Miette Hot Springs

We left early to go for a hike that starts just down the road from us.  We stopped at Punch Bowl Falls first for a quick look.  Ted had gotten some photos yesterday so we didn't climb down the goat path to take more.

The trail we took was the Pocahontas Mine Trail which was only 800 meters or about a half mile.  It was paved and led us past the remains of the mining town of Pocahontas.  Not much is left but the old cement vault still stands with its rusting iron door as well as the foundations to the old powerhouse and several other unidentified foundations and the opening to a mine shaft which we didn't venture into.

Pocohontas

Ted Makes a Great Miner

At the Vault

The Mine Shaft

On the Trail

We had planned to hike the upper loop trail as well which was supposedly 1.7 km.  We started on the narrow, barely visible trail crossing a field with waist high grass and me freaking about ticks.  Once through the field, the narrow path may have gone in several directions.  It wasn't marked well and obviously didn't have much traffic so we decided not to hike it and turned back.  We returned to the motor home until after lunch and drove the ten miles up the road to Miette Hot Springs.

The ride up Fiddle Valley was narrow and winding but just as beautiful as all the trips we have taken in Alberta.  Just as we we're arriving at the parking lots of the hot springs, we saw a ptarmigan and our only wildlife sighting of the day.

On the Way to Miette Hot Springs

At the Springs

Can't Forget the Wildflowers

The Miette Hot Springs had two fairly large hot pools and 2 small cool pools.  Although no where near as large as the Radium Hot Springs we went to last week, the crowd wasn't as large either.  It was surrounded by mountains and we kept watching for wildlife but to no avail.  The first hot pool was 37 degrees C, was all shallow water and had lots of little kids in it.  We went there first but as I looked around, I could imagine all the little kids peeing in it and moved on not to return.  The other hot pool was 41 degrees C, much hotter but it felt great and we spent a fair amount of time in it during the time we were there.  Before I knew that the furthest cool pool was only 16 degrees C or about 60 degrees F, I climbed down the ladder and dropped in.  It took my breath away and I quickly swam over to the shallow area and got out.  It certainly was a shock as it was at least 40 degrees F less than the hot pool I had just got out of.

In Hot Pool #1 Before Looking Around Me

Hot Pool #2 and View

Where Ted Spent a Lot of Time

The other cool pool was 21 degrees C or almost 70 degrees F which was still cool but felt great once you were in especially as the day had turned hot and the sun was beating down. Ted spent a lot of time sitting in the shade and occasionally joined me in the hot pool.  We had to have an ice cream before we left, again paying almost as much for two small cones as it cost for our admission.

There were interpretive signs outside the entrance and Ted took photos of them while waiting for me to blow dry my hair as we have no power at the campground.  The one fact that was really interesting to me is that the earth's crust gets about one degree warmer for every thirty-three meters of depth.  The water must come from 1500 meters below the spring to reach its temperature.  These are the hottest springs in the Canadian Rockies.