Grand total 1106 km
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| Armstrong to Calgary |
June 7th – Day 12 (on bike)
Distance and Time: 105.2 km at 4:19
Route: -
Canmore to SW Calgary via the TCH and bike
trails in the city
Starting out in Canmore
We awoke to a few patches of blue sky and
by the time I got going there was brilliant sunshine all around. I decided to go via the TCH since there had
been reports of flooding the day before on the 1A which is the preferred bike
route. That route was open now but we
were told there was still a lot of water and debris on the road. Speaking of floods, my Dad sent me a message
this morning that 142 km of the TCH near Golden was closed yesterday due to a
massive mud slide. Mud and debris covered 400 metres of the TCH and was about three metres
deep. One vehicle was caught in the
slide but the driver escaped and made it to dry ground unharmed. Holy cow – we
just missed it. Gulp! Wouldn’t that have
been something to write about?
Taking the TCH was a good decision since traffic
was light and the shoulders were the best so far – wide and clean. Wayne
came with me for the first 20 km then turned around into the wind and
hills. There is something to be said about
the joy of going in one direction!
Wayne
cycling back
Leaving those beautiful but hairy mountains
behind was a little sad. They were gorgeous and challenging and certainly took my cycle "cockiness" down a notch or two. I sure would have
liked to spend more time in them if the weather had been favourable. Anyway, I fairly
flew into Calgary
with the gradual decline and a brisk breeze at my back. It was strange how quickly they became the
horizon instead of the surroundings.
Looking back
When I passed the Morley Flats area, I
took a long keen look to the north. I’ve just learned that somewhere up
there is an abandoned pioneer ranchland graveyard where the body of Williamina
McBean Bell-Irving lies. She is my
great, great grandmother.
Coming into the city sent my wonderful average down the tubes. Hills and winding bike
paths coupled with only a vague sense of where I was meeting Wayne really slowed me down.
As I mentioned, we are going to hunker down
in Calgary for
a few days, during which I will cycle somewhere to the NE end of the city for a
good eastern getaway position.
Unfortunately it looks like the sun was with us only this one day, as
the forecast calls for more cloud and rain throughout the weekend and
subsequent days. It will be good weather
for visiting RV dealers and looking for a smaller model. I just haven’t been able to get used to the
style, space and drive-ability of this rig.
We’ve come to the conclusion that a camper-van would suit our needs much
better than a motor-home. I’ve struggled
with this and I know many of you would say just to go with the flow and enjoy it but you know me :). Will keep you posted..
Route: Banff to Canmore via the Legacy bike trail and TCH
Distance and time: 24.1 km at 1:07
We spent a leisurely morning in the rain, and met Meghan for coffee at the Wild Flour Cafe. Meghan is a daughter of my dear friend Meredith back home in Kanata, and she and her husband Paul have lived in Banff for several years. It was a such delight to catch up on her news and adventures and learn more about the town from her. Check out Meghan's magazine at: http://highlineonline.ca/ and Paul's photography at: http://zizka.ca/
It looks like we'll be hanging out in Banff for the afternoon as well, since the heavy rainfall continues. Apparently the rain and thunderstorms are quite rare at this time of year! The plan is to cycle to Canmore along the Legacy trail later today if the weather clears, and then head to Calgary tomorrow. We'll park near town for the weekend and cycle in to do errands and visiting.
Update: We prepared to depart Banff during a lull in the rain about mid-afternoon, but by the time I was ready at 4:00 p.m., it had started raining again. I left despite the downpour and got pretty soaked on the way to Canmore, mostly because I didn't wear what Wayne suggested. It was still a pleasant ride, though, along a wide paved bike trail which was fenced for wildlife (meaning bears). I was the only one on the trail and it ended abruptly at the Banff National Park boundary, spilling out directly onto the shoulder of the TCH. I arrived at the Canmore Visitor's Centre to a round of applause from the two ladies working there, which was much appreciated although not really warranted for a mere hour on the bike. Wayne had had lots of time to chat and explain what we were doing.
