BOU AVENUE
Radium Hot Springs Long Weekend
Zosia Zgolak and I spent the Family Day Long Weekend (14-17 February 2025) in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia with Zosia's friends from Poland--Aleksandra (Ola) Przybył and Wojciech (Wojtek) Luchniak.  This was the tail end of a two-week long Canadian vacation for Ola and Wojtek, and Zosia and I wanted them to enjoy their final weekend in style as we booked a one-bedroom suite at Bighorn Meadows Resort.  Arriving in the evening on Friday (Valentine's Day), we made ourselves comfortable in the spacious suite and enjoyed a simple dinner before retiring for the night.
Na zdrowie i smacznego! Zosia, Wojtek and Ola sit down to dinner on the first night in their suite at Bighorn Meadows Resort.
With sunny weather in the forecast for Saturday (15 February 2025), Wojtek suggested that we should all travel to Invermere to ski The Whiteway.  Maintained by Toby Creek Nordic Ski Club, The Whiteway is a 30-kilometre long ice skating and ski track situated on Windermere Lake.  Zosia and I had previously tried to skate The Whiteway on a couple of occasions, but the weather was either too warm to safely venture onto the ice or too cold making the ice surface brittle and unpleasantly rough.  On this day, the Whiteway was in immaculate condition, and I was regretting not bringing my ice skates.  Windermere Lake was also extremely busy with all sorts of outdoor recreationists--walkers, skaters, skiers, fat-bikers, ice fishers, and polar bear plungers.  There were also a lot of motorized vehicles zooming across the frozen lake, and at one point, even a small airplane landed.  While Ola and Wojtek were energetic enough to ski quite far along The Whiteway, Zosia and I were content to just ski off-track for a couple of kilometres before turning around.  Eventually, we all reunited at Kinsmen Beach and stuck around a bit to watch some of the polar bear plungers braving the icy waters of the lake.

After leaving Windermere Lake, we stopped at The Invermere Bakery to pick up some goodies before driving to Fairmont Hot Springs to visit Edwina (Eddie) Podemski and Chris Wood.  Eddie and Chris both entered retirement recently and decided to move from their longtime home in Edmonton to be closer to the mountains.  Fittingly, their new home is situated next to the Mountainside golf course at Fairmont Hot Springs though neither of them play the game.  Eddie and Chris provided us coffee (thank you!) and a nice tour of their house, and we even went for a short walk along the golf fairway just beyond their backyard.  As always, it was very enjoyable socializing with Eddie and Chris, and Zosia and I now have another reason to frequent the Columbia Valley.

On our way back to Radium Hot Springs late in the day, Wojtek and Ola treated Zosia and me to dinner at Smokehouse 93, a barbeque restaurant just outside Invermere.  The restaurant is evidently popular as it was packed full of customers when we arrived.  Furthermore, the restaurant had begun to run out of menu items, but fortunately, we were still able to order some beef brisket which was delicious.  With our hunger satisfied, we returned to Bighorn Meadows Resort and spent the rest of the evening watching an intense hockey game between Canada and United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.  Canada ended up losing 3-1 that night but would ultimately win the championship re-match 3-2 in overtime five days later.
Made by Wojtek! Eggs sunny side up are on the first morning's breakfast menu.
Ready, set, go! Wojtek, Zosia and Ola begin skiing along The Whiteway on Windermere Lake.

How often does that ever happen?

Fat-bikers, ice skaters, cross-country skiers, and walkers all share the lake at the same time.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

 

Too bad we forgot to bring our ice skates! Sonny crosses The Whiteway's skating lane which is in the best shape he has ever seen.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
What else is there to do here? Sonny makes a snow angel in the middle of the lake.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Thanks to Wojtek for suggesting that we come here today!

Despite cold temperatures, full sunshine and lack of wind make being out on the lake pleasant.

 

Ballsy pilot! A small airplane lands on Windermere Lake.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
They picked a nice day for this! A couple of brave souls jump into the lake as part of the 9th Annual RAD Polar Plunge hosted by RAD Society.
The selections were a bit thin in the afternoon. Need to be here earlier in the day! Wojtek, Ola, Zosia and Sonny stop for some goodies at The Invermere Bakery.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
They should put a seasonal disc golf course here! Standing on the first fairway of the Mountainside golf course at Fairmont Hot Springs are Chris, Zosia, Eddie, Ola and Wojtek.
Congrats, Chris and Eddie, on your retirement! The group stands in front of the retirement home of Eddie and Chris.
Blonde Bombshell, indeed! Wojtek amusingly watches Ola stuff her face at Smokehouse 93 near Invermere.
With lots of snowfall predicted throughout Sunday (16 February 2025), Wojtek, Ola, Zosia and I opted to go for a long walk in and around Radium Hot Springs starting right from our suite at Bighorn Meadows Resort.  The main highlights were a visit to Sinclair Canyon just inside Kootenay National Park and a stop for ice cream at Screamers Ice Cream Café.  We also saw a lot of bighorn sheep as well as some mule deer.  At the conclusion of our walk, Ola and Wojtek went for a long soak at the park's hot springs while Zosia and I relaxed and prepared dinner back at the suite.
Raff's favourite summit drink! Wojtek, Zosia and Ola break out the Jägermeister for breakfast on the second morning.
Amen. The group takes a walk along Our Lady Queen of Peace Stations of the Cross located behind the visitor centre in Radium Hot Springs.
No, I don't need coffee! Ola sprouts wings in front of Screamers Ice Cream Café.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
Don't mind me; I'm just snooping around the empty mobile homes! A lone sheep loiters in a seasonal mobile home park tucked inside Sinclair Canyon.
Another winter wonderland! The group enters Kootenay National Park and walks along Sinclair Creek.
Good enough for today! Wojtek, Ola and Zosia go about as far as they can up Sinclair Canyon.  A waterfall is hidden just around the next corner but is difficult to photograph without wading into Sinclair Creek.
Watch out for the cars zooming by! Zosia looks back down into Sinclair Canyon from above the waterfall.
On Family Day Monday (17 February 2025), Wojtek, Ola, Zosia and I checked out of Bighorn Meadows Resort and headed back to Calgary.  Along the way, we went for a tour of Marble Canyon in Kootenay National Park, and later, we stopped in Banff to grab some pizza for lunch.  While Ola and Wojtek hung around longer to do some last minute souvenir shopping, Zosia and I resumed our drive home.  Ola and Wojtek would fly back to Poland the following day, and while they would see Zosia again later in the evening, I bid them farewell and hoped that they enjoyed the long weekend as much as Zosia and I did.
Better than sitting on a beach in Mexico? Wojtek and Ola relax in a couple of Parks Canada's signature red Adirondack chairs near Marble Canyon.
That pathway behind them is treacherously icy! Wojtek, Ola and Zosia stand on one of the several bridges spanning Tokumm Creek in Marble Canyon.
Please come again! Wojtek and Ola round out the weekend with pizza at Pizzeria Sophia in Banff.

Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak