It was a dull drive to Calgary once we left the Rockies. The highlight was passing the ski jump and luge facilities from the 1988 Winter Olympics. Our hotel, Best Western Downtown Calgary, was in the heart of the downtown area. Funny that. Checking in was again interesting with all the Covid restrictions. Only 1 person (or Covid group) in the lift at any one time. We were on floor 14 so plenty of lift action. We got a bit freaked out when we found a bag of flu medicine outside the door of our neighbour – when I asked the front desk they said she only had the flu and did not leave the room. Mmmm.
I headed out for a run, running along the Bow River north bank from 14th street and then crossed over the 4th street bridge to run back along the south bank. I had to take a different route to the one I had originally planned because of the Black Lives Matter protests. Once I got to the river bank it was lovely with quite a few locals out and about. The next morning we grabbed our bikes and once again followed the Bow River westward. We watch a couple of ducks guide their chicks across the river to the Prince’s Island Park – a little island in the middle of the river. The current was so strong it was a real mission for the chicks to make it across, which thankfully they all did – otherwise Deryn was going for a swim. We cycled as far west as Inglewood – the original settlement in Calgary. It was cute but nothing special. We then headed home via the city proper, amazed how quiet the place was.
After a kip we headed out to 17th Avenue, the bar and cafe centre of Calgary. As it turned out it was the first day bars were allowed to open in the city. They closed the curbside lane of the road so the pavements could be used for seating for all the bars. Once again we were impressed with processes and innovation of the bars / restaurants to manage the virus. We stopped for a couple of brilliant cocktails at Lulu Bar called a Lamborghini Mercy (we had just seen 2 parked along the road) – made from sake, mezcal, green apple cordial and Chardonnay. We then headed to Brown’s Social House and a pavement table for dinner. When the sun was out it was lovely but as soon as it disappeared behind a cloud the temperature plummeted. We agreed that we could not live in Calgary because of the weather.
We woke feeling a bit ropey due to our enjoyment the night before. We had breakfast once again at the Kawa Expresso Bar across the street as the Best Western’s prepacked breakfasts (Covid issue) consisted of a juice pack, muffin and health bar. I went for a run trying to run off the hangover but had to walk the last km because of the 5km no stretch hammy ping. I then drove to Macca’s for the proper hangover cure. We headed away the next morning glad to be returning to the Rockies. We had decided to stay at Canmore, 17kms down the road from Banff for a change of scenery. We were so glad we did because the town had a much more chilled vibe than Banff. We had booked 3 nights at the Lamphouse Hotel (ended up staying 5), in the heart of the village.
We had been in contact with a Physio friend of Cal’s called Annie who kindly offered to take us out for a mountain bike ride once we had lunch. We grabbed a bite at Graze and had some fun with Tony the owner. He was a real character. We drove to Annie’s place and headed off with her and her husband Chris on a ride. 15kms and nearly 90 minutes later we were back at their place. We climbed over 300m at the start of the ride which made it a challenge for Deryn to keep her lunch down. Apart from that it was a lovely ride. We stoped at A&C’s place after for a few drinks and met their daughter Meg. We had some of the best cider I have ever tasted – a shame I did not take note of the brand. Dinner was leftovers at the hotel.
I headed down to Graze for breakfast and met Tony’s daughter Natasha. She was as chatty as her dad. Breakfast was brilliant. We had a chilled day exploring Canmore. It really is a stunning place. We went for an evening stroll that ended up being nearly 2 hours and over 10km. Once again the walk was along the Bow River. The setting sun on the surrounding mountains was spectacular. The next day we headed up to Canmore Nordic Centre with Chris to ride the EKG trail. Once again it was stunning, if not a little wet. We headed to Chris’ place afterwards to wash down our bikes. We met another another Physio friend Martha and her 3 girls from Jasper. We left our bikes there and walked back to our hotel so the visitors could use then. We also decided to stay a couple more days so we could have dinner with Annie et al at their place for my birthday dinner!
