Well, the weatherman was right...it was a cool, drizzly day today. A good day to go to Ainsworth Hot Springs. So after breakfast, we gathered our things and drove about 20 minutes back up the highway.
It was about 10:30 when we arrived and considering the place had only been open for a half hour, we were surprised at how busy it was already. The change rooms are quite small and they don’t have lockers. Instead, they give you a large plastic bag to put your things into and on your way to the pool, you hand it in, they put it in a cubby-hole and give you a metal tag that has the cubby-hole number on it. I was surprised when I entered the pool area and couldn’t see Steve...hmmm...it’s unusual for me to be changed and out before him. Well, I waited and waited...then I thought that maybe he had come out before me and gone into the Cave...no, he would wait for me. Well, I was actually starting to get worried when he finally came out...wearing a new bathing suit. He had forgotten his suit. Oh well, he needed a new one anyway!
There is one main pool that is around 97F degrees and “The Caves” where the pool as you enter is 104F but it feels a lot hotter the further into the cave where it is very steamy and humid. Of course, there is also a small “plunge” pool that is about 55F.
We alternated between the two pools enjoying the warm soak as we watched more and more people arrive. Since it was a cool, rainy day, I guess everyone had the same idea. Steve said he felt like he was sharing a bath with 100 others! We soaked in the pools for almost an hour and a half and then decided it was time to head out.
The change rooms were just a zoo...just packed with people getting changed to go into the pools and people coming out. They were not nearly large enough. After managing a quick rinse-off in the shower and washing my hair, I got dressed and met Steve outside. The men’s change room had been closed for cleaning so Steve said it was standing room only when they opened it up. We definitely enjoyed Halcyon Hot Springs much more even though it was so hot out....don’t like the crowds.We arrived home around 1:00 and since it was raining, we hunkered down inside and read. By about 2:30, the rain had stopped so we thought we would go out for a walk and check out some of the trails within the park.
We tried taking the Grassland Trail but it was too close to the lake and with the water so high, it was flooded in spots and basically pretty muddy. So we carried on until we found the Darkwoods Trail and took it. The trail went through huge trees towards Kokanee Creek and to the Spawning Channel.
Kokanee Creek...
Work is being done on the channel...
We circled around to the Visitors Centre and walked back through the campground home. It was starting to rain again and we had been out for over an hour so it was time to go back inside.
I laid back down on the couch to read and I don’t know whether it was all that soaking in the hot pools this morning or the walk...or the combination of both...but I actually ended up having a snooze. It was almost 6:00 when I figured I had better get up make dinner.
It rained off and on as we watched TV for the rest of the evening...I sure hope the weatherman is right and the weather improves tomorrow!
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