Day 8 - Pincher Creek to Waterton National Peace Park (July 7)

A rest day

Today was a good day. The east wind yesterday that had caused me so much grief had brought in clouds. To me it almost looked like fog - the clouds were really low. It was probably 60 - 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind was generally at my back. It was overcast and a few rain drops fell (no more than 10 drops). I stopped and chatted with a couple who were on a guided tour. They were from Oakland. They took a photo of my fully loaded bike.

Scenery Along the Way to Waterton

Arriving in Waterton at around 10 a.m., I stayed at the Waterton Township Campsite - near the water and far away from the RVs, but surrounded by prairie dog mounds. Lots of chirping.

When I arrived there were only 2 “walk-in” tent sites. It was a nice site right next to the prairie dogs. It was so cloudy that the top of the peaks were not visible. The clouds were so low that they obscured at least two-thirds of the mountain.

My Prairie Dog Neighbors

I met Jim at my campsite. He too was a minister (Pastor) from the United Church of Canada. He was from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was doing a small ride around the area while his three girls and his wife were at the Calgary Stampede. He said that he knew of the minister I met in Pincher Creek.

I ate at Subway to get out of the cold and ran into Jim again. I took a nice 2 hour nap while listening to a local station that was playing Jazz. The weather was still cool. Something was also different - there was no wind. The Waterton Lakes lie in the narrow gap between two mountain ranges. Typically, the wind whips through these mountains. This causes the lake to have whitecaps. It is rare that the lake surface is smooth. During my visit, however, the lake was very calm and in the mornings the lake surface was glassy smooth.

Later on I walked over to the beach where I surprised Jim who was sleeping - he thought I was a bear. This is understandable. Early on Jim had decided to climb a mountain called the “Bear Hump.“ It’s supposed to be shaped like the back of a bear. The trail was busy, but not busy or noisy enough to cause bears to stay away. Jim hiked by himself.  At times, he was all by himself. So when finally came across a grizzly bear, he decided that it was best just to back down the trail slowly.

So when I told Jim I was going to hike to Bertha Falls, he was more than willing to join me. It was a nice hike. Stopped at the overlook where I left my jacket. Jim and I walked up to the Falls and down again, but I had to return to overlook by myself . A black bear had been spotted in the area. Previously that morning, I had spoken with an outgoing gentleman from Durango, Colorado who had told me “horror” stories of how this bear had become a menace to the town. So I was somewhat worried as I rushed back to the overlook to get my jacket. I ran into a number of people along the way, but none had seen the jacket. When I arrived, the jacket was still there. I made back to the campsite without encountering any bear whatsoever.

This was not the first time I would leave my jacket somewhere. I also left my jacket in Quang Ngai in Vietnam. It was much harder to get the jacket back in Vietnam, but I didn't have to risk stumbling across a grizzly bear to get it.

I met two recumbent bike tourists from Vermont who made part of their living cycling and writing. They had written about cycling in Canada and in Cuba.

Day 8 - Pincher Creek to Waterton National Peace Park - 37 miles

Day 7 - Fernie/Hosmer to Pincher Creek (July 6)

Riding into the Prairie

This is what my bike looks like when it is loaded and ready to go.

There are bear-proof garbage containers all along the way on highways in the Canadian Rockies.


Today I ended in a little town called Pincher Creek. I crossed the continental divide, leaving Britsh Columbia and riding back into Alberta, Canada. The continental divide crossing occured at Crowsnest Pass. Crowsnest is the name of the mountain pass as well as a set of towns all located in a coal mining valley. Shortly after passing through Crowsnest Pass, mountains receded and I entered the prairie. This was a nice change of scenery because I was no longer "trapped" in the mountains and I had clear view for miles and miles.

