell Mountains; Parson - heli-skiing
at Bobbie Burns and the Bugaboos, birthplace
of North American heli-skiing industry;
Glacier National Park, near Golden - glades,
alpine bowls, icefields, 1500 metre descents
possible - skiers urged to educate selves
in avalanche safety, wear avalanche transceivers,
permits required; Nakusp - ski the Selkirk
Mountains to the east and the Monashees
to the west; heli-skiing available.
• Biking: The Golden Triangle
- follows the Rocky Mountain Trench between
Golden and Radium Hot Springs - a strenuous
and inspiring circuit; Canyon Creek Trail
in the Purcell Mountains north of Golden;
backcountry logging road networks; Bike
the 26 kilometre long paved road that runs
parallel to Windermere Lake, part of the
Columbia River Wetlands, if you take Toby
Creek Road, west from Invermere, you can
cycle the Panorama Resort trails.
• Hiking: Parson - 5.5 km Silent
Pass trail on Silent Mountain, a 2 to 3
day backpack adventure, contact the Invermere
Forest Service, one day hike from Silent
Lake to the lower Spillimacheen Glacier
- both are moderate tours; 16 km Warren
Creek Trail along an old mining road to
alpine and Bugaboo Creek trails; Kokanee
Glacier Provincial Park in the Lower Columbia
area, glacier hiking.
• Rafting: Many outfitters
in centres along the Columbia provide a
variety of rafting experiences, from calm
paddling of the Columbia River Wetlands
to the wild Kicking Horse River whitewater
thrills.
• Camping: Wilderness and less
remote camping is available across the region,
in several National, Provincial, Municipal
and privately owned parks on all sides,
in the mountains or along the river valley;
get to Bugaboo Provincial Park in the Purcell
Mountains via Brisco for camping, hiking
and mountaineering adventures; paddle the
gentle Columbia River headwaters for an
easy, peaceful 5 day trip to enjoy the wildlife
viewing and camp on the river's gravel flats.
• Wildlife viewing: Parson
- follow the highway near Parson along the
protected Columbia River Wetlands, the Columbia
National Wildlife Area and the Columbia
Wetlands Wildlife Management Area, the 150
km long Columbia Valley Wetland system has
grasslands, forest, alpine meadows and rocky
crags.
• Boating: Scenic wetland tours,
paddle, canoe or kayak the Columbia River
Wetlands, wildlife potential includes black
bear, beaver, deer, golden eagles; at Arrow
Lakes lock system to by-pass Hugh Keenlyside
Dam, boat rentals available, fish for lingcod,
trout, pike and char; canoe in Lakes Provincial
Park.
• Fishing: Columbia River fish
include kokanee, rainbow trout and char;
hike from the river into alpine lake areas;
ice fish on Box and Trout Lakes; fish Whiteswan
and Alces Lakes in Whiteswan Lake Provincial
Park, stocked with rainbow trout for 4 decades,
motorboats are not allowed on Alces, angling
is fly-fishing only; Windermere Lake offers
great trout fishing; fish the Arrow Lakes
for salmon.
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