THE KOOTENAYS - British Columbia: Including the Alaska Highway - page 448

INVERMERE AND VICINITY
The next area to lure travelers off Highway 93/95 is large and busy Windermere Lake.
Overlooking the lake's north end, Invermere (pop. 4,200) is the commercial center of the
Columbia Valley. The area was the site of an 1807 trading post set up by David Thompson
to trade with Kootenay (a small plaque along the road to Wilmer marks the exact spot), the
first such post along the Columbia River. The original lakefront town site is now a popular
recreation spot, where a pleasant grassy area dotted with picnic tables runs right down to a
sandy beach and the shallow waters of the lake. It's on the left as you travel along the In-
vermere access road. As you approach the town itself, consider a stop at Windermere Val-
ley Museum (222 6th Ave., 250/342-9769, 10am-4pm daily June-Aug., donation), where
the history of the valley is contained in seven separate buildings. The main street itself (7th
Ave.) is lined with restored heritage buildings and streetlights bedecked with hanging bas-
kets overflowing with colorful flowers.
Practicalities
On a Saturday morning in downtown Invermere, you'll find all sorts of goodies at the
outdoor market, which happens right on the main street. Farther down the hill, Quality
Bakery (250/342-9913, 7:30am-6pm Mon.-Sat., 10am-4pm Sun., lunches $7-11) lives up
to its name with a huge range of healthy sandwiches and not-so-healthy cakes and pastries.
Along the highway, just south of the Invermere turnoff, is the Invermere Visitor Centre
(651 Hwy. 93/95, 250/342-2844, www.cvchamber.ca.com , 9am-5pm daily July-early Sept.,
8:30am-4:30pm Mon.-Fri. early Sept.-June).
Panorama Mountain Village
In the Purcell Mountains immediately west of Invermere, Panorama (250/342-6941 or
800/663-2929, www.panoramaresort.com ) is an ambitious year-round resort and residential
development highlighted by a ski resort and challenging Greywolf Golf Course (250/
341-4100; greens fees $129), where the signature sixth hole, “the Cliffhanger,” requires an
accurate tee shot across a narrow canyon to a green backed by towering cliffs. During the
warmer months, there are also chairlift rides, white-water rafting and inflatable kayak trips
down Toby Creek, and horseback riding. In the village itself you'll find tennis, a climbing
wall, and a network of connected hot pools.
Skiing first put Panorama on the map, mainly because the resort boasts one of North
America's highest vertical rises (1,200 meters/3,940 feet). Lift tickets are adult $78, senior
$66, child $32. The village is also home to R. K. Heli-Ski (250/342-3889 or 800/661-6060,