Stocked up on beer and wine and groceries this afternoon and heading off to bed for a good rest without rain pattering on the roof. Tomorrow's route to Calgary is over 100 km. Reports are that the best cycling route, highway 1A, is flooded and closed in parts. Our fingers are crossed that it has receded a bit. We'll check with the Alberta highway folks first thing in the morning. The good news is a forecast of sun with a high of 19 degrees :).
June 5th – Day 10
Distance and Time: 81.1 km at 4:05
Routes: Kicking Horse pass to Lake Louise via part of
the Great Divide Rd (until closed due to a bear), then to Lake Louise from the
other end of the closure; and onto Banff via the Bow River Parkway and
Vermillion trail.
It poured all night and well into the morning. Off to a late start at noon at the top of Kicking Horse Pass, I started on the Great Divide old highway which is closed to traffic. I was a bit nervous by the isolation, and a roadside porcupine with his hind end raised. Then I got spooked about 9 km into the wilderness by a flashy red tape blocking the road with a bear warning sign (again too nervous to take a picture). Didn't I say earlier that it was wise to err on the side of caution? I took this advice and turned around, despite being close to the end of the road. Luckily I didn't come across the porcupine again, although I worried about him incessantly. I called Wayne and he hauled the RV back up to the pass and we drove down into Lake Louise (again). I've just consulted the fellow in the visitor's centre and I think I did the right thing. The mother bear and two cubs were only spotted yesterday and the road is closed at the town end as well.
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| At Lake Louise end of closed off section |
The rain has subsided but it is still misty and wet. I had great visions of canoeing on Lake Louise and doing some hiking around the area, but those may have to wait for another time. We are about to launch off to Banff, but I might just head up to the town end of the Great Divide Rd to say I did as much as I could. At least I've put more than enough mileage in with the backtracking!
One province down and only eight to go. Good-bye BC. You've provided a beautiful start to the trip, lots of adventure, and some absolutely wonderful people welcoming and helping us along.
The rain held off until late this evening and it is now pouring again, along with some thunder and lightning. I wonder if this is normal in the mountains. Yet the weather was dry for the remainder of the cycle today, and the Bow River Valley Parkway was perfect although there are times when it would be better to have more traffic. I was still spooked from this morning so felt kind of vulnerable on this empty road with a car passing only every ten minutes or so. My odometer seemed to crawl between numbers. About 20 km into a 55 km stretch I came across a very large black bear in the middle of the road ahead. Luckily it was near the only junction on the stretch so there were a couple of cars, and when I backtracked (quickly) down the junction I came across a store and a couple of cyclists stopped for a snack. My fortune was even better because they were going my way and didn’t mind if I tagged along. We saw moose, elk and deer but no more bears, and the miles flew by.
The rain held off until late this evening and it is now pouring again, along with some thunder and lightning. I wonder if this is normal in the mountains. Yet the weather was dry for the remainder of the cycle today, and the Bow River Valley Parkway was perfect although there are times when it would be better to have more traffic. I was still spooked from this morning so felt kind of vulnerable on this empty road with a car passing only every ten minutes or so. My odometer seemed to crawl between numbers. About 20 km into a 55 km stretch I came across a very large black bear in the middle of the road ahead. Luckily it was near the only junction on the stretch so there were a couple of cars, and when I backtracked (quickly) down the junction I came across a store and a couple of cyclists stopped for a snack. My fortune was even better because they were going my way and didn’t mind if I tagged along. We saw moose, elk and deer but no more bears, and the miles flew by.
Cody and Dan are from Nebraska
and are totally self-sufficient cyclists, cycling the continental Great
Divide Trail from Banff to New Mexico, a total of 2800 miles.
