Exploring West Kootenay British Columbia

Over the July long weekend, we packed up our car and made our way to Riondel, BC, a town with the population of 253 people on the east shore of Kootenay lake. It is around a 7 hour drive from Calgary, so we got up early to get out of the city before rush hour hit. Kootenay lake is in the Pacific Daylight time region, so we did gain an hour on our way there and lose one on the way home. With short stops in Crowsnest Pass, Cranbrook and Creston, we made it to Riondel around 1 pm. While we were visiting my grandmother and staying in her cottage in Riondel, there is also a nice campground right on the lakeshore in Riondel (along with countless other camping and rental opportunities around Kootenay lake).

Our first two full days at the lake were spent on the west shore. We took the Kootenay ferry from the Kootenay Bay terminal on the east shore to the Balfour terminal on the west shore. The ferry is free as it is a part of the highway system in the area, but can fill up so we arrived around 30 minutes before departure to secure a spot. During the summer months the ferry runs every 50 minutes between 9:00am and 6:10pm (with the first ferry departing at 6:30am from Balfour and the last at 10:20pm from Kootenay Bay).

We took the ferry across at 11:30 from Kootenay Bay to Balfour which is around 35 minutes. After unloading from the ferry, we turned right to follow Highway 31 north in the direction of Kaslo. Our first stop in the area was the Ainsworth Hot Springs. The price of admission is $18.00 for adults and a booking is required. You can book a time online to reserve a space.

The hot springs were not unlike others I have visited in Banff or Radium, but they were far less busy. A feature that set them apart, however, was the caves. There is a loop into the cliff that the hot springs are built into that takes you into the steaming caves with waist-deep mineral water. The cave loop certainly opens up your pores and sinuses, but can make you light headed from the heat if you stay inside too long. We did the cave loop around 3 times during our time in the pools. There is also a cold pool where you can take a refreshing plunge (if you’re into pushing your body to extremes).

After leaving the hot springs, we got back on the highway going north and followed it to Kaslo. The highway weaves along the lake shore, so it is winding and at times feels a little percarious. Be sure to be cautious of motorcycles in the area as this is a popular highway for motorcyclists (there is even a motorcycle campground along this route). We passed through Mirror Lake which looked like it had received some recent rain, and finally made our way into Kaslo.

We got lunch here, initially planning to eat at Buddy’s Front Street Pizzeria, but upon arrival the sign let us know they were not open until 3pm that day. Instead, we ate at the restaurant next door, Treehouse, which served brunch and lunch. As we were too late for brunch, we ordered from the lunch menu which had fairly typical small-town cafe/restaurant options (although more vegetarian options than in Albertan small towns). Our food was fine, although nothing I would rave about. After stopping in the shops along Front street and taking in the view of the lake with the storm clouds hanging over, we decided to get ice cream from The Parlour and make our way back to Riondel.

Day 2 was spent exploring Nelson. After walking our dog around Riondel in the morning, we set off again on the ferry. We turned left instead of right while leaving the ferry terminal at Balfour and followed highway 3 for about 34 km to Nelson. We crossed the bridge and the first thing we noticed was a fruit stand. We made our way to Baker Street, as my grandmother had recommended we see Baker and Vernon as the central area of the city. Our first plan was lunch as it was around 12:30 when we got into the city. If you plan to park in downtown Nelson, bring change as the parking meters only take toonies, loonies and quarters.

We decided on Mexican food for lunch (Nelson has an extensive list of cuisines to choose from). We went to Cantina del Centro and had probably the best burrito I’ve ever had. I wish I could include a picture because it was quite beautifully plated, but I was too hungry to wait.

After lunch, we refilled the parking meter (max. 1 hour), and did some shopping on Baker Street. We found a Patagonia outlet store (our weakness) and got a few things there, but otherwise window shopped. After walking Baker and Vernon street (and getting a good sense of the hills), we made our way to Oso Negro cafe which had to be the most beautiful cafe I have ever seen. The well-maintained garden is an extension of the indoor space and I wish I could have had a place like this to go study in as a student.

One of the most striking things about Nelson, was the quantity of murals in the city. There seemed to be another everywhere you looked. We even found some out by the Cottonwood Falls Park, our last stop before heading home. The falls are set within a Japanese botanical garden which acknowledges the Nelson and Izu-Shi sister city relationship.

Upon leaving Nelson we stopped at the fruit stand for some fresh produce to bring back to Riondel where we spent the evening. I will describe more in my next post about Riondel and other East Kootenay locations.