Skookumchuck H/S, St. Agnes

[Kim_S]

Here's a bit more clarification on Bulldozer Tom's post about passport requirements.

If you are traveling between the U.S. and Canada after June 1 2009, you will need a "Passport Card" if you are traveling by land or sea. You will need a "Passport" if you are entering or leaving by Air.

In either case, a special form must be completed, two 2 by 2 printed photos of each person, along with birth certificates and drivers license/ID must all be taken to a Passport Acceptance Center to get your Passport Card. Most post offices are Acceptance Centers and appointments are usually necessary.

[scottief]

i was up there last week. It was closed the weekend before the caretaker told me. Half of the camp area near the springs is closed off due to archeological dig to find artificats from the old hotel. That is what the caretaker told us. He also said there is going to be big changes in the near future to make look like meager creek hotsprings.

[Bulldozer]

Hi Bulldozer
I noticed you were talking about going up the first weekend in May
You might want to try and find out if the Indians have the Hot springs closed that weekend.
Were were up there last year and we couldn't get in I believe they said that they have the hot springs reserved for the 1st weekend every year in may for Tribal Ceremonies

I've heard(un-confirmed) that this might be in August this year. Fortunately I usually have other interests,,,fishing, hiking, photo. Would be a shame not to get a soak in thou. I've been wanting to fish Whiskey lake between Skookumchuck and Sloquet, any one tried it?
My full tour is somewhat earlier and snow is my biggest stumble. The road through to Harrison (Hwy 7) and the road into Meager H/s is still blocked from what I gather.

[trevor_n_jane]

We hit Skookumchuck on the way to Sloquet this last week. New fee schedule is as follows:
Camping First Night $10 caming fee+ $10/adult soaking fee (additional days are $10 camping + $5/adult)
Day Use $5/adult soaking fee

We had a ground hornets nest in our campsite which we luckily discovered before the sun hit the ground, keep an eye out along the river bank (North site).

New cedar tub was a pleasant surprise, as was the repaired large tub. The new caretaker has said the site has been aproved for redevelopment, which means these may all be removed and replaced with potentially "meager-style" concrete tubs. The grounds around the pools have been improved, nice natural looking flow paths, as opposed to the slate canals from a year ago, with great vegetation and slow water travel.

[Bulldozer]

Did a few days at Skookumchuck Oct 4-8/09. Just missed the heavy rains and had magnificent sunshine most of the dayz and clear moonlit skies by night. Several campers, overnighters and longstay, road in was good. Getting cold at night, I saw the ice starting to form on the deck around the pools so I chased it off with some hot mineral water.

[jjb]

Was there for a Sat/Sun soak this past weekend. Road in was in great shape, all the tubs were in great shape, and the new cedar tub is quite comfy. The caretaker cleans them every morning it looks like, but don't forget your cash, he's very on top of collecting it. Even tried to extract cash from a local native couple, until he found out who they were related to!

Looks like there will be another tub going in just below the covered one, standpipes and a little deck have been built.

Lots of folks there, tubs were crowded sat eve, but emptied out around midnight. More bathing suits than I remember and one group tried to tell us we couldn't soak in 'their' half empty tub... some hard drinkers but the majority were quite friendly and looked after themselves.

[Kim_S]

Welcome to the forum jjb, and thanks for the update! What does the caretaker normally charge?

[Guncho]

I can't remember exactly but it was like $50 for four people to camp for the night and soak.

PS Any way to move the SAVE button to the far right. I click on it everytime.

[Bulldozer]

Thought forsure I had the rates posted on the website somewhere, can't find them anywhere...
So here goes as I recall them.
$5/person soaking DAY-USE, thats $5 for the one day visit. If your planning on staying the night an xtra $5 is tacked on for the first nights soaking per person. Additional night fees are not charged, only for the first night.
Camping is $10 per site/per Vehicle, each vehicle on site gets a $10 charge. Not including trailers, trail bikes, etc...

For a couple in one car staying the week-end, Friday to Sunday.
4 x daysoaking fee= $20, 2 people at $5 each/day for 2 dayz.
2 x Night soaking fee =$10(first night only)
1 vehicle and tent for 2 nights = $20
Amounts to $50 for a 2 day week-end away for you and your partner.

[Kim_S]

Thanks Tom for the info! Kim

[jjb]

Those are the rates we paid.
Well worth it, y?
The 'caretaker' we met there ranks a little higher than custodian in his commitment to hot springs and may have a post or two on this forum =)

Thanks for the welcome kim. we're just starting out with our soaking addiction and it seems a fine community to be a part of.

We've planned a foray down oregon way at the end of this month, maybe we'll meet a few more soakers then.

[Guncho]

Yeah the caretaker is a really nice guy and I totally enjoyed the brief history lesson and tour he gave us.