We had booked in an early afternoon horse ride at the Boundary Ranch in the Kananaskis Valley, about 40 mins on the road back to Calgary. About 30 minutes in we passed a cop going the other way with his lights flashing. I didn’t pay much attention until I noticed he had turned around and was heading in our direction. I slowed down and pulled over as he approached form behind. He pulled alongside us and vigorously pointed that I pull over. I did. He then walked towards the car with his hand on his pistol. All very OTT. He reckoned I was doing 113 in a 90kmh zone when he passed us so flashed his lights to get me to slow down. He said I then sped up and hence he turned round to chase us. He said it was also mandatory to stop when a flashing police car approaches from behind. People that don’t are either Chinese or fugitives. Yea right. After a lot of “yes sirs” and a 10 minute wait we were fined $87 for doing 93 in a 90 zone. Go figure.
The Boundary Ranch was beautiful with a real cowboy feel about it. Hardly surprising. Two of the girls working there were Kiwis. Our host for the ride was Wade, a real cowboy with a twang and few teeth. We were joined on our ride by a Chinese family that said they had ridden before. I doubt the girl had but it didn’t matter really because we never got above a slow walk. We barley covered 6km in 2 hours. It was excruciating, especially when we had to stop every 5 minutes because our guests horses kept on grazing at will. However the scenery was beautiful and we (I) even got to see a grizzly bear – albeit it from a distance – and a few of their scratch trees. The irony of it all is that we were fined for speeding to join a horse crawl. I would not do it again even if I was paid. Thankfully we paid half price (still $70 each!!).
Dinner at Chris and Annie’s was lovely with the kids even baking me a delicious chocolate cake with candles. I, of course, applying Covid protocol, extinguished the candles with rapid hand movements. I got a bit chatty and continued to ignore Deryn’s kicks under the tangle telling me it was time to go! We got up early the next morning for our drive to Junction 1A where we jumped on our bikes to cycle the 7km to the start of the Johnson Canyon hike – the road was closed to cars because it was being resealed. It was the same road that opened when we were there earlier for the leg to Lake Louise. The first part of the trail take you to a couple of waterfalls before a 3.5km hike to the Ink Pots. So called because they are fresh springs in which the water bubbles at out at varying speed. ThIs in tuen means that the density of the chemicals in the water in turn makes the colours vary from green to pink. We had lunch sitting around the pools before hiking back down and then cycling back to our car. We were shattered by the time we got back to The Lamphouse. We had had to move rooms that morning to an upstairs room which was great as It gave us a spectacular view of the sun setting over the mountains.
The move however turned out to be a disaster as when we got up the next morning we found that our bikes had been stolen from the back of our car. The car was parked under our room which meant it could be accessed from the back of the property. It turns out that its not uncommon for thieves to come up from Calgary in vans and do a clean out of Canmore. We immediately tried second hand sales as far away as Calgary and Revelstoke (our next destination) but no avail. Covid has created a bike boom and hence they were very scarce. We tried a couple of bike shops in Canmore and thankfully The Bike Cafe had a couple of reasonably priced Treks. So we ended up with new bikes. We had so enjoyed having bikes on our travels that decided we were not going to let thieves spoil our holiday. It also meant we could put in the past and move on. Chris very kindly drove down when we told him what had happened to offer his condolences.
So our departure to Revelstoke was delayed by a couple of hours but the weather was a bit dodgy once we crossed into BC so we didn’t miss out on any planned hikes. I was feeling pretty average so barely got out of the passengers seat apart from stopping at a lake and lunch in a small diner in Golden. It was nice to be back in Revelstoke after visiting in winter although the weather made us think that summer hadn’t arrived. We stayed at the Revelstoke Lodge (Rob Ffiske had stayed there for his 3 month stint and recommend the place). James our host was really friendly and welcoming. We locked our bikes in a shed even though he assured us that there were very few thefts in Revelstoke.
