Banff Hot Springs and Horseback Riding, Alberta

I’m a big fan of hot springs, whenever, wherever. From Lake Louise, the group of us made our way to Banff, Alberta, where a dip in the Banff hot springs was in order.

The Banff Upper Hot Springs is a public pool that gets well used. For $7.30 CAD plus $1.90 for a towel rental, you can soak for as long or as little as you’d like. Three of us decided to take advantage of the pool (the others took the Banff Gondola up to see the 360 degree views). The water was set to 35 degrees, which is cooler than most days, but it was still nice and hot for my tired body.

Horseback Riding in Banff, Alberta (Canada).

After a sufficient amount of steeping, it was time for a horseback ride (that’s some kind of natural progression, huh?). We make the quick drive to the Holiday on Horseback tour company in Banff and got saddled up.

My horse Adaire was so well-behaved while we passed lakes, plotted through forests and climbed up a steep hill. But as we started to descend and head back to the ranch, he began acting restless with just walking and ended up ramming my right knee into a tree.

After the blinding pain, I got dizzy and thought I might pass out. Luckily, I stayed conscious and kept on Adaire, who was, of course, completely unaware of my plight. There was still an hour and a half of trail ride left.

I kept moving my knee to try and keep it loose, but on a rest stop, another horse came up to me and began using my knee as a scratch post! I was in too much pain to cry out, my throat seized up and my body froze. When he was finished, I thought I might really pass out.

Getting off the horse at the end of the ride was challenging, as I couldn’t put much weight on my leg. I hobbled around and it did loosen up quickly and I knew then that there wasn’t any serious damage, just a nasty bruise and some lost skin.

What I Liked:

• Dipping into hot springs during the day is such a great way to give the body a relaxing treat.
• I can’t say I’m a rider, but I do love to get up on a horse for a peaceful trail ride. There’s just something about their powerful legs that soothes me. Well, aside from the fact that my sit bones always get bruised…
• My knee healed quite nicely (see tomorrow’s post) and the bruise lasted for less than a week.    

Tags: AB, Alberta, banff, Banff Hot Springs, Banff Upper Hot Springs, canada, Holiday on Horseback, Horseback Riding, tour company