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| Cody and Dan |
Wayne had driven into Banff
and cycled back to meet me. We didn’t count on there being a divided part of
the highway, however, so he ended up past us and had to turn around to catch up. From the Bow River Parkway we hooked onto the
Vermillion trail directly into Banff. Our new cycling buddies joined us for a beer
and munchies and then carried on to the Y in downtown Banff.
Even though it was almost 9:00 I convinced Wayne
we needed to go to the hot springs
before supper. It was a bit of heaven for sore aching muscles!
Observations: rain falling on the RV all night is REALLY loud.
June 4th – Day 9
Route: West of Golden to top of Kicking Horse Pass (just west of Lake Louise)
Distance and time: 107 km at 5:40
Route: West of Golden to top of Kicking Horse Pass (just west of Lake Louise)
Distance and time: 107 km at 5:40
We parked the RV just off the highway last night, tucked nicely into the side of the woods, instead of at the Rest Area down the road with all the trucks. Morning dawned and look what Wayne saw! We have since discussed under what circumstances he is supposed to wake me up.
I had a clear sail into Golden first thing in the morning, mostly downhill with good shoulders and lighter traffic. A few km from the town my Blackberry started making noises in my back pocket so I knew we had coverage again for a few km at least. I wish the rest of the day had been the same as the leg to Golden. There was one dooz-er of a hill coming up out of town, then pretty steady but easy ups and downs to Field. I saw a small herd of young big-horned sheep but was going too fast downhill to stop and take a photo. We stopped at the visitor centre in Field and got some excellent local route advice all the way to Calgary. We will be on bike trails and quiet secondary highways after today. Good-bye TCH….I don’t think I will miss you.
I braced myself for another killer hill coming out of Field (sometimes it is best not to know these things ahead of time) and my tank was pretty well empty at the top. Wayne graciously cycled halfway down the hill and joined me to go back up…what a trooper. We then drove the RV across the border and into Lake Louise and are now parked at an RV site (without internet but with a train close by). I will start from the top of the hill tomorrow on the old great divide highway (now a cycle path and closed to traffic), cross the border and high tail it back to Lake Louise and the internet café to post this latest.
Observations: great roads and nice clean, wide shoulders for the most part today. The mountain scenery has been awesome, but I won’t be sorry to head down to the prairies in a couple of days. Unfortunately, our only sunshine since Revelstoke occurred for a few minutes at the end of today. I am gradually getting the art of dressing for cycling in varying conditions in the mountains down-pat, just as we are leaving them.
June 3rd – Day 8
Route: Revelstoke to 40 km west of Golden, on the Trans-Canada
Distance and time: 112.7km at 6:03Route: Revelstoke to 40 km west of Golden, on the Trans-Canada
Tunnels, bad decisions, a banged up bike, chasing water bottles, traffic, cold, wet…..a challenging day to say the least. I was spooked by the first avalanche tunnel on the west side of Rogers Pass with the apparent lack of wiggle room inside for a shoulder, so after consultation with Wayne, decided to walk my bike on a narrow muddy path between the tunnel wall and the drop-off to a valley on my right.
Alongside the first tunnel
It was a piece of cake, so I thought I would do the same with the second tunnel. Big mistake, and also short sighted of me not to ask Wayne to wait for me on the other side. I ended up in an avalanche area climbing over uprooted trees and boulders. That was manageable, but then I came to the first cement culvert which was over a metre wide and channelling a fast moving mountain stream. I tried to toss my bike over it, but it landed in the culvert and almost got swept away. Luckily I was able to grab onto the front tire and haul it out. Then I tossed it using a little more grunt work and when it landed safely on the other side I hopped across myself. I didn’t notice the missing water bottles. At the second and steeper culvert I tried to call Wayne to come back and give me a hand, but there was no cell phone coverage in the area. I had a little “I can do this” talk with myself and managed to toss the bike over and get across again. I didn’t notice that the bike had landed on a rock and ended up a little dented. Unfortunately I was too nervous during the whole escapade and forgot to take any pictures! Then when I got around to the end of the tunnel, what did I see, but three elite cyclists entering the tunnel without hesitation, followed by their SUV support vehicle. We waved but I’m glad they didn’t stop to ask me about the tunnel. Having seen them, I braved the third tunnel and timed it well without any traffic converging while I was inside (I had visions of me on an 18 inch shoulder with two tractor trailers passing at the same time). At the end of the tunnel I ran into Wayne parked by the side and we noticed my missing bottles. He offered to go back and have a look for them, which I unwisely agreed to.
