This was really a 2 day journey.
We started in Canmore where it was raining lightly. The ride to Kananaskis was about 60 km, easy to miss but at the same time a nice warm up for the longer ride the next day. We decided as long as the rain stayed light we could ride but we could jump in the van if things got worse.
We headed out of Canmore on Highway 1A towards Exshaw. The road was fairly busy with not a great shoulder. It was rolling with both uphills and downhills. By Exshaw where Ben met us it had stopped raining enough to doff the rain pants. We rolled on and it was a little more scenic past Exshaw, benchlands with Yamushka to our left. We had a strong tailwind. After a while we turned onto 1X which lead past a dam and reservoir to the TCA where we rode on the shoulder for 3 km with cars whizzing by us before turning onto Hwy 40.
We met Ben at the parking lot of the Stoney Nakada casino for lunch. The clouds were looking very ominous so we ate quickly before heading south for Kananaskis. This was a steady uphill, punctuated by the occasional downhill. About 10 km in, Ben met us at the side of the road. Apparently a grizzly was grazing in the ditch ahead. He suggested that we ride in a pack with the van. I had heard that the cardinal rule of travelling in bear country was always to make sure you are travelling with somebody slower than you and unfortunately I was that person. Fortunately the bear had left by the time we biked by.
We arrived a the turn-off to Kananaskis Village. Ben directed us to a paved trail that would take us to the lodge but after about a km, the trail was closed due a bear in the area, so we ascended up the road which was a moderate climb. Same altitude gain either way. We then arrived at the Delta which is a very nice hotel.
We spent some time in hot tub and chilled out before having dinner at the on-site Italian restaurant, then off to bed for the big day ahead.
The following morning was overcast, low clouds and rain in the air. We ate at the hotel breakfast buffet.
The ride today was to be 130 km over Highwood Pass to Longview. We set out descending the long hill from the hotel and onto Hwy 40. We had about 30 km to ride before the pass started. This was rolling country with a gradual gain in elevation and we eventually reached the start of the pass where we filled out water bottles and ate some snacks.
The clouds had lifted a bit and it was possible to see most of the peaks. We kept on climbing and as we neared the top it seemed to be the steepest although it was possible to see the top of the pass or what we hoped would be the top of the pass. Finally as I turned the corner I would see the sign and Mary and Theo who both climb faster than me waiting there.
We had one of the most satisfying lunches I have ever eaten in the parking lot.
Despite all this we were not even half way and we had 80 km to go to Longview. The weather however was a lot better and Ben assured us that it was mostly downhill.
Leaving the parking lot we had a long and satisfying descent before having to climb a short hill and descended more. It was a gradual downhill with some steeper downhills and the odd climb for many km. The scenery was awesome.
About 30 km from Longview things flattened out again. We were now in rangeland with cattle grazing on both sides of the road. The was a headwind so for the last 30 km we range in a pack which made our progress faster. We could finally see Longview and one small hill later we rolled into town, where Ben was waiting at the Blue Sky motel with cold beers that we had brought from Canmore. Longview is a small town although one with two bars. There are also a few galleries. 
After showering and changing we ate at the restaurant next door before returning to our rooms for a well deserved rest.
No comments:
Post a Comment