My general disposition? These days, it depends on the outside temperature, the direction of the wind, whether there is a shoulder with a rumble strip (or not), and whether cars give me a wide berth. Today was harder because the temperatures reached above 100 degrees and I had a head wind. Typically the wind blows from the west, which would have been at my back. But today, it was from the East. A wind from the east in this part of the country sometimes indicates a storm front. Today, the approaching storm front didn’t benefit me - it only resulted in tiredness, but tomorrow, it would be a benefit.

Before climbing out over Crowsnest Pass, I stopped in the town of Sparwood. There is a lot of coal mining in this area and a very large coal hauling truck was on display right next to the highway.

I stopped at a Subway sandwich in Coleman. There were a lot of people in the Subway even though it was only 10:45. Parents and their soccer playing children lined up for food. I started a conversation with a woman in front of me. She and her husband had toured by bike in the past. So we talked about touring and the surrounding area. They lived in my destination town and they were in Coleman because every year, the towns in this area of Alberta get together and hold the summer games - games for all ages from young soccer players to older cyclists and runners. This year, it was held in Coleman. As I was leaving Subway, I said goodbye to the family. The family then invited me to stay with them in Pincher Creek. I was surprised and glad for the invitation. It would be nice to get out of the heat and eat a real meal with human company.

The family would be in Crowsnest Pass for a little while longer, so I continued on. My next stop was the town of Frank. This old coal mining town had a tragic accident on April 29, 1903. Because of the geological uplift in this area, a coal seem lies close to the surface near the base of Turtle Mountain. The mountain is not very stable because of the material of which it is made. So early on the morning in April 1903, a huge amount of the mountain came tumbling down and wiped out 10% of the town’s residents. The rock slide came all the way down the mountain, “jumped” the river, and traveled many at least one half of a mile up the other side of the river.

The slide has a nice interpretative center. So after eating my sandwich in the hot outside temperature, I entered the air conditioned interpretative center to watch the 45 minute docu-drama about the slide. It was very informative. Take home message: don’t place your town below a geologically unstable mountain and don’t mine the coal seam beneath it - it may cause the mountain to fall!

After leaving Frank, I continued onto Pincher Creek. Headwinds from the east were my constant companion. Arriving early in Pincher Creek, I stopped at the local library which had free wireless access.

Eventually I rode to the family’s house. These were the folks I met in Coleman at the Subway sandwich. The father was a minister in the United Church of Canada. I had a nice dinner, a nice visit to the church, and nice chat with the family. It was really nice to get to sleep indoor and out of the heat.

Mining.

This area around Fernie, Sparwood, and Crowsnest pass has a lot of coal mining activity. The coal mining activity affects the watershed, the health of the miners, and groundwater. BP currently wants to reopen a mine upstream of the Flathead River near Fernie, BC. They don't want the coal.  Instead, they are seeking the natural gas.

Picture of a strip mine on the continental divide near Crowsnest Pass.

Day 7 - Fernie/Hosmer to Pincher Creek (July 6) - 74 Miles

Day 6 - Wasa Lake to Fernie (July 5)

The day started early. I got started at 6:00 a.m. so I could beat the heat.

I snapped a picture of Mt. Bill Nye before I getting started.

Stopped briefly at Fort Steele.

The ride along Wardner - Fort Steele Road was fantastic. The sun hadn’t yet risen above the mountains called the “Steeples.” As I passed the provincial park, I saw some Elk grazing. I also heard a coyote howling in the distance. The road was peaceful and calm and otherwise free of cars. The fact that it was in the dark was even better - the temperatures were still cool.

So I rode on to Fernie, BC. The ride into Elko was challenging - it was a big climb. The warmth of the day was just starting. I checked with a local shopkeeper about an alternative route on the other side of the river. My choices were either a paved highway with lots of traffic or a backcountry dirt road. After consulting with the shopkeeper, I found that the back road had too many ruts and potholes and also logging trucks as well. So I decided to stay on the main highway. The ride wasn’t too bad. Even though the shopkeeper insisted that the local drivers were really good, I think she has never ridden a bike between Elko and Fernie. The ride along the Elk River was nice.

