Half-Way Hot Springs

Wednesday, September 4

“There’s no place, like this place, near this place, so this must be the place.” Sign at Halfway Hot Springs

So I have a story to tell, that will be one of those that Anna and I retell at Thanksgiving dinner for years to come….

After spending the day at Revelstoke on edge because of the Grizzly Bear activity, we headed south to a little known hot springs – halfway between Revelstoke and Nelson, BC.  Although it is a providential park, it is not visited by many tourists and is a local’s hangout.  We were told it was down a dirt road, but worth the drive.

We found the turn off easily enough, but then realized that the dirt road was 11 Kilometers long and full of pot holes and was in very bad condition.  It was about 5 pm and we considered turning around because of the long, uncomfortable ride in.  However, we forged ahead and reached a deserted parking lot.  There were two cars, but otherwise we were well into the woods and had not seen any other people.  

We got out of the car and looked down over the edge of the cliff.  There below were stairs descending to what we assumed were the hot springs.  It was steep and getting dark.  We hesitated, but then decided we had come this far, we would at least go see what they looked like.  We estimate that there were approximately 500 stairs to the bottom.  We could hear the water rushing and it kept encouraging us to go on.  Finally, we reached the bottom. 

There was a small area with a changing room and several hot pools that had been formed with rocks.  The area was deserted, but very beautiful.  We tried all of the pools.  Just like in the Goldilocks story… Some were too hot, some were too cold, and some were just right.  We floated, relaxed and enjoyed the pools. Then, off in the distance, we noticed a group of 4-6 people sitting in the river.  

As it turned out, there was a river with run off from a glacier where the water was ice cold and another stream where the steaming hot water (too hot to touch) was flowing out of the rocks.  At the point were the two met, a large pool was formed with both warm and cool water.  We joined the group, introduced ourselves, found a seat and enjoyed the conversation with people from all over the country.  It was a wonderful reward for the long drive and hike down to the pools.  We were so glad we had come.  

Around 7:15pm it was getting dark and I didn’t want to drive that deserted road in the dark, so we said goodbye and began the long climb back up the steps.  About 10 minutes into our ascent, Anna (who is about 6 steps ahead of me) turns around and screams at me to RUN!!  She grabs my shoulders, physically turns me around and pushes me down the steps I had just worked so hard to climb!  I said, what is wrong?  She said she had seen a big black cat leaping over the moss covered rocks and she was headed our way!  I said, “a cat? Like a kitty?”  She replied, NO! Like a panther! YIKES – I went flying down those stairs.  

As you can imagine, the adrenaline is now screaming through my veins and I am trying to think what to do if a panther is chasing you.  I know how to react if a bear is chasing you, but all I can think is that I cannot outrun a panther!  I am SO scared.  At one point, Anna turns around and looks behind her only to report that she can now see the cat’s teeth and black tail bounding straight for us.  I cannot describe my feelings at this point.  I cannot believe I didn’t have a heart attack or wet my pants right then and there.  All I can think is that I need to get behind Anna so the cat will attack me first – she is younger and faster and has a chance to get away.  It was then that the “panther” landed on the trail beside us and as she brushed up beside me, we realize that she is in fact not a black panther, but a black Labrador retriever who is not on a leash and who has outrun her owners down the path!  A dog. Seriously.

Now, I cannot breathe (probably from running at top speed down through the rocks and mud).  I am laughing, and practically crying with relief and so very grateful that the dog was not in fact a panther.  My blood pressure must have sky rocketed because I now have a killer headache and I feel like I am going to throw up.  And this feeling continued for hours as we drove back down the dirt road – in the dark – and returned to the mountain road that took us on into Nelson. 

And for future reference, just incase you want to visit Halfway Hot Springs someday… there are no black panthers in the mountains of British Columbia.