The next morning we headed into town for breakfast and a bit of shopping. The weather was pretty average with a poor outlook as well. However it was forecast to be better than the other 2 days in Revelstoke so we decided to head out for a ride. We drover to Mt Macpherson’s and do the Flowdown trail. The weather cleared for a 12km ride through the forests. It was magic. It was pretty muddy so we undressed outside of our motel unit. The bikes also got a good wash. We chilled before dinner and decided to ride into town along the Colombia River. We got a bit carried away and ended up cycling for 90 minutes and quite some distance, almost to Revelstoke Mountain. The gummy bears may have helped!!
It was raining cats and dogs the next day so we drove into town for breakfast before spending most of the day reading and doing laundry. I tried to go for a run when the weather broke but at the 5 km mark my hammy pinged again so I had to call Deryn to come pick me up. We started playing cards around 4, then headed into town to see which bars were open; not before finishing up the last of our Whistler supplies. Thankfully the Village Idiot was open – we knew it well as we had spent some time there with Robbie and his mates back in Feb. We plonked ourselves down at the bar and spent the night chatting to Eric the owner. He was friendly; a few of the other locals less so. We got kicked out when they shut the bar. It was a very slow start the next morning.
We drove back to Lake Louise and our expensive accomodation (they all were) at the Mountaineer Lodge. We stopped off at the Giant Ceder Boardwalk to admire the incredible trees (even though it was closed) and then again at the Natural Bridge in the Yoho National Park as I was not feeling well enough to have a gander on the way down to Revelstoke. Seeing so many waterfalls, you risk become blasé of their grandeur. The lodge was lovely. Dits hung around in the room while I walked over the road to have a burger in a diner with amazing views of the mountains. We left our bikes chained to the bike rack overnight which meant Deryn and I were up numerous times during the night whenever we heard a sound. Thankfully they were both still there in the morning.
We got away early as we had a big day driving through the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. The weather was lousy which meant we missed out on much of the splendour for the first 35 or so kms. However the early start combined with the poor weather meant we came across a grizzlies grazing on the side of the road. Amazing creatures. He/she was completely uninterested in us even though we were no more than 10 metres away. We got our of the car for a little walk at Bow Lake. Unfortunately the lousy weather meant the lake was not the bright turquoise it can be. Next stop was Peyto Lake and again a similar experience. That is not to say they wern’t impressive. Just not as grand as they could be. We stopped for an early lunch in front of the Weeping Wall – an impressive cliff face with half a dozen waterfalls covering it. The strong wind blowing made it all the more impressive – although damn cold while huddled in front of the car having lunch. At least the rain was gone and we could enjoy the splendour of the mountains.
We stopped up the top of a steep climb for the quintessential view of the Parkway – called The Big Bend. Absolutely stunning. We agreed that it was up there with Patagonia. Following this we stopped at the base of Parker Ridge, hoping to walk the trail to again one of the best views of the Parkway but had to give up after 5 minutes when we understood we would be hiking the entire way in soft snow. A bit too much of a challenge without the right gear. Next stop was the Columbia Icefields – a once amazing glacier that is now retreating at nearly 5 metres a year. The glacier was huge (went all the way to the Albertan plains) which was evident by the height of the scourings along the sides of the valley. Even as recently as 1908 it was at the doorstep of the famous Glacier View Lodge. We walked as close as we could to the face up a very windy and rugged slope. They had markers for every 20 years to show how much the glacier had retreated. Global warming in action!!!
Next stop was Sunwapta Falls (the Glacier Sky walk was unfortunately closed). We followed the Sunwapta River down over multiple very impressive falls. The lower falls were about 3kms away but well worth the hike. We were starting to feel a bit jaded so gummy bears were once again called into action. The best falls were yet to come with the Athabasca Falls – amazing how much water channels through very small canyons. Reminded us of the Huka Falls in NZ. We arrive at our B&B – Bon Homme View – around 5 very satisfied with an incredible day. We had our own little apartment upstairs which was a nice change, although again the bed was a little small. And crap pillows but thankfully we had our own in tow.
