Soaring in Invermere

Last fall when Andrew and I were in Invermere, standing on the paragliding launch of Mt. Swansea, we got buzzed by a local sailplane flying by the summit. It intrigued us! Andrew later mentioned it was something he would love to do sometime. Christmas shopping list - check!

Awesome view of Mt. Assiniboine in the distance

The Invermere Soaring Centre is home to several world record flights and certainly the views from up high can't be beat! Once the glider is released from the tow plane, the basic idea is very similar to paragliding -- find the ridge lift and thermals. Sometimes it seemed like the wing was so close to the terrain! Our pilot, Trevor, has over 23 years of experience though so I didn't think there was much to worry about. 

The 007 on the plane confirmed this was the same one we'd seen and taken photos of last fall. 

I insisted Andrew go first as it was his Christmas present. Trevor headed north with him, just past Radium. On my flight, he headed south past Fairmont. Each flight was about an hour long and, for me at least, the highlight was seeing Mt. Assiniboine in the distance. Andrew got a bit of lesson and got to fly the plane for a short while as well. I declined the offer due to feeling a bit light headed and claustrophobic by that time in the flight.

It had been fairly cloudy in the days leading up to this and I'm so glad we waited for a clearer day. Definitely a fun thing to do in Invermere and worth the wait!

Things in the LZ

When paragliding, you always check out the LZ before your flight. Where's the wind sock (or flagging) that will show wind direction? Where are the hazards (fences, power lines, trees, etc.)? You're not looking at the details, only the big things that could affect your landing.

But when on the injured list you have the opportunity to inspect things further while waiting for your partner to land. Here's a few things I saw in the Swansea landing zone.

Killdeer hiding in the grass or speeding through the air.

The osprey squawking from her high perch.

Sparrows flittering about.

Relics from times past.

Flowers (or weeds?)

The sound of rushing water.

And a good partner will keep an eye on the wind sock and report approximate wind speed and direction to the pilot as they come in, just in case it has changed since they went up to launch. Windsocks or flagging are notoriously difficult to see from the air before it's already past decision time! Having said that, a pilot's vario will give them wind direction information as well. 

And then there are the things, like a bright pink bra at the base of the wind sock pole, that make you scratch your head and say "Hmmm???" Perhaps someone was really excited about a good flight??

Flying Swansea

Andrew has managed to get a few flights off Swansea in Invermere over the past few days, as the weather has gradually improved. The first day was a short flight between rain showers but he managed to get in some longer ones, including an evening flight.

It's been great for him (not so great for me) that I've been on the injured list as I can drive him part way up to launch. The van would likely make it all the way but he wanted to get in a bit of hiking (45 minutes vs about 1.5 hrs from the bottom) and it wouldn't be the greatest for the van going further as the road got steeper and more rutted. At least the van has more clearance than our Prius!

Here's just a few random shots from his flights.

Paddling Invermere to Radium

Looking for something to do in Invermere? A leisurely paddle down the Columbia River to Radium is a great idea! Columbia River Paddle supplies all the gear (guides too if you want) and pick you up at Radium to transport you back to your vehicle.

Since it's not the greatest paragliding conditions here right now, we decided this was an opportunity to see some of the river.

The first part of the trip is by the wetlands which we would have loved to spend more time exploring.

Although it was a fairly cloudy day, a few turtles were out sunning themselves.

We were fortunate to see several bald eagles along the route. Although taking photos of them was a challenge, especially once we got to the faster flowing part of the river.

Invermere is also well known for glider flights. Something we are also looking into doing while we're here.

We meandered quite leisurely the first couple hours, first through the wetlands area and when the current picked up we barely had to paddle. 

But then the wind picked up, against the current of course, and we had to put some muscle into it. Luckily the few spits of rain didn't amount too much. 

This bald eagle had caught a fish and was carefully guarding it from the magpies trying to distract him from it. The eagle looks rather wet in this photo and a couple just ahead of us in kayaks had seen the eagle dragging the fish across the water. Apparently eagles talons will not release until it drops its prey on the ground and many eagles have drowned because what they caught was too heavy for them.

I'm sure Andrew got some better photos of this guy so I'll link to his post once done.

It was fun seeing the train so close to the water and reminded me of the many train trips Andrew and I have taken. 

A great day out! Four hours from start to finish.

Talus Rock Retreat

Even though we have the van now, we do still treat ourselves once in a while! After a few days with no showers, we were headed towards Sandpoint, Idaho, and a google search turned up Talus Rock Retreat. An absolutely gorgeous, locally-owned B&B just on the outskirts of the city. 

The attention to detail in the door is reflected throughout the home. 

Common living room area with kitchen where coffee, tea etc. is always on offer and where breakfast is served.

It was really interesting to read, in their in-room info book, about how some of the features and items in the house (many from the scrap heap) came to be re-used there. For example, the carousel horse in the above photo purchased after a low-ball offer at an antique store even though there wasn't a clear idea yet on where it would go in the home. It seems to have found the perfect spot!

Gorgeous view

Shed uniquely built into the landscaping

Chicken coop

There were at least two larger dogs and five puppies running around!

Chickens out for a walk

There's a short nature trail around the outskirts of the property.

Andrew got some great photos on our hike which he shows in his "A Walk in the Woods" post. 

A couple tiny houses also for rent.