Day Thirteen - Drumheller

After yesterday's 172 km and a short day today I slept in to 6. I tried for more but I was too close to the kitchen area where they cooking crew were making breakfast.  

Today we had an option for 2 routes and decided on a third one because it was on a highway and using Google street view I could tell that the shoulder was in good condition and it was wide. 

For the most part today the scenery was of canola fields. The are bright yellow and are used in canola oil. There was also wheat fields and some cows. 

Once we started our decent in Drumheller we started to see the hills that have been created over thousands of years with sedimentary rocks and soil. A pic below these typical formations.  

Once at camp I set my tent up on a nice grassy spot with some nice shade from some tall trees. 

I really appreciate shade a lot more now that we are in the prairies.  We stopped for a quick sandwich today and I could only find a sliver of shade to keep out of the sun. Today's max was only 30. After that day at 48.8 30 is no problem. 

Today I heard that the rider that left a sandwich in their tent and had a prairie dog tear his tent screen took the sandwich and threw it into the prairie dogs hole. In the morning the sandwich was still there. I guess it did t like peanut butter and jelly. 

As I was putting up my tent I got a good pic of Duncan and his ground sheet which he also uses as a rain poncho.  

I welcome the day off tomorrow. 

Duncan sporting his groundsheet / rain poncho at 30 degrees Celcius

Hills adjacent to the camp ground

Lots of dinosaurs scattered throughout Drumheller

Day Twelve - Irricana

Today I got the alarm went off and I set it for 20 minutes later at 5:15.  I had heard the rain fall on my tent in the night and I had also felt that it was cold outside, 11 degrees, but not as cold as the morning before at 6.

The bike out of Banff was mostly on a paved path all the way to Canmore.  It was also mostly downhill and Sam, John, and I made really good time.  We stopped occasionally to take pictures and be in awe of the amazing mountain range that we followed to Canmore.  Banff truly is the most beautiful place that I've been to.

As we got farther away from the mountains and closer to the foothills we looked back and saw the mountains in the distance.  I felt sad to leave BC behind because I know that it is the best part of Canada.

Once we got into the foothills the wind picked up and we formed a pace line and was really successful in conserving our strength when not in the first position.  I was glad to have the two other riders because the wind really would have reduced my speed and made my day much longer.

Along the way we saw a fox and a flock of pelicans I think?  I also saw a bunch of birds that I have never seen before.  I wish I new the names of them.  Once at camp other riders reported seeing a wolf.

Today was a 172 km day on paper but we rode 184 km.  Some extra kms were wrong turns but we purposely went out of our way to go into Cochrane to eat ice cream at McKays.  Another rider suggested the stop and he were not dissapointed.

Once in camp I set my tent up close to the truck to improve my departure time in the morning.  Tomorrow is the last day before we have a rest day and I am looking forward to it.

Flock of pelicans

The route out of Banff was downhill and had mountains like this on our right side until Canmore

John on the trail outside of Banff

Day Eleven - Banff

This morning felt really cold when I got up. Six degrees someone said. Today our group has to cook breakfast which is scheduled to be eggs.

Everyone was feed and the camp packed up by nine. Today was a short day only 62 kms. There are a few side trips but I'm happy just to get to Banff and rest my legs. 

The route we took was on highway 1A which runs in the same direction as the main highway but it is less travelled.  

Around 35 km in we stopped for a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie at Johnston Canyon.  It is a side trip to walk to the canyon but I just wanted to get to camp asap as tomorrow is a 172 km day. 

The route today was by far the most scenic days with huge mountains in every direction. The mountains are my favorite.  

Although today was a short day I was riding with Kerry and he is fast. I am good on the downhill but he was really fast in the up hills. 

We rode into Banff looking for a store that sells MSR tents and found Atmosphere. They had the tent he was looking for, the Elixer 2.  While there we ran into Ken who managed to get his bike fixed after getting a cab from Lake Louise to Banff. 

We rode into the camp ground at 1:30 before the truck got there and only had to wait a half an hour before it arrived. 

Kerry and I went into town for dinner and to see the town. The truck is serving pancakes with corn and tuna, weird. We had pizza. 

As warned by Bud in orientation we are all aware of the most dangerous animal we will encounter. The pic below shows the result of storing half a sandwich in your tent. 

Tomorrow is 574 m up and 1037 m down. That should make the distance s little easier.

A rookie move made by a veteran.  Don't keep food in your tents

My favorite sign ever

Panorama of mountains just past Johnston Canyon

Day Ten - Lake Louise

This morning was an earlier than normal wake up time at 4:55. I wanted to get an early start on that really steep uphill out of Golden before I got too hot. Once up the bugs were so bad I went to the nearby seven eleven to finish getting ready.