I stopped and rested a while in Fernie. I did my grocery shopping and talked up the locals to figure out where I could get a good lunch. A guy behind me in line suggested a bakery called Sinful Sweetness. This was a nice place to rest, watch, talk, and write.

It was cool inside Sinful Sweetness, while the temperatures outside rose into the mid-90s. I had a nice lunch and had a chance to write in my notebook. The bakery had a large window - I could watch the Fernie people go by and I could also watch my bike which was parked outside.

I noticed a couple outside inspecting my bike. They came into the bakery. She, Shana, was from Portland, Oregon. He, Stephan, was from Whitefish, Montana. They were also bike touring. They had just started. This was her first bike tour, but he had toured in the past. We had a great discussion about riding with others, cycling moods, drivers, and the benefits of free campgrounds. They would be following the route I had just done, except they would be going in the other direction. They had a general map of the area, but not a specific map. I gave them my Adventure Cycling map. I hope it helped them.

I actually spent the night down the road at a place called Hosmer located under Hosmer Mountain.

Domesticity

While talking with Stephan and Shana at Sinful Sweetness, we discussed the routine that one falls into when riding. I hesitate to call this a vacation. It is travel, but not a vacation. A vacation implies freedom from work and the normality of ordinary life. Bike touring has an ordinariness to it, obviously. I ride my bike every day. But there are also the daily household tasks that I do. For example, I have to make breakfast in the morning, pack my stuff, and take down my tent. I do this almost every day. I normally eat lunch at a store or restaurant, so I don't have to worry about this. I have to buy food to eat for my meals on a regular basis - every 2 to 3 days. At night, I have to set up the tent, get the stove working and cook some food. I'm not cooking anything gourmet, but it still takes time. If I'm in bear country, I have to put everything away - anything that smells. If I'm not in bear country I leave out my stove and use it in the morning. This routine provides a modicum of stability in an ever changin landscape.

Day 6 - Wasa Lake to Fernie - 74 Miles

Day 5 - Radium Hot Springs to Wasa Lake (July 4)

Happy Birthday U.S.A.

West side road south from Invermere.

I fiddled around and finally got on the road at 9 a.m. Bad idea. The cool of the morning had all but gone. Now it would be hot, hot, hot for the next 70 miles.

Before leaving the campground, this herd of bighorn sheep sauntered into the campground looking for roses to eat. I barely had time to react to these sheep. They were only 30 feet from me (10 or so meters, if you are Canadian). I initially saw them and thought, “oh, ho hum, big horn sheep.” Then when they passed, I thought, “holy cow…big horn sheep.” All I could do is take a couple of pictures and went on my way.

The route took me away from the main traffic routes. This helped. I rode through Invermere and near Fairmont Hot Springs. This area looks like you are in Switzerland. Not that I have ever been there. Beautiful country even though it was very hot. These lakes and the associated river network are the headwaters of the Columbia River - the same Columbia river that flows through Portland.

I couldn’t find a nice place to stop and eat, so I sat on the side of the road. Not very sophisticated, but it works.

From here, I stopped in a small logging town. It was too hot. The store owner said I could take a break, eat ice cream, and take a nap under at a picnic table under a pine tree. So I took a nap at the table, under the tree, after my ice cream.

I stopped in Skookumchuck . I was very tired and decided to stay here. But not liking any of the accommodations near the river, I decided to climb the hill on the other side of the river to see if there were any hotels. When I finally summitted the hill, I found only empty fields. Since, I didn’t want to descend back to town and have to climb this hill again, I decided to just keep riding.

More hot riding until I got to Wasa Lake. I had a nice chat with the woman at the fruit stand. Stayed at the Wasa Lake Motel. Not a very busy place - I was one of only two lodgers that night.

Rants: Flies.

If I’m riding at slower than 14 miles per hour, I sometimes find that I have collected some freeloaders:flies. I admit it, riding in 100 degree heat, I smell and that smell probably attracts flies. Who wouldn't smell if they had spent all day cycling (be reassured that I take a shower every day). The flies aren’t just sitting in their homes (as if they had such things). There is a whole insect world floating around on the roadway - mosquitoes, gnats, and flies. So if I pass a fly, the fly gets my scent and quickly turns and pursues. If I’m riding slower than 14 mph, the fly stays with me for a while. Sometimes a fly buddy comes and joins in the harrasment.

I ride with a rearview mirror attached to my helmet. This way, I can see what is behind me. I can see if a car is riding too close. I can also see the flies. The flies typically catch my scent and then come at me at a steep angle as if they were going to dive bomb me. The flies typically circle my helmet in a counter-clockwise direction. They rarely land, but they are irritating. They tend to stay with me for no longer than 5 minutes. But it is an irritating 5 minutes. If I try to ride faster or if I descend a hill, I tend to lose the flies.

Day 5 - Radium Hot Springs to Wasa Lake - 74 Miles

Day 4 - Johnston Campground to Radium Hot Springs (July 3)

July 3 - Time to get moving.

Today involved cycling through a lot of wonderful country. But it was exhausting. I cycled over two passes(each between 1 to 2 miles of climbing a 8% grade). This day was the hardest day since the beginning of my trip.

Before I got started, I took a little jaunt up to Johnston Falls. The time was 7:40 a.m. Remember that this is the trail that gets 1 million visitors each year. I walked and walked and nary a person. I started to worry about bears. I took out the weapon I had - my camera. I would use my camera flash. After an uneventful and peaceful walk, I arrived at lower Johnston Falls. Very nice. I loved having it all to myself. Then turning around, I head a twig snap…and it was…the first group of hikers to come out of the first tour bus (the first tour bus arrives at 8 a.m.).

No more peace and quiet.

The ride went through the Kootenay Valley which is the next valley to the west and parallel to Bow River Valley (the valley in which Banff is located). It involved riding over two mountain passes.

The first pass was very steep - another 8% grade and it seemed to go on forever. Longer than the climb up to Lake Louise. But the descent was glorious and I stopped at the bottom just along the Kootenay River. I sat and ate lunch and enjoyed the river.

For the next few miles of riding, I rode near the river. There were dense woods near the creamy blue river. The river was the color of glacier melt. You never see anyone or anything in this water because it is so cold. But there was one being that I kind of hoped or expected to see - Sasquatch. This country reminded me of the backdrop of all of those scary bigfoot shows I saw when I was younger. So I called out big foot’s name, but it never came out to play. Too bad.

I met Kelly, another bicycle younger tourist along the way. He had ridden from southern Oregon. I assume he had ridden up the Columbia River. Especially since the Columbia River started in the next valley over to the west.

After Kelly, I met one of the full time residents of the park, a bighorn sheep. He was hidden in this whitewashed scree field. Most of the others passing by in their vehicles likely weren't able to see the sheep because they were driving by at such fast speeds.

The surrounding peaks have interesting geology.

I later met Paul at the Dolly Varden Rest Area. He was retired and took up bike touring as a hobby. He had accomplished a number of tours around his home in Orange County, California and on his current trip he had ridden from Orange County.

The ride in Kootenay Valley was very nice. Mostly flat with wide shoulders.

Finally, I came to the last pass. The pass that would drop me off in Radium Hot Springs, so named because there are low levels of radium in the hot springs. Nothing that would hurt you though. Riding this pass made me crabby. It was very steep and long. The cars did not give me any space. They should have swung wide when they passed. Instead, a number came too close. This made me very crabby. When I finally reached the summit, I met a park ranger who also cycled and we discussed the many moods of cycling.

The descent from the last pass was fast, but a little harrowing because the shoulders were narrow. I actually pulled off of the road before the tunnel just before the town of Radium. The tunnel was narrow and I had a semi-truck bearing down on me. So I thought it was better to get off of the road than get run over.

The campground, The Canyon, was very nice, professional and had good internet access.

The many moods of touring.

Through out a day, a touring cyclist may experience a wide range of moods - tired, sad, anger, frustration, glee, joy, exhilaration. For example, let’s say that the climb is moderate, but there is a wind at my back. Then, if I can keep a steady pace, I’m satisfied and happy that I am making such good time climbing a hill. Of course, a head wind destroys the best of moods. I haven’t experience a really bad headwind yet this trip - the kind that almost brings you to a standstill - but, in the past, I have fought headwinds. This is a mistake because you can’t fight a headwind, you can only accept it and make the best.

If I’m on a narrow highway and the cars are zipping by without swinging widely around me, I might become crabby. It irks me when car drivers pass me so closely.

If a car passes giving me a wide berth or if a driver waves, this can quickly change a tired crabby mood to a good mood. A good mood makes for faster and easier cycling. When a bad mood occurs every pedal stroke is hard and some feel like my last pedal stroke. Obviously I prefer a good mood over a bad mood, but in a typical day, I start with a good mood and somewhere in the afternoon (when it is hot or the traffic is irritating), my mood changes.

Day 4 - Johnston Campground to Radium Hot Springs (74 Miles)

Day 3 - Bow River Parkway (July 2)

July 2 - The day after hangover. Happy birthday Canada!

It was another cold morning with a hotter days to come (Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7).

I put on my (construction-site) safety vest and helmet (not hardhat) for my ride from Canmore to Banff. It would be 20 miles on the interstate, the Trans Canada Highway, and I wanted to be visible. I discovered something important on the ride. The ride from Canmore to Banff is mostly downhill. So I could have pushed on from Canmore and rode onto Banff yesterday.

My goal was to ride along the Bow River Parkway until Johnston Campground. Johnston Campground is located across the street from the busiest trail in Banff, the Johnston Canyon Trail. This trail is a scenic walk up a narrow canyon that has been cut by the river that flows through it. There is an easily accessible lower set of water falls and another set of water falls higher up. So this trail is very busy. I thought I read somewhere that 1 million people visit this trail each year. The Day 4 post contains a description of my experiences on this trail.

I spent very little time in Banff. Although it is a charming mountain town, it has a lot of schmaltz and too many shops. So I just bought my parks pass and happily cycled off.

As I got to the start of the Bow River Parkway, I saw my first set of people with a bicycle tour group. This was a group that was supported by a company (I think it is based in Berkeley, California) called Backroads. I paused as I got on the Bow River Parkway to change from my morning clothes to my hot day riding clothes. As I did this I saw the Backroaders and thought I recognized one of the people in the lead as one of my friends from Team in Training. However, I was never able to catch up with this rider to verify that. I was fully loaded and she was not.

As an aside, I saw a lot of tours and riders along the Bow River Parkway and at other places along my trip. I saw professional organized trips by Backroads and Cycling Vermont. There were day trippers and then there are the groups that do all the work themselves. These do-it-yourselfers told me that typically organize and talk via the internet. They then select a riding destination, arrange lodging, gather food, and go riding. Typical age: 70 years.

Back to the ride...The Bow River Parkway is a wonderful way to see Banff for bicyclist, car, SUV, motorcycle, or whatever your form of transportation (I guess you could travel it on a llama). The vehicle speeds were much slower and because there were so many cyclists on the roadway, a wonderful thing happened: most of the vehicles gave me and my fellow cyclists a wide berth. This was a nice bonus and I would recall this carefree and car-worry-free for the next days when I rode on a busy highways with trucks and RVs coming close.

I passed a group of riders who were riding for a fundraiser. I also noticed some of these cyclists coming into Banff from Canmore. They all wore the same outfits. The riders riding along the Trans Canada Highway from Banff to Canmore road with a buddy - I wish I had a cycling buddy. The fundraising riders who were less accomplished rode on the flatter Bow River Parkway. These riders tended to be younger - as young as mid-teens.

