Our train trip from Terrace to Jasper was wonderfully relaxing. The carriages looked circa
1970s, perhaps earlier, and as such were decorated in that simple yet comfortable way many things were back then. The seats were deep, my legs could barely touch the seat in front of me, the windows panoramic, and two people could pass each other in the aisles. Throw in a
bottomless cup of coffee for both legs of the journey (the Skeena makes a mandatory overnight stop at Prince George, a little over halfway to Jasper) and a well-stocked bistro, and you've got yourself a relaxing 1100km trip.
A highlight was heading around the base of Mount Robson, just outside of Jasper. Mt Robson is the largest (not highest) peak in the entire Rocky Mountain chain, and if that alone doesn't make it jump out at you, its layer upon layer of horizontal rock contours will.
We arrived in Jasper on July 1, Canada Day, and were met at the station by my niece, Monique, who has been working there since April. We ended up spending four days there, much of which was spent eating and sleeping. And watching soccer. Jasper is set amongst an amazing backdrop of mountains, and is central to an array of outdoor pursuits. Yet the town itself doesn't do much for us. In fact, it's disappointing in its superficiality. I suppose these towns are just there to service us tourists, little more. Culture? History? You can buy your trinkets in the local shopping mall I guess. That's about it. I'm not questioning the town's beauty, just its depth. And I've witnessed interviews with Quarterbacks who are deeper.
The one shining light was the bike store, and the mechanic there who showed me how to insert brake pads and remove airpockets within the hydraulic brake lines. Earlier that day I had inadvertently loosened two bolts on my front brakes in an attempt to separate the pads, which had closed together (apparently this is normal, and you need to insert something between them to keep them separated) after I had removed my front wheel for the duration of our stay (the front wheel is easy to steal, and as we had to leave our bikes outdoors while at Monique's, I simply removed the front wheel and took it indoors with me). Well, after loosening what I thought would be the right bolts, a quick rush of hydraulic fluid oozed out and over the pads, meaning they had to be completely replaced. More fluid had to be inserted as well. The bike mechanic allowed me to watch him at work, which was great, and I managed to ask him a heap of other questions as well. I mean, who did really shoot JFK? And do blondes really have more fun? He didn't know the answers to those, although he knew a lot about bikes.
Our next cycle leg centred on Jasper to Banff, 290km to the south following what is (I can now say) one of the world's premier roadways, the Icefield Parkway. For those of you taking a close interest in exactly how far we trav
elled each day, and where we stayed, the itinerary was like this: July 5 - Jasper to Honeymoon Lake (50km); July 6 - Honeymoon Lake to Wilcox Creek (56km); July 7 - Wilcox Creek to Waterfowl Lake (67km); July 8 - Waterfowl Lake to Lake Louise (59km); July 9 - Lake Louise to Banff (60km). Amongst all that were two passes, Sunwapta and Bow, at just over 2,000 metres each (although we were starting at just over 1,000 metres in Jasper). Ouch.
We departed Jasper at the rather late time of 3pm on July 5, as a heavy downpour made it unpalatable to start earlier. At 50km it wouldn't be an overly long day, and we had a topographic map showing the inclines weren't too onerous. Still, it's always tough going at first. Yet it was day two that hit us like a ton of bricks. You`ll note the distance wasn`t the factor, instead it was the incline up to the Columbia Icefield that had us panting more than a dog in a Darwin summer. To this point the road itself had been rather gentle with us; a generous shoulder, and solid but generally steady inclines. But not this 5km stretch. This was a wall the East Germans would have been proud of. We battled up the first 1km or so to a lookout over the Stutfield glacier; after that, it was a walk, or more like a a big, onerous shove to the top. Once at the top, we had a graceful but short descent into the valley that leads to the Athabasca Glacier (by the way, this glacier has retreated quite a ways since the late 1800s, but more on that later), only to then be struck with a meaty headwind that had peddling like maniacs to keep above 10km per hr. It`s one thing I`v
e noticed as you travel through valleys; you never really know when or where the next gust of wind will come from. There are just too many ways the wind can move in the twisting and turning array of mountains to predict it. One thing is for certain, I can count on one hand how many tailwinds we`ve enjoyed. Not many. But when they arrive you feel like a missile, regularly clocking 30 km per hr quite easily.
Day three made up for day two. Big time. A 50km stretch of largely downhill riding through to the Highway 11 turnoff to Red Deer. Now, I`ve assured both sets of parents that we`re being very safe about how we travel. But I did have a lash at one downhill stretch of pavement, clocking a rather respectable 56km per hour. Mr and Mrs McMullen - rest assured, Alia wasn`t doing anything like this. Just idiot me. Generally I rode my brakes down this stretch, with a 7-10% grade and sharp turns making for a white knuckle ride at times. The views down the southern side of the Sunwapta Pass (we`re now a few kms south of the Columbia Icefield) were staggering. Like, really staggering; some of the best scenery on the planet - a tight valley, encased in granite and pine forests, adorned with towering waterfalls arching their way down to the emerald green river below. And we were cycling headlong into it.