Since the third tunnel was a piece of cake and I was feeling cocky, I went into the fourth tunnel…OMG! It was pitch black, I couldn’t see any pavement in front of me, I didn’t know if I was in the middle of the lane or over on the side, and the noise of opposing traffic was deafening. It seemed to last forever, and I was praying that any traffic coming behind me would have their headlights on and pick up the reflective stripes on my jacket. It was a frightening experience, and luckily only one pickup truck passed me in the tunnel. On my exit I let out an expletive yelp of gratitude. I checked the subsequent four or five tunnels carefully for length and lighting and timed the traffic to go through all smoothly.
By this time a good hour had passed and I was starting to wonder what had become of Wayne. As visions of him falling over the bank or twisting his knee and lying in pain raced through my head, I started to get really worried, and was seriously thinking I was a retard to agree to him going out there for the sake of two stupid water bottles. He eventually passed me and stopped to tell of his adventure crawling down over the side of the culvert embankment and snagging the errant bottles with a long stick. What one does for love!
I’ve learned that some days will obviously be more challenging than others, of course, and the journey will have some ups and downs. This day has taught me that tunnels are not good on a bike, and that it is wise to err on the side of caution and carefully consider every decision, however small.
Observations: we both noticed on many inclines today that our eyes and legs were not registering the same reality. Looking ahead, the terrain appeared to go downhill, yet our legs were working hard and we couldn’t up the speed. What gives?
We crossed into the Mountain time zone late today. Only three more to go!!
June 2nd - Day 7 (cycling)
Route: Armstrong to Revelstoke, mostly on 97A and Trans-Canada
Distance and time: 127.1km at 5:33
I started the day with a mini crisis of confidence, wondering why am I doing this and thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I think it had something to do with a fitful sleep and dreams of being stalked by a cougar on lonely stretches of highway. And that, no doubt, was directly related to the talk at dinner last night with Mable's family of coyotes, killer racoons, and bad dogs frothing at the mouth. Mabel also thought it had something to do with the impending full moon! Anyway, I soldiered on and am happy to report I saw nothing of that nature. We had a frustrating start, though, because I couldn't find the key to the bike lock. Luckily Dad's neighbour had a grinder which cut through the heavy duty wire quite nicely.
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| launching off from Dad and Mabel's |
I took a quiet little country road between Enderby and Grinrod (thanks to Mabel's brood for the local knowledge) where Wayne parked the RV and joined me. Six km past Grindrod he ended up with a flat tire and struggled for quite awhile to fix it with a tube that was slightly too big before heading back to the rig. It was mid-afternoon before I saw him again, this time on the Trans-Canada heading east to Revelstoke.
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| mountain scenes on route |
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| interesting cloud formation |
Now we are at McDonald's in Revelstoke eating sundaes and plugged into their free wifi (A&W closed at 9:00). I just sent my Dad a message saying that I found the key to the bike lock, and requesting he send it along to us :)
May 31st and June 1st - Rest Days
We spent a relaxing couple of days with Dad and Mabel in Armstrong with lots of time to catch up on eating, sharing jokes and seeing other family member. Wayne also managed to finish up some of his contract work so can take a breather for a couple of weeks. Hopefully that will translate into more saddle time for him. Thankfully my e-mail account is back up and running.
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| A rather tight fit |
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| Hanging out with my aunts |
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