A visit to Invermere, BC

It's summer, and for a relatively short trip, Invermere in the Columbia Valley (BC), is a nice place to find some warmer sunny weather. Driving time from Grandview Chalet B&B in Canmore is less than 2 hours, and a gorgeous drive through Banff and Kootenay National Parks. You pop out of the national park at Radium Hot Springs, where there are lots of camping areas where there aren't golf courses. Invermere is just down the highway on Lake Windermere, which is a popular boating destination.

We opted to mountain bike at Lillian Lake, on the road to the Panarama Ski Area. There are a couple of great singletrack routes created by the Columbia Valley Cycling Society. We opted for the The Johnson, which is a smooth xc route winding and weaving over to the Toby Creek Canyon. It really has some nice flowing fun stuff that drains really well, and gives you awesome views of the canyon. A few places require some attention, lest you drop off a sizeable cliff into the whitewater below, but most people do just fine.

We also dropped our kayaks into the Columbia River, on the downstream side of Lake Windermere, into wetlands with lots of osprey and bald eagles, and again at Radium, where we paddled upstream for several kilometers before drifting back to the car. Very mellow!  Nice way to spend hot August days!