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 TRIP
DETAILS
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Trip Highlights
| Day 1: |
| 8:00 AM. Coffee meeting to talk about the trip and organize the shuttle of vehicles to Canal Flats. Packing the canoes and rafts, lunch and a safety talk before departure will follow this. Once on the river we will enjoy the Kootenay’s easy flow and warm up with some practice strokes. Less than an hour before camp we come across the first of many interesting features the River valley has to offer. This one is a 45m high wall of gravel left behind by a retreating valley glacier. This intriguing wall of intact gravel has survived through the ages due to it being cemented together by calcium carbonate from the limestone ground-up by glaciers. Our destination for the afternoon will be the Cross River just outside of Kootenay National Park. An attractive campsite is created at the junction where the Cross River exits a steep walled gorge before joining the Kootenay. The Cross River flows west into the Kootenay from White Man Pass. Its name is derived from the actions of Father Pierre De Smet, who crossed the Rockies in an attempt to establish peace among the warring Indians of the region. At the top of the Pass he erected a large wooden cross in 1845. Our first trip of the evening will find us enjoying a hearty meal and relaxing around an open campfire. |
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| Day 2: |
| Our morning will start with an optional hike up a scenic 2.5 km trail along the north side of the Cross River to a natural bridge. On the trail various impressive water falls can be seen dropping into deep plunge pools. Paddling the Kootenay this day we will be challenged by four sets of whitewater. These are Bridge, Ledge, Boulder and Horseshoe Rapids. Our options for negotiating these sets are many. After scouting them, we may either line, portage or run them. Whatever way you take them, these rapids present a great opportunity to develop your River running skills. Camp will be made this afternoon on a small island on a remote part of the River. |
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| Day 3: |
| Following a leisurely morning we will paddle to the Tufa deposits. These are composed of calcium carbonate left by percolating ground water which surfaces digesting insects. Beautiful yellow Lady's Slippers flourish here early in the season. Today's journey takes us through a deeply incised reach of the River with numerous S bends. The S bend present fun waves and exciting moments on a rushing River. A few strokes from the Palliser Rapids we will stop to camp at the mouth of the Palliser River. The afternoon will provide opportunities for hiking up the Palliser River to explore its gorge, swimming, fishing or just relaxing in camp. |
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| Day 4: |
| Today starts off with an impressive view of Pedley Falls. Just upstream of the falls, the River enters a narrow gorge which is about 50 m. deep. Several hundred meters along the gorge, Pedley Creek flows into the Kootenay. Pedley Creek has been unable to down cut through the shale bedrock as deeply as the Kootenay River because of its flows erosive capacity is considerably less. As a result the creek enters the gorge about 25 m. above the Kootenay River, forming a beautiful, cascading waterfall. Our lunch stop this day will be at the mouth of the White River. At Gibraltar Rock the River has dissected a high but narrow ridge of limestone. Its pitted surface give this immense rock a volcanic-appearance. We will pick from a number of options for camping in this area. |
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| Day 5: |
| Our last day on the River will find us making our final 27 kms. into Canal Flats. On the way the Kootenay valley opens up as the River flows into the Rocky Mountain Trench. This area has an interesting history around the local development of a now abandoned canal between the Kootenay River and Columbia Lake, the head waters for the River by the same name. We take out at the bridge for highway 95. While the dRivers retrieve vehicles from McLeod Meadows, the rest of us will take a short walk into town for ice-cream. |
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