the Columbia River

The Columbia River starts its 1,243-mile journey in what is called the Rocky Mountain Trench in southeastern British Columbia. It is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest and is a source of electricity for a great part of that area as well. Fourteen dams in British Columbia, Washington and Oregon use the Columbia to produce half of the electricity that is consumed in the Pacific Northwest.

The Columbia River and the Columbia Valley are ever present as one travels between the bush and enjoyable towns of Fairmont Hot Springs and Revelstoke, B.C. It can be seen from many hiking trails, mountain tops and highway viewpoints. Its path snakes through the narrow valley, becomes hidden in a deep, deep canyon before opening up again on its journey north. As it reaches an area north of Revelstoke, B.C., it starts heading south and west before emptying out into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon.

Towns such as Radium Hot Springs, which happens also to be the welcoming entrance to the Kootenay National Park, and Golden and Revelstoke take advantage of the activities that the Columbia has to offer.

Everywhere the Columbia River is present, it is the main attraction. It's not just fishermen, boaters and water sport enthisiasts who enjoy it; for many, it's enough to simply stand over it and admire its undeniable beauty.

Along the Highway 93/95 near Fairmont, just north of where the Columbia River starts its journey, is an out-of-nowhere mass of soft sandstone rock that towers over the wetlands area. It can't be missed as one is traveling north, amazing as it is when first seen. As it turns out, it's called the Dutch Creek Hoo-doos, named after the small Dutch Creek as its base, and has a hiking trail on its back (north) side. It's a steady climb up, probably at least a milel, but worth the trek once you get up there and look out over the Columbia Valley and wetlands. Here are a few shots of them and the view from the top.

Here lies the Columbia Lake where the mighty Columbia River begins its 1200-mile journey as the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. This is where it begins, and from here, it heads a little further north through British Columbia, then turns southward, entering the United States in Washington before emptying into the Pacific Ocean in Astoria, Oregon. What a trip, man!

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the town of Radium Hot Springs is a hub for Kootenay Natl Park and has the best hot springs in the area. But another feature in this quaint little town is Rolf the woodcarver and his prominently-placed '"house" located on a you-can't-miss-it corner heading into Kootenay. It gets a lot of attention, appears to have been featured on the TV show "Weird Homes" and charges a small admission fee from those brave enough to enter the confines of this conglomeration of lopsided walkways and walls made mainly of panel doors. Inside, there are wood carvings and more wood carvings, and old wood-carving tools that don't much seem to be taken care of. There are piles of wood from which the wood carvings are made and oh! goats. There are goats. Two that I saw. Tamed goats. Visitors can feed them. Rolf has been featured in local magazines and brochures on Radium...he's the one with the long beard and wearing a tall red cone hat. You can't miss him...or his weird house. Here are some pictures taken both inside and out. Caution: Don't even try to make sense of anything you may see. It will probably just be a lost cause.