Two people had some trouble today. Laura crashed and got a real bad bruise on her hip. She might need to ride in the truck for the next few days. 

Ken had his stem crack after trying to maneuver around a bump in the rode. His bike is a little older but he contacted a local bike shop and they are confident they can fix it. 

Despite the issues all riders had a very pleasant day. Most felt that the whole day they were riding up hill. That was my felling as well. 

A group of us stopped in Field for s break. It is a little town surrounded by mountains. It reminded me of living in Kemano, BC. 

The scenery all day was very beautiful. Hugh mountains with rock peaks, raging rivers following beside the roads, and green lakes. Awesome. 

We also crossed the continental divide and we are no longer in BC. 

Today is short and a flat day and I'm hoping on resting my legs and taking on the sites.

Serious looking selfie at the continental divide.  One province down.

Lunch break in Field.  This is a beautiful place

Indian pant brushes along the road

Day Nine - Rest Day Golden

Today was a rest day which was good because I was feeling very fatigued. I slept in till 8 so I got 9 hours sleep but probably could hsve used more. 

Because this is a rest day we were on our own for breakfast. Some early risers went into town while most of use are at the truck. 

Around 10 quite a few of us headed to the bike shop to get service. I needed to have my redailures adjusted and get a quick link installed on my bike. JP (pic below with dreds) from Derailed Sports help us very quickly.  

We had lunch downtown at Whitetooth Mountain Bistro and headed out to do some white water rafting. Pic below in red is Nice from Peru he was our rafting guide. 

I had never been rafting before and even though it was great fun I should have just rested my legs. 

We are now on mountain time and it's late and I will be getting up early to get an early start on that crazy hill that is leaving town. 

Nice, our rafting guide

JP fixed 5 of our bicycles very fast

Enjoying our rest day in downtown Golden

Day Eight - Golden

Today we went over Rogers Pass so I decided to leave early to avoid the heat and got up at 4:15.  Sam and John joined me and we left camp around 5:30.

The scenery up to Rogers Pass was spectacular. Tall jagged mountains, some with waterfalls, on all sides of the route. 

Once at the pass we pulled over for some photos at the sign and went over to the rest area to have a snack and rest. 

We were back on the road for a couple of hours when we noticed a sign to a resort called Heather Mountain Lodge. We heard that there were no services for 89 kms so we pulled over to eat and get water. 

There was no one eating at the restaurant so I didn't have high expectations. We ordered burgers that had Elk, pork, and beef. When they came and we ate them and they were delicious. The water that they served was filtered and from a nearby spring. Maur, our waiter, was from Estonia and he is pictured below. 

Once we were full we got back on our bikes to finish off the last 60 kms. By then the temperature was getting hot. We made pretty good time. 

Tomorrow is a rest day and o can't wait as I am very tired and my body is fatigued. 

Enjoying the best spring water ever at Heather Mountain Lodge just past Rogers Pass summit.  What a nice spot!

At the top of the pass.

Pic of mountains while descending from Rogers Pass

Day Seven - Albert Canyon

Today I was up at 5 hoping to get away earlier which I did. The cool air at 6:45 is nice. Most of the route earlier in the ride was shaded which was a nice break.

There was a logging operation on the side of the road which had log booms in the Shuswap Lake. There also were logging trucks lined up that were waiting to be unloaded. 

After that the route took us through the downtown of Sicamous. At 8 am it is a quiet little town. 

At 45 km I stopped at Graigellachie where the last spoke of the trans-continental was nailed. 

Three Valley Gap was my next stop where I sat with a very nice view of the resort and had my second sandwich. While I was there Ken passed by and I shouted and waved. 

Approaching Revelstoke the route took us across the Coumbia River. The water was green and shallow. I took the optional route through Revelstoke to see the town but mainly to get water.  I stopped at an Esso to buy some water and to rest in the air conditioning. 

Up till Revelstoke the route was rolling but past there the hills seemed much longer. At the information centre for Mt Revelstoke National Park I pulled over, took off my shoes and socks, sprayed my feet with water and laid down in the shade. 

There was only 20 km left but difficult kms with the blazing sun and long rolling hills. By 4:30 I was in to camp and only the third to arrive. 

I've set my tent up and am waiting in the shade for the dinner crew to finish making dinner.   Tomorrow we are going to Golden and according to Google Maps there will be an elevation gain of 1120 metres. 

I will be getting up at 4 or so tomorrow to beat the heat and John will be joining me. 

Enjoying lunch in the shade with a view of Three Valley Lake Chateau

Crossing the Columbia River into Revelstoke BC

Beautiful mountains