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Published: August 14th 2015
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JASPER TO ICE FIELDS CAMP, COLUMBIA ICE FIELDS. (SECTION3 PART 2). Distance Kms 109.81 kms; Total Dist to Date 3120 kms;
Road Condition: good Weather: beautiful day. Time in Saddle: 5.41 hrs; Speed: av 19.3 kph Max speed 56- kph Av Cadence 81 rpm Elevation: 1500 up; Total up to Date 29,479 m ;450 m down; down to date 24,393 m
Today everything jelled, the weather was most kind, patches of blue sky, head wind only late in the day, the best scenery of the ride to date, a herd of caribou, some magnificent scenic sites- the Arthabasca Falls, the Columbia Ice Fields, the Arthabasca Glacier and some minor Falls.Rode most of the day with the lead rider, a young fellow of 24. It was his slow day!! Rode at a slightly higher cadence which supposedly was less tiring. My thoughts are still not satisfied.
I think Arthabasca is the name of an Indian tribe, but cannot be sure, and no one else knows! Another Gov. campsite, better provisioned, but the toilets are still kms away and no shower. But as it is quite cool, and the wind is blowing across the glacier towards us, it is reasonably cool
and the shower need is not a priority!! The Canadians are betting on a cold night.
ICE FIELDS CAMP to MOSQUITO CREEK (SECTION3 PART 2). Distance Kms 100.90 kms; Total Dist to Date 3221 kms;
Road Condition: good Weather: beautiful day. Time in Saddle: 4.31 hrs; Speed: av 22.3 kph Max speed 64.9 kph Av Cadence 78 rpm Elevation: 1000 up; Total up to Date 30,479 m ; 1,200 m down; down to date 25,593 m
Overnight in the camp it was cold, however in the tent and S.B. I was warm. Clear sky and the stars shone brilliantly. Supposedly a meteor shower was expected, must have happened whilst i was sleeping.
At 5.30 am it is now quite dark and more difficult to pack up without the headlamp. Surprised at how quickly the light is changing, although, we are thousands of kilometres from where we started. Still light until late though.
The sky was brilliant blue when i started riding
at 7.15am, the temperature was 2c and the sun was behind the mountain. We started on a 10 km descent at the 10 km mark. Very fast and i feel the temperature dropped lower. My
fingers were brittle. Should have stopped to pull out my long fingered gloves, but the descent was too exhilarating! The sun finally popped above the mountains and the day started to warm.
Another Scenic day of of turquoise lakes, glacial snow, fast flowing rivers and steep hill climbs, only the one great descent! Passed Bow mountain at over 2080 meters, the road, not the mountain peak, bow glacier and bow lake. No idea who Bow was? Any one else know??
Tonight we are at Mosquito Creek and have the option of a youth hostel bunk. I took it, as who knows what
tomorrow morning's weather will be. Situated beside a fast flowing cold water stream. Very picturesque. But too cold for a dip, even though it is another night without a shower. Luckily we are all in the same state of cleanliness!! Baby wipes to the fore again. Will need to top up in Banff on our rest day. Tomorrow cycle into Banff and a hotel.
The hostel has an oven so the cook looks to be making a lasagna i think. The camp food cooked by Yannis with the assistance of tour leader, Emily, has been very
tasty and plentiful. Also wine is available at cost after
5 pm!! A treat unavailable on the Silk Route.
An afternoon spent recuperating by the mountain stream reading.
MOSQUITO CREEK to BANFF ( SECTION3 PART 2). Distance Kms 86.28 kms; Total Dist to Date 3308 kms;
Road Condition: good Weather: beautiful day. Time in Saddle: 2.59 hrs; Speed: av 28.9 kph Max speed 52.4 kph Av Cadence 84 rpm Elevation: 440m up; Total up to Date 30,920 m ; 350 m down; down to date 25,947 m
Last night stayed in the bunk house. 8 men, surprisingly quiet on both ends! Only problem was beds made for kids and ended at my ankles. Teach me to check next time.
Another beautiful day, 2c at start, 30c in Banff
at 3pm! A relatively easy ride. After Lake Louise i missed the directional flagging tape to ride on the minor road. No problem rode on the interstate, worried about police, one passed with flashing lights and later i passed him and a stopped motorist. Nothing said, so must be ok. No signs saying it wasn't. A great shoulder, and the interstate hwy hills were more refined. The
sweep also made the same choice!! Or mistake. So it was a very fast ride!! The star rider beat me in by 2 minutes. He took the other road. The distances were identical, just the minor road was a little more hilly, nothing dramatic though.
Banff is a bigger town than Jasper, like Surfers Paradise to Noosa in size comparison. Much more shopping, and surrounded by magnificent tall mountains. Not sure which i prefer. Both are pretty towns and very touristy.
Went to the famed Banff Springs hotel. Very impressive structure built and originally operated by the Canadian Railway. A very grand history. Thought i should partake of a nice glass of red. Sat in a busy bar for 15 mins, no service, so left. 5 star establishments outside of asia cannot provide service of any average expectation. And for the pleasure of poor service a minimum gratuity of 18% was added to the bill. Saved my money and purchased a delightful Shiraz , SANDHILL,( $25-), from SIMILKAMEEN VALLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA. I am telling myself that i will consume it over 2 days!!!!!
Walked about 10 kms around the town this afternoon. Can rest to
tomorrow, now that laundry is also done. Went to a bike shop to buy a jersey. Nothing available as the season is at an end. Spoke to the mechanic who put me on to some good cleaning products purchased from the hardware shop next door at a mere fraction of bike shop prices. A win at last, maybe!!
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Peter Carson
non-member comment
Hi Roger, it seems like the trip is becoming quite enjoyable and you seem to be having some great experiences.Well done for getting so far. I have to say I am surprised about the camping facilities in Canada or lack of them. Some friends of mine went on a road trip through BC up to Alaska and they said the facilities were very good. Still it doesn't seem to be a problem and I am sure it makes those nights in a decent hotel all the more enjoyable. Talking of hotels together with Debbie , Chris and Fran , this coming weekend we are cycling the English coast to coast from Morecombe in the West to Bridlington in the East. Its not far as we are only cycling about 160 miles over 2 full days and two half days. I am for the first time ever carrying my own luggage but before you get too impressed we are staying in very nice B & B's with laundry facilities! I will let you know how it goes . You mentioned that you might be interested in the round London 100 mile cycle next year. it is normally the first weekend in August but it is heavily oversubscribed, this year there were 75000 applications for 25000 places . I was lucky to win a place in the ballot. However if you ride for a charity you will get in BUT you will have to raise probably around £1000 for the charity. I am not sure if you are keeping up with the news while you are away? There has been a bomb attack in Bangkok , 20 people killed and over 100 injured. What makes people do such evil? They are not yet sure who is responsible. Anyway you are a long way from there and I do hope that you continue to enjoy what I have to admit does sound like an amazing experience . Cheers. Peter