Radius Retreat Round Two
We were super stoked to return to Radius Retreat for the full glamping experience. First, our adventure began with cooler temperatures and the ability to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over an open fire. Yay! Second, we packed smarter and purchased a few helpful items. This Victoria Day long weekend we were ready for some serious R&R.
Getting There
If you are unsure of how to get to Radius Retreat please click into our previous post linked here.
Bear Territory
There is a 15-kilometre stretch of highway just before arriving at Radium Hot Springs where you are not allowed to stop driving. The bears have woken from their winter slumber and are out and about. Consequently, there are rest areas closed as well. In the last few kilometres before reaching the hot springs, we saw a grizzly bear on the left side of the road. He was followed at a safe distance by a park warden in a truck. This was likely to ensure everyone’s safety – bear and human alike.
Moments later, we saw two black bear cubs on the right side of the highway. A short distance further, an adult black bear grazed on the left side of the highway. It was incredible! We haven’t seen this many bears since we were in Jasper a few years ago.
Radius Retreat
Upon arrival, we entered the gate code and drove up the winding road to the parking lot. There were no warnings on the messages board indicating bear sightings on the property, which was a relief. Regardless, we were vigilant about bear safety and had bear spray at arm’s length all weekend.
What’s New?
Radius Retreat added two new yurts to their property for a total of ten available units. New are The Hill and The Eyrie. Check out their links and see their location on the map.
Additionally, they have added a retreat yurt called The Circle. The full creation of this area was stalled due to COVID, but the owners were hard at work preparing for a wedding the following week. The Circle is a massive 30-foot yurt. Outdoors they have a concert stage, a kitchen area for food preparation, a sink station and two vermiculture humanure outhouses. They’ve done a wonderful job of making this a beautiful outdoor space complete with patio lights and planted perennials.
Packing Pay-off
In our second adventure to the yurt, we made several adjustments to our packing list. This time, we brought a water jug to reduce the number of times we had to return to the parking lot to get water from the pump. Additionally, we purchased a collapsible wagon from Costco. That was just the ticket. It only took two trips to get all our gear to the yurt. We still huffed and puffed after pulling a full wagon up 400 metres, but it was SO much easier at 15C than at 30C. We highly recommend getting your hands on a wagon for this type of glamping.
The Roost
When we booked the weekend, we decided to stick with what we knew and booked the same yurt as before. We loved the acres of privacy it provided as well as the deck that overlooks the meadow.
Our first stop was at the bear hang where we unloaded two small coolers, our food, and toiletries. Next, we carried on to the picnic table/fire area and dropped off our dishes bin, hatchet, and reflective chair covers. These were especially nice in the cooler weather. Finally, at the yurt we unloaded our sleeping bags, pillows, and clothes. We had arrived! Our home-away-from-home for the weekend.
Fire Therapy
If you love camping, there’s a good chance fire therapy has a lot to do with that. Who isn’t mesmerized by watching a fire crackle and burn? We really missed this aspect of the adventure in August. Beside the cooking area you will find plenty of cut wood, sheltered in a dry space. All you need to bring is a hatchet to cut kindling to start your fire.
We lit a fire the night we arrived and had one burning for much of the weekend. It’s important to note you do have to extinguish the fire if you leave your site or at night when you go to bed. After all, no one wants to be the person to start a forest fire.
Cool Nights
I’m not going to lie, it was chilly at night. However, inside the yurt is a small pot-bellied stove that is used for heating the space and it worked beautifully. It’s important to note that the stove is for nothing else. No coffee, no warming socks on – nada.
Once the sun set, we lit the fire in the stove and played Yahtzee. The yurt remained warm until after we fell asleep. While the air is crisp in the morning, it’s nothing a hoodie and long pants can’t fix.
Trip Tip: Bring easy slip-on shoes and have a jacket at the ready for night time trips to the outhouse. Hooks are provided by the door.
Morning Glory
Though the mornings were cool, the gorgeously clear air, blue sky, and puffy clouds made up for it. We could hear a train horn off in the distance and the birds were especially lively. While one of us got the fire started the other put water on for coffee. We had our books ready and started our day reading by the fire.
There’s an App for That
While we enjoyed the warmth by the fire, we couldn’t help but marvel at the birdsong around us. Char pulled out her phone and started pointing in the direction of certain sounds and telling me what kind of bird it was. There’s an app for that!
We listened to Dark-eyed Junco’s, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Dusky Fly Catchers, Western Tanager and Chipping Sparrows. Even if you’re not a birder, this is a fun app to have. This audio clip was taken from the app. The bird song is audible as well as the crackling of the fire.
Trip Tip: Download the free bird identifier app – Merlin Bird ID
In addition to pausing to listen to birdsong, we also stopped to look closely at the nature around us.
Unplugged
Whenever we set out on these camping adventures, we like to go unplugged. We had our phones and those only worked until the battery died. Although we were happy to have them for identifying birds they were turned off for the day. You can always return to your vehicle to charge your phone, but we didn’t bother. Our lives are technology-driven, and we were happy to be on a time-out for the weekend. Instead, we read, tried an escape board game, and played several rounds of Yahtzee and Cribbage. Just what we needed.
It’s worth noting here that the yurts do not have electricity. To clarify, they do have a couple of small solar lights. By all means bring along a lantern or flashlight if you plan to read or play games inside. Further, check out the Radius Retreat website for a comprehensive packing list.
Take a Hike!
There are several paths you can take to go for a hike. The watering hole is a must.
Trip Tip: It’s always good to bring a water bottle and your bear spray when hiking.
It’s fair to say that any hike on this property is going to involve elevation gain. Some more than others. We hiked the Elk Trail. Whenever we took breaks from uphill exertion, we enjoyed the flora along the way.
Nature Came Calling
At dinner on Sunday, while sitting at the picnic table, Char looked over my shoulder in earnest. This is a bit creepy if you are the one with your back to whatever the heck is behind you. Bears were my immediate thought, but Char was not having a conniption so I knew it was something else. Instead, and with relief, there were three of these cuties visiting our private meadow.
Rolling on Out
Overall, there was a bit of rain on arrival night but otherwise, we had a clear comfortable weekend. We had the full experience of the yurt this time and it was amazing. Going forward, I’m not sure if tent camping will measure up after this glamping experience. Incidentally, rolling downhill with the wagon made the departure so much easier.
On the Road Again
As with swankier accommodations, check-out is at 11 am. This put us on the road with hundreds (thousands?) of others heading back to the city. On our way home we saw two more black bears in Kootenay National Park. I guess that’s springtime in the mountains.
Comments welcome!
In closing, we’d love to hear from you. Have you ventured out to one of the places we’ve written about? Was something helpful in our write-up? Maybe you know of a super cool place we should visit? Just drop us a comment below or send us an email.
Until our next adventure….