West Coast Adventures - Harrison Hot Springs


	West Coast Adventures is an exciting television series about fun, travel and adventure in beautiful British Columbia.
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HARRISON HOT SPRINGS

Harrison Hot Springs, BC
by Susie Lee

The charming village of Harrison Hot Springs is set against beautiful snow capped mountains and the spectacular Harrison Lake, the largest body of fresh water in south western British Columbia. According to popular legend, the hot springs in this area were discovered in the late 1800’s when a cold prospector fell off his canoe into the lake in the cold of winter. To his surprise, he discovered that the water is warm!

Today, this community is best known for its hot springs and water sports activities.

HARRISON WATER SPORTS

Harrison Water Sports is conveniently located right in front of the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa. This facility offers just about anything for water lovers, from water skiing to wake boarding, from Sea-Doos to bumber boats. I had the great opportunity to try some of these fun water adventures.

SEA-DOO

I was very excited as I left the dock on my Sea-Doo, but I had to contain my speed and excitement through the shallow waters. After I passed the depth marker, I began to increase my speed up to forty miles per hour, making my way across the white capped waters of the lake. Being able to zip along the lake with the rejuvenating wind on my face and the mountains and forests as my backdrop truly made for a remarkable experience. One thing I loved to do was jumping over the wakes created by the Sea-Doo - I loved the feeling of being in mid-air, even if only for a moment! What a fun way to explore beautiful Harrison Lake.

BUMPER BOATS

The bumper boats are inner tube shaped watercrafts that work like bumper cars. They can be enjoyed alone or in a group. For even more fun, the boats are equipped with motorized water guns. In my adventure, I had a great time playing with some local teenagers. I can’t remember laughing so hard as we bumped and squirted water at each other! If you play video games, then you will have no problem with the hand-eye coordination in navigating, spraying, and dodging other boats all at the same time.

BANANA TUBE

I had the honor of sitting in the front row on the Banana Tube. This yellow tube (ergo the name banana) is an inflatable, recreational boat that is towed by a ski boat. The driver pulls the riders in the tube through sharp turns and huge waves! This ride is usually boat driver versus the tube riders. The driver will try to get the riders to fall into the water while the riders try to stay on the tube through the twists and turns. There were a couple of times I lost my grip from all the bounces and found myself hanging on to the person beside me. Many times the force of the drag cause me to lose my grip on the handle. I unintentionally did a backward swan dive and skipped like a rock across the waters before I sank into the lake. Luckily, they came back for me!

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA

In 1858, Joseph Armstrong's forty dollars bought him forty acres of land at the southern shore of Harrison Lake, known as St. Alice Springs. He then built St. Alice Hotel and a bath house on this property. The springs began attracting many guests to stay at the hotel for one dollar a night with an additional twenty-five cents to bathe in the warm mineral waters. In 1920, the hotel mysteriously burnt down and six years later the hotel was rebuilt and adopted the new name, Harrison Hot Springs Hotel. Today it is called The Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa.

THE HOT SPRINGS

The resort has a total of 5 mineral pools for its guests to enjoy. The water from the Hot Springs are treated, cooled and pumped into these pools. There are two indoor and three outdoor pools, each one with a different temperature. As I swam and soaked at the various pools, the water relaxed my joints and muscles. I felt as though my everyday worries were being washed away.

THE SPA

Early the next morning after a restful night at the resort, I visited the Healing Springs Spa at the resort for further pampering. I walked into a private and serene treatment room where I was to be treated for a hot stone massage. The massage therapist placed hot and cold stones along the energy centers of my body; down my back, underneath the palm of my hand and on the bottom of my feet. The hot and cold temperatures penetrated deep down to my muscles and lingered long after they were placed. She also gave me a full body massage using heated stones. At the end of the treatment, I also got another chance to soak in the mineral hot spring waters, this time in my own private pool. Needless to say, I felt like a million bucks afterwards!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I believe that as with all things in life, there is a need for balance of activity and rest. Rest for our body, mind and spirit is a crucial element in the restoration and balance of our well-being. My visit to Harrison Hot Springs gave me the perfect combination of activity and rest that will definitely have me coming back for more!

FUN FACTS

At the source of the two naturally occurring hot springs located 300 meters to the northwest of the Resort along the lakeshore, the "Potash" spring has a temperature of 40 degrees C / 120 degrees F) and the "Sulphur" spring has a temperature of 65 degrees C / 150 degrees F. The water is piped to the Resort then filtered, cooled and chlorinated prior to filling the pools.
Analysis of the hot springs indicates that there are 8 different minerals: Potassium Chloride, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Sulphate, Magnesium Sulphate, Calcium Sulphate, Calcium Bi-Carbonate, Iron Bi-Carbonate and Sulphurated Hydrogen.
(source: www.harrisonresort.com)

ADVENTURE TIPS

If you are not staying at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, you can still enjoy the Hot Springs Water at the Public Pool.
During the Harrisand Sand Sculpting Competition held each year after the labour day weekend in September, hotels in the village are often fully booked. Be sure to book way in advance if you want to visit Harrison during this time.
Harrison Water Sports operates seasonally. Check their website below for their operational times.
As featured on the show, a fun and great way to explore the village is through renting a quadracycle at Jamie’s Quadracylce Rentals. Check below for more information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa
100 Esplanade Avenue
Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia
Telephone: (604) 796-2244
Toll Free: 1-800-663-2266
www.harrisonresort.com

Harrison Watersports Inc.
Telephone number: (604) 796-2244 ext. 299
Hours of Operation: 7 days, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
www.harrisonwatersports.com