It was amusing; I had been complaining about the ViaRail lady at the Jasper railway station who said she would rather do the trip the way we were doing it, even though Banff is 1000ft higher than Jasper. After the exertion of Day 2, I though the lady was a quack. Day three put her comments in proper perspective - I
would have needed the best part of a day, and a defibrillator, to get up the Sunwapta Pass going north. If they had sperated Berlin with this wall, no one would have escaped. Ever.
Later that same day we had another highlight - a Grizzly Bear at five metres. A few cars had pulled to the side of the road, so I slowed down and had a peak. Gees, he or she was BIG. And being that close without a car to wrap around me made me feel rather vulnerable. He was down a sharp slope, noisily digging out roots and whatever else he could find to eat. A few seconds and that was enough for me. I wasn`t planning on the bear thinking something from the Aussie Outback Steakhouse menu had arrived.
The Icefield Parkway at bike speed was a visual assault almost too much to take in. So it's hard to imagine how one absorbs such splendours from the car. The truth is that no one can really ever absorb such stunning magnificence; one great thing about hill climbs is you have plenty of time to look up, wipe aways the sweat, and take in what`s around you. I did mention the Lord's name a few times. And then I took in the view. One thing always got me; just how the ice on some ledges managed to stay there. Obviously it ends up melting or falling away, yet so much of this ice looked liked it had just been placed there the night before, and that at any moment it would all come crumbling down.
Two final highlights on this leg. The first was meeting Larry from Illinois. He had gotten into the very thoughtful habit of letting camping site people know that he was willing to share his camping sites with others. It was this thoughtfulness that allowed us to nab a camping spot in an otherwise completely full Lake Louise camping site. And he was great company to boot.
Second was the Bow Valley Parkway, an alternate route between Lake Louise and Banff that had you gliding almost effortlessly through a well-maintained road full of geographic and historical sites, all dutifully recorded at regularly interviews along the way. One included a World War One era camp for 'enemies of the state', mainly East Europeans, many Canadian citizens at the time, who were then made to build the Bow Valley Parkway.
This leg of the trip was relaxing. With a top speed for cars of around 60km per hr, it made for a stress-free way to enter Banff, and the start of the Great Divide. Until next posting!
1970s, perhaps earlier, and as such were decorated in that simple yet comfortable way many things were back then. The seats were deep, my legs could barely touch the seat in front of me, the windows panoramic, and two people could pass each other in the aisles. Throw in a
bottomless cup of coffee for both legs of the journey (the Skeena makes a mandatory overnight stop at Prince George, a little over halfway to Jasper) and a well-stocked bistro, and you've got yourself a relaxing 1100km trip.
A highlight was heading around the base of Mount Robson, just outside of Jasper. Mt Robson is the largest (not highest) peak in the entire Rocky Mountain chain, and if that alone doesn't make it jump out at you, its layer upon layer of horizontal rock contours will.
We arrived in Jasper on July 1, Canada Day, and were met at the station by my niece, Monique, who has been working there since April. We ended up spending four days there, much of which was spent eating and sleeping. And watching soccer. Jasper is set amongst an amazing backdrop of mountains, and is central to an array of outdoor pursuits. Yet the town itself doesn't do much for us. In fact, it's disappointing in its superficiality. I suppose these towns are just there to service us tourists, little more. Culture? History? You can buy your trinkets in the local shopping mall I guess. That's about it. I'm not questioning the town's beauty, just its depth. And I've witnessed interviews with Quarterbacks who are deeper.
The one shining light was the bike store, and the mechanic there who showed me how to insert brake pads and remove airpockets within the hydraulic brake lines. Earlier that day I had inadvertently loosened two bolts on my front brakes in an attempt to separate the pads, which had closed together (apparently this is normal, and you need to insert something between them to keep them separated) after I had removed my front wheel for the duration of our stay (the front wheel is easy to steal, and as we had to leave our bikes outdoors while at Monique's, I simply removed the front wheel and took it indoors with me). Well, after loosening what I thought would be the right bolts, a quick rush of hydraulic fluid oozed out and over the pads, meaning they had to be completely replaced. More fluid had to be inserted as well. The bike mechanic allowed me to watch him at work, which was great, and I managed to ask him a heap of other questions as well. I mean, who did really shoot JFK? And do blondes really have more fun? He didn't know the answers to those, although he knew a lot about bikes.
Our next cycle leg centred on Jasper to Banff, 290km to the south following what is (I can now say) one of the world's premier roadways, the Icefield Parkway. For those of you taking a close interest in exactly how far we trav
elled each day, and where we stayed, the itinerary was like this: July 5 - Jasper to Honeymoon Lake (50km); July 6 - Honeymoon Lake to Wilcox Creek (56km); July 7 - Wilcox Creek to Waterfowl Lake (67km); July 8 - Waterfowl Lake to Lake Louise (59km); July 9 - Lake Louise to Banff (60km). Amongst all that were two passes, Sunwapta and Bow, at just over 2,000 metres each (although we were starting at just over 1,000 metres in Jasper). Ouch.We departed Jasper at the rather late time of 3pm on July 5, as a heavy downpour made it unpalatable to start earlier. At 50km it wouldn't be an overly long day, and we had a topographic map showing the inclines weren't too onerous. Still, it's always tough going at first. Yet it was day two that hit us like a ton of bricks. You`ll note the distance wasn`t the factor, instead it was the incline up to the Columbia Icefield that had us panting more than a dog in a Darwin summer. To this point the road itself had been rather gentle with us; a generous shoulder, and solid but generally steady inclines. But not this 5km stretch. This was a wall the East Germans would have been proud of. We battled up the first 1km or so to a lookout over the Stutfield glacier; after that, it was a walk, or more like a a big, onerous shove to the top. Once at the top, we had a graceful but short descent into the valley that leads to the Athabasca Glacier (by the way, this glacier has retreated quite a ways since the late 1800s, but more on that later), only to then be struck with a meaty headwind that had peddling like maniacs to keep above 10km per hr. It`s one thing I`v
e noticed as you travel through valleys; you never really know when or where the next gust of wind will come from. There are just too many ways the wind can move in the twisting and turning array of mountains to predict it. One thing is for certain, I can count on one hand how many tailwinds we`ve enjoyed. Not many. But when they arrive you feel like a missile, regularly clocking 30 km per hr quite easily.Day three made up for day two. Big time. A 50km stretch of largely downhill riding through to the Highway 11 turnoff to Red Deer. Now, I`ve assured both sets of parents that we`re being very safe about how we travel. But I did have a lash at one downhill stretch of pavement, clocking a rather respectable 56km per hour. Mr and Mrs McMullen - rest assured, Alia wasn`t doing anything like this. Just idiot me. Generally I rode my brakes down this stretch, with a 7-10% grade and sharp turns making for a white knuckle ride at times. The views down the southern side of the Sunwapta Pass (we`re now a few kms south of the Columbia Icefield) were staggering. Like, really staggering; some of the best scenery on the planet - a tight valley, encased in granite and pine forests, adorned with towering waterfalls arching their way down to the emerald green river below. And we were cycling headlong into it.
It was amusing; I had been complaining about the ViaRail lady at the Jasper railway station who said she would rather do the trip the way we were doing it, even though Banff is 1000ft higher than Jasper. After the exertion of Day 2, I though the lady was a quack. Day three put her comments in proper perspective - I
would have needed the best part of a day, and a defibrillator, to get up the Sunwapta Pass going north. If they had sperated Berlin with this wall, no one would have escaped. Ever.Later that same day we had another highlight - a Grizzly Bear at five metres. A few cars had pulled to the side of the road, so I slowed down and had a peak. Gees, he or she was BIG. And being that close without a car to wrap around me made me feel rather vulnerable. He was down a sharp slope, noisily digging out roots and whatever else he could find to eat. A few seconds and that was enough for me. I wasn`t planning on the bear thinking something from the Aussie Outback Steakhouse menu had arrived.
The Icefield Parkway at bike speed was a visual assault almost too much to take in. So it's hard to imagine how one absorbs such splendours from the car. The truth is that no one can really ever absorb such stunning magnificence; one great thing about hill climbs is you have plenty of time to look up, wipe aways the sweat, and take in what`s around you. I did mention the Lord's name a few times. And then I took in the view. One thing always got me; just how the ice on some ledges managed to stay there. Obviously it ends up melting or falling away, yet so much of this ice looked liked it had just been placed there the night before, and that at any moment it would all come crumbling down.
Two final highlights on this leg. The first was meeting Larry from Illinois. He had gotten into the very thoughtful habit of letting camping site people know that he was willing to share his camping sites with others. It was this thoughtfulness that allowed us to nab a camping spot in an otherwise completely full Lake Louise camping site. And he was great company to boot.
Second was the Bow Valley Parkway, an alternate route between Lake Louise and Banff that had you gliding almost effortlessly through a well-maintained road full of geographic and historical sites, all dutifully recorded at regularly interviews along the way. One included a World War One era camp for 'enemies of the state', mainly East Europeans, many Canadian citizens at the time, who were then made to build the Bow Valley Parkway.
This leg of the trip was relaxing. With a top speed for cars of around 60km per hr, it made for a stress-free way to enter Banff, and the start of the Great Divide. Until next posting!
Simon & Alia, sitting here at the computer at school in Goodooga I am in awe of your adventure. I remember the leg from Jasper when we had to turn off to Radium Springs to meet you guys for our hike so had to miss Banff. From your journal I feel I've missed a wonderful pass after Banff. Look forward to catching up with you guys at Christmas in Mexico!
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