Arriving at the Johnston Campground, I chatted politics and discussed how Canada was like the U.S. The ranger with whom I was talking disagreed.

I was in bear country now, so I could only leave my tent and my lawn chair (I wish) out at my campsite, the rest (food, anything that smells, etc). would have to go in a metal cabinet called a "bear box." I unpacked some of my stuff, but kept my laptop and my handlebar bag.

I went to the restaurant at the Johnston Resort (across the road from Johnston Campground and at the entrance to the hike to Johnston Falls). I chatted it up with another cyclist who was riding with two other friends. I told this cyclist that I was going to stay at Johnston and rest up for another day’s ride. I said that I would like to see Lake Louise, but I didn’t think that I had the energy to ride to Lake Louise. That cyclist, said he had just come from Lake Louise.

As I turned out of the driveway of the Resort, I turned right. This was a sudden change of plans - I was listening to my inner voice. The campground was located to the left, but I turned right towards Lake Louise. The road was surrounded on both sides by trees. Some sections went on for miles and miles. At one point, I was rode through a long section of the road that had trees located just next to the road.

Look out for the tree in the middle of the road!

There were a few steep hills along the way, but nothing terrible. Although the ride wasn’t too bad, I was tired and I kept thinking about turning back. Finally, mostly exhausted, I made it to Lake Louise. As I was entering, I noticed a steep road leading straight ahead and a sign that said “Lake Louise.” I hoped that the sign was just pointing to the Village of Lake Louise, up ahead, but at the bottom of the hill. However, I consulted my map, which indicated that Lake Louise was a ways away and it had to be up that hill.

So, I headed towards Lake Louise, hoping that it would just be a small climb. As I began to climb and see the extent of the hill, I was shocked. The hill would last for 2 miles and would have a slope of 8 percent to 10 percent. Not only that, but there was no shoulder and there was a steady stream of passing cars, RVs, and tour busses.

Along the way to Lake Louise, I stopped at an opening in the woods which overlooked the blue cream-colored Bow River.

When I arrived at Lake Louise, it was beautiful, just like in the pictures. But what the pictures don’t tell you is that there is a mass of people swarming around the lakeshore and a hotel sits right on the lake. Most pictures of the Lake just show the lake with a few boaters in the distance. When I saw it, it looked like rush hour on Lake Louise. So many people were there that no parking was available. So much so, that the Mounties were busy giving tickets to people who had parked their personal vehicles in the bus parking area. Nothing sexier than an Mountie writing a parking ticket. Especially when I can park my bike where ever I like.

A classic shot of Lake Louise and the glacier in the background. For an overcast day, there were sure a lot of people in kayaks!

See the people? See the mountains?

After visiting Lake Louise, I headed back to Johnston Campground. Returning, I saw the first climb and I was worried. It was the end of the day. Today was my first big ride. I had steadily increased my mileage by 20 miles each of the last two days, and I was not sure I could handle another increase in mileage. My worries evaporated as I realized that I was now going downhill with the River. So even the bigger hills I had ridden on my way to Lake Louise would be easy. Overall it was an easy cruise back to Johnston Campground.

Along the way, I and the mass of cars traveling along Bow River Parkway pulled over twice. The first time to see a young brown bear and the second time to see an adult brown bear. The young brown bear didn’t pay any attention to us. It just went about it’s business digging for ants or bugs. The older brown bear was not so happy to see us. The tourists surged up the hill and through the trees towards the older bear. The bear seemed very concerned about the humans encroaching on its territory.

Castle Mountain.

Rocky Mountain roses? Alberta is the Wild Rose Province.

Castle Mountain - a major landmark in the center of Banff National Park. It is located next to the Bow River Parkway.

Day 3 - Canmore via Banff to Johnston Campground to Lake Louise to Johnston Campground (88 Miles).