We grabbed our bikes for a quick explore and to grab a salad from the local supermarket. The town had a lovely laid back, family feel to it. I felt a bit slow the next morning so Deryn headed off on her own. Returned 3 hours later (and 28km) gushing about how amazing the local lakes and scenery was. It inspired me to head out for a run – Deryn recommended the old Fort (a hill) or possibly Beauvert Lake. I headed to Old Fort but once again my hammy failed so I decided to climb Old Fort anyway to experience the view. Amazing. By the time I had got to the bottom my hammy felt fine so I ran home via the hill behind our house. I got there just in time to see a black bear and her very small club disappear into the forest. We then drove an hour into Hinton for me to see a dentist. I had been trying for weeks because of a sore tooth and finally found a dentist that could see me – I had made an appointment in Jasper for 2 weeks! After the X-ray I was informed that the tooth needed either a root canal or removal. Neither which they could do!! I got some antibiotics to treat the infection so it wasn’t a total waste of $120.
The next day Deryn and I decided to ride the 5 Lakes trail. A lot of it was single track, some of it very wet which required us to get off and walk. It was certainly worth it because the lakes were incredible. The colours were amazing. To avoid the bog, we headed home along a different trail which Deryn had riden the day before. We were biking for nearly 3 hours by the time we arrived back in Jasper so a stop at a pub was essential for a well earned feed of crispy chicken burgers. The next day it was another ride to the Maligne Canyon and its 5 bridges. Each bridge enabled you to stare down into the gushing water below. Just before the second bridge we were shouted at by a park ranger carrying a gun to head down the hill to avoid a black bear and her cub. A bit of an overreaction we thought given our experience with the bears. Just before the first bridge a couple of lads came squealing towards us saying they had stumbled across another bear. We never saw what one. We did see another 2 as we left the parking area. Must be a bear picnic in the area.
I had a bit of a dodgy nights sleep and wasn’t feeling too good next morning. Had a few hives popping up on my face. Dits thought it may be a allergic reaction to the antibiotics (amoxicillin). We had decided to spend the weekend in Jasper but unfortunately had to move and could only get a room with a shared bathroom at the Athabaska Hotel in the centre of Jasper. It was a lovely grand old hotel, chock full of character and stuffed animal heads on walls. Our room was tiny and the bathroom had 1 shower and toilet. I went down to the front desk and asked how may were using the bathroom. Jerry, the manager informed me that it was 7 people. I asked how that could be legal with Covid. He said it was. He then asked if we would like to move to a double room with an ensuite. Hell yes. For no extra charge? Hell yes!!! The room wasn’t ready so we grabbed the bikes and headed out to Beauvert Lake. We stopped at the old Fort and climbed to the the top so Deryn could enjoy the view. It was just as amazing the second time. Then it was on to the lake. The lake was beautiful, as was the Jasper golf course and the Emerald Lodge. I was tempted to try see if I could have a drive on one of the holes after encountering a bunch of oldies teeing off, but chicken out. Our journey home was a bit adventurous as we headed off the path and cross country. Getting out required us clambering along the steep slope of the motorway. For dinner we headed out for a feed at the local Earls, enjoying the spectacular views while sitting on the outdoor balcony. Although the people watching was just as entertaining given the hoards that had invaded from Edmonton. Most of them being very large!!
I got a fever that night and the hives got worse. I decided to chill most of the day in the room – which was bearable give the view of the mountains and the Edmonton hoards below. I was no better the next day, actually the hives were worse so I headed down to the pharmacy and they advised to stop the antibiotics ASAP. Deryn headed off to see Pyramid and Patricia Lake. She said they we nice but it was hard going with a the track being very boggy. We headed off around 11 the next morning to further the next phase of our adventure. Grande Prairie and the Alaskan highway. Before leaving I had a chat to Jerry, the manager, who said our $99 room was normally $270 and Jasper has up to 50k people in it in summer. At best there was 10k there last weekend and we thought it was busy!!! Covid certainly has some silver linings.