Bicycling the Great Parks North Part II

 Going Solo: Banff to Jasper  continued from Bicycling the Great Parks North

Day 16 Wed 28 Aug 2019
Banff, AB to Lake Louise, AB
47.7 miles,  5:50 riding time elevation gain: 1,106 ft

I shared a somber breakfast with Tom before heading out.  The only small consolation I could find was actually departing around 0800, but I knew I preferred 1000 hour departures with friends to solo riding. The ride to Castle Mountain was full of flash backs.  About the time I arrived at Johnston Creek, it started drizzling, so I stopped to hike a mile through the forest to the lower waterfall.

Lower Johnston Creek Falls

I allowed myself a stop at Castle mountain thinking it would help me get the near mourning for my friends and the trip out of my system.  It didn't.  Setting up camp at Lake Louise was also sad.  The family's site next to mine remained empty reminding me of their absence. However, the Bow Valley Parkway was beautiful.  

Bow River with a train approaching

Lake Louise

The ride from the campground to the lake is very steep, so don't unnecessarily ride a loaded bike up it as I did!  The afternoon lighting was backwards, and I had time, so I hiked half way around the lake where the trail ends or heads off in a different direction.


Day 17 Thur 29 Aug 2019
Lake Louise, AB to Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel
59.5 miles,  6:43 riding time elevation gain:  2,500 ft

I was over the worst of missing the family knowing they had flown off this morning. Being without them now felt like being awakened from a pleasant dream and wanting to return to it.  The maps looked like I'd have to get on the freeway as I left Lake Louise, but there was a bike path alongside it separated by a New Jersey barrier. Tom had said scenery would just get more beautiful as I headed North, and it did.  I found the long climb out of the Bow Valley to Bow Summit at 6,785 ft almost boring in the slowness required without ever being steep enough to challenge me. 

beautiful spot at Bow Lake for lunch

another view of Bow Lake

day riders  are common this far north

North Saskatchewan River

I had dinner at an expensive roadside cafe where hwy 93 and 3 met, and rode the 7 miles on to the Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel.  I was surprised to find 10 to 12 supported cyclists from a Calgary bike club riding supported hostel to hostel who soon disappeared to that restaurant and showers for the evening.  I enjoyed their brief company anyway.  The hostel had no showers but did have gas stoves, pots and pans, and solar panels to recharge phones and GPS's .

Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel with some of the bicycles and solar panels

 

my rack and panniers at the hostel

Day 18 Fri 30 Aug 2019
Rampart Creek Wilderness Hostel to Athabasca Falls Wilderness Hostel
68.5 miles,  7:12 riding time elevation gain:  5,888 ft

Yesterday's climb was long and didn't provide a challenge.  Getting to the top Sunwapta provided that challenge- maybe the toughest since Going to the Sun. It was the first time since then that people congratulated me on the climb, my legs complained some, and a couple even asked to be in a photo with me.

looking back from the top of Sunwapta Pass at 6,676 ft

Steve at the top of Sunwapta Pass

Soon after the pass, the arms of some of the glaciers from the Columbia Ice Fields were viewable.

first view of a glacier from the Columbia Ice Fields

view toward the Columbia Ice Fields- photo by Linda

moving away from the Columbia Ice Fields

looking North from the ice fields, clouds are moving in - light rain will soon fall

Tangle Falls Jasper National Park

Tangle Falls Jasper National Park

the end is near

We had planned to stay at Honeymoon Campground which would have given me a 56 mile day, but that campground was "first come, first serve" and was full.  I'd checked out the Beauty Creek Wilderness Hostel at about 1530 hours, but it doesn't open until evening, and with no one on site, I had no idea if they'd have room for me.  It has a beautiful setting, but lacks solar power and electricity..  I rode on as Andrea, our excellent planner, had assured me a campground just beyond Honeymoon would likely have room; they didn't, and the same for a 3rd campground.

These signs greeted me at all the campgrounds as Canada's Labor Day weekend was starting

If it proved necessary,  I thought I could make it to Jasper by dark, but it was the beginning of Labor Day weekend, and I wasn't sure I would fare any better in Jasper itself without a reservation. I came up with a real pitch for Athabasca Wilderness Hostel to let me stay, but they had room, so I didn't get to use it.  It had a big kitchen and was immaculately clean though taking my shoes off every time I entered a building was a bit of a pain.  I cooked and ate the "emergency" lasagna the family had left with me as we separated. The hostel  had enough electricity for lights as well as recharging electronic gear.

Athabasca Wilderness Hostel - a welcome relief

Day 19 Sat 31 Aug 2019
Athabasca Falls Wilderness Hostel to Pyramid Lake Resort near Jasper, AB
27.7 miles,  3:21 riding time elevation gain:  1,531 ft


I awoke the next morning to the sound of rain on the roof, and with only about 25 miles left into Jasper, I was in no hurry to get up.  Try as I might, I was still out of camp by 0900 in the rain.  Athabasca Falls was worth a stop even in the rain.

Athabasca Falls

 

Athabasca River below the falls

 

sadly, it's nearly over

 

I arrive at the finish line in Jasper as the rain stops

The German guy who took a photo of us at the top of Sunwapta Pass saw my arrival, greeted me by name, and wanted another photo, and I this time I got one too

My motel was another 5 miles north of town - uphill, but the rain had stopped, and I now had a bunch of snacks and a meal with me from the real grocery store in Jasper which I'd feast on until Linda and Brian arrived and then still eat a big dinner.

the rain had stopped leaving this view of Pyramid Lake in front of my hotel

another view of Pyramid Lake - photo by Linda

friends Linda and Brian arrived to take me and my bike home

It was a great trip despite the cloud from the early departure of my friends in Banff.  Some of the roads are too busy with inadequate shoulders and traveling in Canada, particularly the National Parks, is much more expensive than it would be in the states, so take those warnings if you're considering this route. Reservations are difficult to make and keep on a bike tour, but we found them absolutely necessary in the park to avoid the fate of the Andrews which nearly caught me at Honeymoon Lake. The route is beautiful, and as Tom said, more beautiful the further north one goes. As we drove home, we found the traffic on Labor Day an unbelievable steady line of traffic headed North toward Calgary from Radium.  That didn't affect us much in a car headed South, but would have been horrible for a bicycle headed North.  I'd have wanted a layover day had I had to ride north in that traffic. ..

Without the help of friends, I found it impossible to make reasonable travel plans to get there and back, I didn't consider (nor did the professional travel agent I saw consider) the possibility of catching the train to the West Coast, up to Vancouver BC, and continuing on train to Jasper or vice versa.  We met a south bound group from Salem, OR that had gone to Jasper that way, but the Great Parks North Route wasn't populated with many touring cyclists this August.

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and adventure



Steve 

Bicycling the Selkirk Loop

I've wanted to bicycle the Selkirk Loop since I first saw it on Adventure Cycling routes maybe 15 years ago, so when Christy invited me to join a group of her friends, I was eager.

Day 0:  Sun 8 Jul 2018
Post Falls, ID to Sandpoint, ID
63.3 miles, 5:53 riding time, 1972 elevation gain

Since my nephew, Troy, lives about a day's ride from the planned start point in Sandpoint, I started there a day early using Google maps and vague memories from Ride Idaho 2015

Troy sends his uncle off on the Selkirk Ride

The route was surprising pleasant from Spirit Lake, Idaho and included several miles of hard pack.  We were to meet at Christy's friends' Wendy & Sherman's at the top of a steep gravel road.  There gathered the group: Christy, Jim, Christy's former boss Amy, Vicky, and Scott who was staying in nearby motels every night doing a credit card tour while riding with us more traditional tourists.

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Day 1: Mon 9 Jul 2018
Sandpoint, ID to Creston, BC
63.3 miles, 5:53 riding time, 1,972 elevation gain

Amy, Vicky, and I had set up our tents in Wendy & Sherman's front yard with a great view of Pend Oreille Lake while Christy and Jim rated the spare bedroom.

Vicky, Jim, Christy, Amy, & Steve from Wendy's yard

Ready to depart Wendy's: Steve, Vicky, Amy, Scott, Christy, & Jim

Scott joined us for what was easily the best breakfast of the trip which Wendy fixed: huckleberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs.  I thought Adventure Cycling had a map of the route, but that's not so.  Christy had plotted out a map to soon get us off combined hwy 2 and 95 which are busy highways here. So we enjoyed rolling hills through the timber and occasional hay fields.  These back roads led us to a closed bridge which workmen were just starting to tear out.  Jim talked them into letting us cross it, but soon the pavement turned to light gravel.  A couple people weren't comfortable riding any gravel, so we had a lunch and hiked about 1/2 mile to these falls while contemplating the route.

Vicky, Chisty, & Amy at our first waterfalls

The gravel road was providing views like these.

Christy just before the turn around

Amy just before the turn around point

With intermittent light gravel/pavement predicted for the next five miles the group had to decide whether to 1) continue on with great views in much shade, 2) backtrack adding about 10 miles onto this first and longest day of the trip, or 3) split up for the rest of the day.  We chose to back track on this hottest day of the mini-tour adding those roughly 10 miles and a killer hill climbing out of Bonners Ferry. Back on the highways traffic was heavy but began to lessen after US 2 turned east, and was pleasant after we turned off US 95.  The heat and that climb out of Bonners Ferry sapped everyone, and I, a rather slow rider, found myself in the lead much of the rest of the day.  I saw Jim's character master his tiredness as he forced himself on the remainder of the day.

Vicky making it across the Canadian border

 We were probably all ready for the day to be done by the time we reached the border, but the highway was mostly flat into Creston with a short killer hill that awaited us on the final climb to Scotty's RV Park. Most of the group pushed up a part of it.  The camp was clean and pleasant.  We met two tourists from Spokane there, the LaVoie sisters, whose campsite was in the middle of the 3 sites we had.  They made pleasant conversation and gave us a bit of info on what lay ahead.

The LaVoie Sisters from Spokane: Britta and ?

Day 2: Tue 10 Jul 2018
Creston, BC to Crawford Bay, BC
47.7 miles, 4:26 riding time, 1995 elevation gain

 Just outside of Creston, BC we caught up with Gerald part of a 16 member Adventure Cycling group doing the same ride with a few extra options over 11 days.  He made interesting conversation.  The heat of the prior day was gone, but soon a drizzle started that would last all day interrupted only by occasional hard showers. Mosquitoes were horrible this day.  Soon we caught Matt and his uncle Norm and a hard rain hit just as we were arriving at a gazebo where we sought shelter from the rain but found many mosquitoes.

Matt, Gerald, Norm, & Steve seeking shelter from the rain but finding mosquitoes waiting for us  Mosquitoes were so bad the group refused to stand sill for another photo taken with the flash manually turned on

The A/C group had planned to camp where we had rented a chalet, but after riding all day in the rain, they rented chalets.  I suspect we all missed some beautiful sights today as rains make people put their heads down and peddle without looking up although we were riding beside a beautiful lake. The chalet was a welcome treat with very comfortable beds.

Jim, Christy, Vicky, Scott, and Amy preparing to leave our chalet

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Day 3: Tue 11 Jul 2018
Crawford Bay, BC to Nelson, BC
24.4 miles, 2:11 riding time, 1,706 elevation gain

The group was ready for a short day to fully recover from the exertion of day 1, and Nelson is a great place to spend some time. The hill between Crawford Bay and the ferry was bigger than we'd anticipated, so we barely made the departing ferry. Most of the Adventure Cycling crew was on our ferry though they had left the two assigned cooks and the sweep to catch the next ferry roughly two hours later.  Traffic after the ferry was light,  but picked up from somewhere and was heavy by the time we reached Nelson.  

Jim nearing the top on the ride to the ferry - photo by Christy

Jim & Christy on the ferry

view from the ferry

Jim, Vicky, Christy, Amy, & Scott on the ferry

The LaVoie sisters had advised us to seek a campground near downtown Nelson which turned out to be a great location although it was cramped enough no one could use his tent fly.

our crowded but much appreciated campground in Nelson, BC

looking down on Nelson's street fair - photo by Christy

We arrived early enough and on the right day to catch the downtown farmer's market & street food fair. After eating lunch at the street food fair, we had dinner at the Main Street Diner which in my opinion was the best dinner of the trip. The campground's covered pavilion was one of the cleanest I've ever enjoyed on tour.

Day 4: Wed 12 Jul 2018
Nelson, BC to Metaline, WA
57.3 miles, 5:20 riding time, 3,202 elevation gain

We faced a steep hill out of town and a busy highway though a complicated road system that on the map looked much like a large clover leaf.  Once at the top of the hill, traffic was light, and it was slightly downhill to Selmo, BC where I spent the last of my Canadian cash and then not many miles to the US border. We were on day 4 after an easy day 3.  Using mostly my no international fee credit card had worked well for most expenses plus the rough $5 in Canadian change a friend had given me.  There was a 2nd hill up to the US boarder, but this didn't really tire anyone, and the custom's agents on both sides of the border were much more friendly than those on Idaho hwy 1 where we had entered Canada. This was an incredibly beautiful day but I took too few photos. 

Vicky at a roadside waterfall about where the steep climb out of Nelson ends

I swam in the Pend Oreille River off the boat docks in Metaline, and the rest of the trip we'd be following the Pend Oreille's river valley.

Day 5: Thu 13 Jul 2018
Metaline, WA to Penny's Place on the Water near Newport, WA
55.1 miles, 5:41 riding time, 1,394 elevation gain


We picked up Scott at his "resort" a few miles south of Metaline and continued down the highway to Ione where a full grocery store gave us the option of buying dinner supplies for the stay at the rural Penny's on the Water.  The highway was so quiet this morning that it seemed to matter little when we switched to the north side of the river with its ever so quiet county roads.  

Brian a west bound x-country cyclist starting his final state on the Northern Tier

 

Soon I met Brian starting his final state in a combined Trans-Am Northern Tier route.  Oddly, no one else stopped to greet him in what looked like an excellent spot for photos.

 

Scott passing by

Amy with the Pend Oreille River in the background

my failed attempt at a close up of Jim & Christy riding by

Steve - photo by Brian

 

As the group rode by, I missed Vicky entirely.  We took a brief break at Panhandle Campgrounds where Christy and I had camped on the Northern Tier, and were then off to Usk where we had lunch in its convenience store/hamburger shack.

The Pend Oreille River from the bridge going into Usk

We thought we could avoid getting on the state highway for a mile or two at Usk.  That route led us back to another lightly graveled road which we rode until it rejoined the highway, and it was up the highway until Penny's Place on the River where we swam and rested on the beautiful lawn.

Steve after a swim - photo by Christy

Vicky enjoying the rest at Penny's on the Lake - photo by Christy

the group- Steve, Amy, Jim, Christy, Vicky, and Scott - photo by Jim

sunset at Penny's on the water

Day 6: Thu 14 Jul 2018
Penny's Place on the Water near Newport, WA to Post Falls, ID (Sandpoint for everyone else)
58.9 miles, 3:28 riding time, 2,207 elevation gain

breakfast at Penny's on the Water: Amy, Christy, Jim, Vicky, and Scott

departing Penny's on the Water, Christy, Jim, Vicky, and Amy (Scott is in the lead somewhere)

Back to the highway and into Newport, then onto Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route which soon had us on back county roads.  There I left the group to ride into Sandpoint as I headed to Post Falls where my nephew lives.

Great trip everyone.  Thanks Christy for planning this out and inviting us all!


Happy Cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve