Kootenay National Park at Radium Hot Springs

July 7, 2007.

We are staying in the Tunnel Mountain National Park Campground in Banff, Alberta. Tunnel Mountain Campground offers full hookups, no hookups, and electricity only. We are in one of the $29.70 electricity only sites. I do not know what FHU or no hookups cost but they are all in the same area. All sites are paved.

Roadcut on PH93 entering Kootenay National Park from Radium Hot Springs

We left Radium Hot Springs this morning heading to Banff on PH 93 through Kootenay National Park. Immediately upon leaving Radium Hot Springs we entered the National Park then went through the "springs". From the "hot springs" the road passes through one of the most awesome roadcuts anywhere. One has to wonder why a road cut and not a tunnel. About the same time there is a sign warning about an 11% grade with no indication how long the grade is going to be. An 11% grade will get your attention especially if it is going to be 11% for very long. But for now it is back to negotiating these mind boggling road cuts.

Narrow roadcut on PH93 in Kootenay National Park east of Radium Hot Springs

These folks didn't remove any more rock than absolutely necessary. It does seem to me that they could have removed more around this curve. I know I cheated on the yellow line since my outside mirror didn't hit that rock.

Red Bluff on PH93 east of Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Forest

Just past the road cut area is this reddish color hill of earth that I do not recognize. What is it doing here? Has it got something to do with the thermal activity less than a mile away? I don't guess I will ever know unless someone is kind enough to provide me with some information. Any takers?

It probably has something to do with iron since it is very near, if not part of, Iron Gates Canyon------ do you suppose this is part of the "iron gate" and the red color has to do with iron content?

Iron Gates Canyon & Tunnel on PH93 in Kootenay National Forrest east of Radium Hot Springs

When this road was built a decision had to be made. In the 1920s, the first road through the Canadian Rockies, the Banff-Windermere Highway was constructed. By 1964, this section of the road was outdated. In order to save the Iron Gates Canyon from the destructive impact of the new road, a tunnel was built.

You might not have noticed even with the information about the tunnel above but if you look in the top left hand corner of this picture you will see the tunnel that was constructed to save Iron Gates Canyon.

Roadcut east of Radium Hot Springs on PH93 in Kootenay National Forrest

The early part of this drive,--- the part within 10 or so miles of Radium Hot Springs is comprised of these roadcuts. Soon we will pop out into a series of magnificent valleys.

Scenery along PH93 in Kootenay National Park

Slowly we are making our way out of the roadcuts and past that 11% grade. Thankfully, that grade was a short one, steep but short.