DAY EIGHT, Gregg Lake Campground

So, I'm going to start this with another plug . . .  Everybody should check out thebeardedladyproject.com   It is a great film and exhibition piece set up to raise awareness of women's contribution to science, specifically paleontology, and the continued presence of misogyny therein.  It involves a scholarship fund for women in STEM.  So, please check it out and DONATE.

Another 71 miles done.  I was exhausted last night. After eating a fine dinner of Spanish brown rice with quinoa and corn, I crashed hard. Not the case today, the last 11 miles had some tough climbs, but otherwise it seemed like it was mostly downhill.  The profile said it was roughly even with gains and losses for the day. 

Anyway, I finished my trip through Jasper National Park and have spent the last 8 miles or so in William A Spitzer Provincial Park.  It seems to consist of some very green foothills, wetlands, and lakes. 

I arrived at the campground I just had to stay at around 2 and enjoying a sit by my lake despite the light drizzle.  I mean, come on, Gregg Lake!?  How could I avoid it's allure!?

Oh!  I saw my first cow and calf moose, today.  They really are awkward looking creatures.

DAY SEVEN, Jasper National Park

Twas another day of some serious ups and downs.  I broke 40 mph on one stretch.  That is still my record.  Also, I had my first up close and personal encounter with Bighorn Sheep.  There were two males just meandering down the shoulder.  It was on a super steep bit. So, I really had to slam on the brakes hard. I managed to stop before they felt obliged to ram me.  There was a bit of rock and cliff just to my right they decided to scamper up instead.  I got some pretty sweet pics, but I'll have to add them the next time I can get to a computer . . .

DAY SIX, Ups and Downs

Today was quite the day.  At some points, I was wondering why I was doing this and at others I was grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire Cat.  The route was 90 miles from Banff to Rampart Creek campground at the exact same elevation with almost 4000 feet of gain and loss in between.  Though I think the exact reverse would be far worse, it was basically 45 miles of mostly up followed by 45 of down.  Needless to say, that first 45 was draining and seemingly endless.  To boot, the sun was unrelenting, nary a cloud in the sky.  I was really regretting this trip, despite the grandiose scenery . . . And then the down started, "Wheeee!!!" 

Anyway,  this seems to be popular bicycling and bikepacking country.  I saw tons of them both out today.  Unfortunately,  the majority, and all the packers, were headed the other way. 

Saw my first bear on this trip today.  He was just lumbering down the highway.  Oh!  He's in my lane!!  Luckily, some hawkers had stopped their cars to take pictures.  So, I quickly switched to the left shoulder to let the black bear be.

It was a long day, about 12 hours of cycling.  But, it was a good day.  All the lake were so richly turquoise and the mountains, so majestic.  When i got into camp, I met this great French guy touring western Canada in an RV.  He invited me to sit and have a beer and then to a meal.

DAY FIVE, Banff zero day

DAY FOUR, Banff

It was a good day, but I am glad tomorrow is a zero day.  I am definitely sore and tired.  I was really sluggish the last sixteen miles despite the amazing scenery.  I got back into the Rockies today and they are gorgeous.  Canada seems to love their bike paths and I am not complaining.  I took more greenway bike paths out of Calgary.  I loved the tension pedestrian bridge built into and under the highway bridge.  The beginning of 1A sucked. It was high traffic, but it did have a huge shoulder.  Once it got into the mountains, the traffic thinned greatly, but so did the shoulder.  Alas, you can't have everything.

DAY THREE, Calgary

Well, today was a mixed bag.  I had a headwind the whole day.  So, 60 miles was slow going for sure.  The rain certainly didn't help matters, but at least it was only drizzling.  The lack of a shoulder in some busyish bits was also not great.  And, since I was headed into the big city of Calgary many of the sights in the beginning were not inspiring. However,  once I got on the Bow River Pathway, it got a whole lot better!  That has been money well spent by Calgary.  Much of the land has been reclaimed from old industrial efforts.  The restoration is incredible.   Pelicans, other birds, and gorgeous greenery everywhere.  Anyway, all together not so bad a day.

DAY TWO, High River

So, first I'm going to start this with a plug.  Everybody should check out thebeardedladyproject.com   It is a great film and exhibition piece set up to raise awareness of women's contribution to science, specifically paleontology, and the continued presence of misogyny therein.  It involves a scholarship fund for women in STEM.  So, please check it out and DONATE.

65 miles wasn't so bad.  My butt is a little sore and my legs are a little tight, but I have some time to relax, since I arrived in camp at noon.  It was more plains meet the mountains, but still wonderfully green. I'd post pictures, but this app is having issues with that.  It technically rained for a bit, but it was barely detectable.  I stopped in a CBIC to change some money over and was greeted by, "You're making some really great time!" 

"Uh . . . Thanks?"

"You passed me while I was pulling out of my street, and now you're already here!"

Well, so I guess I'm making good time . . .
Anyway, Calgary is tomorrow

DAY ONE, East Glacier to Fort McLeod

Well, I made it!  128 miles, it was my longest ride ever and weighted down with camping gear!  I wound up taking a slightly longer route than originally planned to avoid a particularly twisty sans shoulders and an additional 1000 feet of gain.  112 miles turns out to not be that bad when you have 4000 feet of descent and only 2000 feet of gain.  The last 8 - 16 I couldn't wait to be over though.  Overall, the ride was gorgeous despite being a bit further from the mountains of Glacier National Park; Ellen and I did get to enjoy hiking around the park for 5 wonderful days.  I got a nice early start and finished in 12 hours, including all stops.  I started a stampede by riding past a buffalo farm, startled 4 feet to dart across the road, and chased a butterfly for a good while.  The border guard thought I was crazy or a terrorist,  because she took forever to bring me back my passport. When she finally did, she felt compelled to warn me about Alberta's wind.  I politely told her I was from Laramie, WY and I was used to wind.  Anyway, I hope I'm not too sore for 60 miles tomorrow . . .

Itinerary

Well, we're driving up to Glacier.  So, I thought I'd just share the itinerary for the bicycle trip.  We will be exploring GNP until the 20th when I will begin with 107 miles of cycling.

ITINERARY

PreTrip

Well, my start date is fast approaching.  I am excited and nervous.  This will be quite the solo undertaking.  I have never done more than a 2 day bike trip, and I am going to bike 2300 miles from Glacier National Park in Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska.  But, I hadn't been backpacking for longer than a week before I completed my southbound thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2011.  But, bike-packing is a different beast.  I have been putting lots of miles on my bike in the mean time, and of course my LA marathon training certainly helped prime my fitness. 

My toughest ride so far was 75 miles with 4300+ feet of gain