August 30, 2007, Thursday

Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise to Saskatchewan River

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Some days turn out to be the perfect day for bicycling. Today was one of those days. We rode from Lake Louise to Saskatchewan crossing, our first day on the Icefields Parkway. We climbed for the first 30 miles to Bow Summit, then descended, steep at first and then gradually with a few short climbs for the last 20+ miles.

The day started with a quick check of email at the Deer Lodge. Internet access is available on one workstation in the Game Room. We have had almost no wireless access, so having our laptop has not worked out well for Internet use. It has been a good way to keep notes. I created html templates for each day of the trip and have been writing the reports each day which saves lots of time back home.

After checking email we joined the others for another delicious (and quick) breakfast buffet at the lodge. Some riders chose to take the van for the first part of the ride which included a steep downhill for the first 2 miles. We couldn't wait to ride down the steep road we had climbed a few days earlier. On the short descent, which included a few sharp curves, I hit 43 mph without hitting the brakes until just before the light at the bottom.

Brandon passes us once againAlissa fixing another bikeOn the road to the crossing

To get to the Icefields Parkway required riding a few miles on Hwy 1 before turning north on Hwy 93 toward Jasper. We stopped frequently for photos of the spectacular scenery including Crowfoot Glacier. There were many tour buses and steady but not too heavy traffic during the morning. The shoulder started out wide and smooth and later degraded to just wide, with cracks every 10 meters or so. We would get into the regular, smooth travel lane when there was no traffic behind us, then switch to the shoulder as vehicles approached.

Crowfoot GlacierNum Ti Jah Lodge, our lunch stopThe guides put together another excellent lunch

Trail around Bow Lake
We had lunch just before the summit at the Num Ti Jah Lodge parking area, next to Bow Lake and under the trees, with the ravens hovering, waiting for some scraps to appear. As we entered the parking lot we noticed a film crew packing up. They were finishing the shooting of a Prius commercial scheduled to be aired in October.

The perfect light lunch fit in with the day of riding, fried polenta with cheese and salsa, fried peppers, spinach greens with feta and cranberries, M&M's, baby carrots, hummus, and cookies. We walked along the lake and took a few photos, including one of a painting class. We were the last to leave for the climb to lunch.

The steepest climb of the ride was from the parkway to the Bow Summit parking lot and the head of the trail to Peyto Lake. The day was clear and in the low 70's by the time we reached the summit, and Peyto Lake was bright turqoise. It was a magical scene with the mountains and glaciers above and the colorful lake below. We lingered for a while before heading down to the parkway. The descent was steep, and then we hit the parkway and that steady, gradual descent was a wonderful ride. We had a tailwind and the road was straight and fast. We cruised along going 35-40 for several miles, occasionally pedaling to keep up the speed.

Overlooking Peyto LakeWide shoulder with mystery paint markingsPeak

After the summit we floated along with a tailwind and slight descent for the next 20 miles to Mistaya Canyon, where the Mistaya River, filled with sediment from Peyto Lake, had carved a steep, narrow canyon into the rocks. From there it was a few miles to the Saskatchewan River and a short climb to the Crossing. Cold beer and M&M's awaited us at the end of the ride where we played darts and backetball. The wine and cheese party follows at 5:45. