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The Source of Alpha Spring Liard River Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada |
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The lower spring is known as Alpha. The water wells up in a narrow pool, too hot to bathe in, and flows down a hundred feet or so of stream channel, cooling gradually. At the far end a small tributary of cold water comes in from the opposite direction, affording a choice of temperatures from scalding hot to a bit on the chilly side. The water is crystal clear with an ethereal blue-green tint. There is a sharp sulfurous, metallic smell at the source, but, unlike some sulfurous springs, the smell doesn't linger on your skin. The US Army used the springs during construction of the Alaska Highway, both for R&R and for the more practical purpose of heating greenhouses to grow vegetables. It is now protected as a British Columbia Provincial Park. Next: Alpha Pool |