HEADBANGER FESTIVAL
Radium Hot Springs has more than just rams
Typically, when I need to do some headbanging, I scroll through my playlist and settle on some Sabbath. Maybe some Slayer. And I’ve always liked the Scorpions. OK, to be completely honest, I listen to, on average, about 4.7 heavy metal songs per decade. I actually prefer to watch headbanging. Especially in Radium Hot Springs during the annual fall Headbanger Festival.
Yes, the nice thing about this particular headbanging extravaganza (it took place this past weekend, Nov. 1-3) is that you do not need to belong to an unruly herd of longhaired, freaky people to participate. But if you happen to belong to a herd of bighorn sheep — and you are a male and you have big spiral horns and you want to prove your mojo so you can mate — you can definitely do some headbanging. You might, in that case, challenge another male to a duel of dominance whereby you will size him up, lower your head (he will do likewise), and charge into his horn-adorned upper ramparts with a force that is at least 10 times more powerful than the most bone-crushing football collision you’ve ever seen.
Then the one of you that is left least confused can continue with the rutting process (it’s complicated, but when the ewes enter the scene there is also sniffing involved and the rest of what happens I don’t really care to describe).
So, as you may have gathered, viewing this testosterone-fuelled showmanship can be kinda interesting. Just hearing it can be alarming. So, during the Headbanger Festival (think smallish event with, maybe, a couple hundred participants) they incorporate a number of opportunities to venture out to view the famous Radium herd, which, at last count, numbers about 125 animals.
Interestingly, the golf course is typically the best place to witness the herd during the fall rut. The sheep really enjoy the scenic and strategic elements of the course, the challenging par-3s, and the, well, no, they don’t. But they do feel safe on the course and have plenty of food, shelter, and space. (However, unlike most golfers, they do actually like the bunkers.) But, perhaps most importantly, the spacious corridors on the golf course provide ample sight lines to get an early warning if a predatory animal (one of their main threats) is in the vicinity. Cougars, wolves, bobcats, coyotes, and golden eagles, which have been known to attack lambs, are natural predators. Obviously, people and cars are another considerable threat to the herd, whose numbers have been declining fairly consistently over the years.
During the weekend-long festival attendees can also enjoy interpretive walks hosted by local wildlife experts, culinary events, painting workshops, group drum circles, and presentations and workshops from Parks Canada personnel. This year a new addition to the festival was an opportunity to view the stunning films from the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. And, unquestionably, one of the highlights of the festival is the keynote dinner.
This year renowned Alberta conservationist Brian Keating, who is an honorary conservation adviser with the Calgary Zoo, wowed the crowd with his jaw-dropping images and stories from some of the most far-flung regions on the planet. Keating, who travels the world and does about 50 speaking engagements per year, always enlightens and entertains on wildlife themes wherever the road takes him.
However, a visit to Radium Hot
Springs in the quiet shoulder season can — and should — incorporate more than “headbanging.” Squeezed between the snow-dipped Purcells and the “Blue Canadian Rockies,” the village of Radium Hot Springs is, first and foremost, famous for its historic hot pools. Situated just a couple of kilometres from town, the Radium Hot Springs Pools, in Kootenay National Park, are easily one of the top hot springs to visit in North America.
Interestingly, it’s common for soakers to gaze up on the mountainsides surrounding the pool and view bighorn sheep in their natural habitat. The pools, which are owned and operated by Parks Canada, are currently undergoing extensive renovations, mainly to the ramps and the change rooms, and will reopen on Nov. 18.
Hiking is definitely a popular activity in every season in Radium Hot Springs. The Old Coach Trail, which rims the spectacular Columbia Valley Wetlands, as well as the peaceful trails along Sinclair Creek are excellent options in winter and the shoulder seasons. Often, as you pass through the soaring cliff walls of Sinclair Canyon and enter Radium, you can leave the bitter cold and snow behind and enjoy the more moderate climate in the valley.
Mountain biking (my son, Nelson, 16, and I did The Johnson trail in Invermere, an epic intermediate ride that skirts hoodoos and rims the spectacular Toby Creek Canyon) is also something that can, often, be done right into December in the Radium/invermere area.
For your accommodation, especially if you really want to be lazy and do nothing but watch the sheep, by far the best place to stay is at the luxurious Bighorn Meadows Resort, which is in the heart of hoof-pounding, horn-hammering action at the Springs Golf Course. And, incidentally, from this hot tub you can also, often, watch the sheep.
Regardless if soaking, shopping, or striding through the canyon trail system is on your itinerary, a visit to the once-a-year Headbanger Festival in Radium Hot Springs is certainly reason enough to make the three-hour trip west of Calgary. While you won’t encounter mosh pits and Metallica-fuelled mayhem, you will, with a bit of luck, have an opportunity to witness the fall rut spectacle. (The rut typically runs from August to November, but head-butting can actually be witnessed year-round.) But, remember, keep your distance. And, if you’re a little squeamish, you may want to look the other way during certain “moments.”
The one of you that is left least confused can continue with the rutting process (it’s complicated, but when the ewes enter the scene there is also sniffing involved and the rest of what happens I don’t really care to describe) … Viewing this testosterone-fuelled showmanship can be kinda interesting. Andrew Penner