[Guitarist]

Are things all clear for Canada Day weekend? If the site is booked up when we arrive possibly Friday, do you know of some other good camping up the road? I can't wait to revisit these hot springs, it's been four years! Ainsworth is still my favorite having grown up in the Kootenays, sorry Agnes;)

[Bulldozer]

Guitarist; as of earlier this week all is well at Skookumchuck, (from a very good source who posted on the "other" website. It was working for awhile again.)

It is first come, first served and does get very crowded at times. Not as bad as in the past.

As for other campsites nearby your passing 4 good forestry campgrounds on the way in from Pemberton, same fee of $10/night camping if they are operating yet, I expect they will be, otherwise it's free.
The road in from the Harrison end(Hwy.7) is still blown out and closed. Also camping at Sloquet H/s. expect a fee also, don't expect to have that to yourself either. Although the extra mileage & time having to come around from the Pemberton end does deter many. Kinda nice camping spot @ Whiskey lake, between Skookumchuck and Sloquet. Big drawback here is the power lines overhead, constant buzzing and if your parked directly under them in the open you get zapped everytime you touch your vehicle. Camping is at the Skookumchuck end of the lake down a small road away from powerlines. Hard bushwhack access to the lake, bring water, no facilities at all.

[Pembertonguy]

Just spreading the word, Meager will open as of Monday July 4th

[juniperpansy]

We rented a Mercury Grand Marquis went to St. Agnes the other day. We drove the whole way at about 40 km/h. But sadly, about 20 km from St. Agnes we got a flat tire. We were able to drive back to Lilloet Lake Lodge where a good Samaritan helped us city folk put on our doughnut wheel. But that ended our little hot spring getaway...
From everything I've read it should have been perfectly easy to get to St. Agnes in a ordinary 2WD but pretty much all the traffic we saw in the logging road were trucks and SUVs...
Did we just have really bad luck, or should of we rented a 4WD vehicle instead?

Thanks,
Juniper

[Bulldozer]

Myself I'm of the impression you had a bit of bad luck. Unless you rented from Rent A Wreck or something like that. Usually newer car = newer tires.
I suspect you hit a sharp rock in one of the new construction area's, they have a way of puncturing a good tire...Even on trucks n SUVs. Including mine. Unfortunate but it happens, this time it was your turn...
(x Fingers Crossed x )
4WD is not necessary for Skookumchuck with the exception of winter time, maybe. You should easily reach Sloquet also on that road this time of year.
Did you drive back to Lilloett lake lodge on a flat tire? Musta been shredded... Anyway better luck next time, I guess. Sorry.

[Redd75]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck, Juniperpansy. What a drag. We went up last week for the first time and may have used up all the luck that stretch o' road had in reserve!

We were under the impression that we were slightly crazy to be attempting the trek in our early-90s Toyota Corolla (crazy = confirmed) but we were just so desperate to escape the city we were willing to drive 10km/hr (even SLOWER in some parts!) to get there. The driver played "thread-the-needle" around the potholes the entire way, while I was on "sharp rock alert" duty. There were some parts we could "rev it up" to 40km, but for the most part we were truckin' along under 20km.

Crawling along would have been embarrassing if the beauty of the springs didn't warrant such craziness. The locals and other drivers looked at us with either bewilderment or amusement - we made sure to follow awesome road-etiquette the whole way, and pulled over to wave everyone past us. The only people I felt bad for were the construction workers who have to stop at the top of every hour to let traffic through both ways... nothing like watching ten SUVs/trucks fly by you and then hear over the radio there's a little corolla still picking its way through your section

We definitely plan on travelling in a vehicle with high clearance and good tires our next visit, especially if it's later in fall.

I am so incredibly grateful for the entire experience - I think the "other" forum had a thread where a local resident posted, and I'll head over there to thank her and her community for being so incredibly accommodating towards the endless string of visitors we encountered. I definitely wanted to thank everyone in this forum for filling the gaps in our research (especially for all the pricing info, Bulldozer!) as I'm not sure I would have felt confident venturing out without the personal accounts and updated details.

NOW WHEN DO WE GET TO GO BACK!?!?! =)

[Bulldozer]

One thing I didn't mention in my last post was the possibility of a price increase @ Skookumchuck H/s. "PembertonGuy" touched on the subject in another post(Meager H/s.). Possible price increases to those posted earlier. It has not been confirmed but do bring xtra $$$ just incase. "Redd75" may have the latest on that subject...
Is it the new Harmonized Sales Tax(HST)? or an opportunity to increase the fee?

Harmonize/Harmonious; (1)Forming a pleasing or consistent whole. (2) Free from disagreement or ill-feeling (3) Sweet sounding, tuneful.
How on earth does Harmony and Tax end up in the same breath?

[BNMac]

Is it the new Harmonized Sales Tax(HST)? or an opportunity to increase the fee?

Harmonize/Harmonious; (1)Forming a pleasing or consistent whole. (2) Free from disagreement or ill-feeling (3) Sweet sounding, tuneful.
How on earth does Harmony and Tax end up in the same breath?

That would be called Diplomacy - the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a nice way that they actually look forward to the trip!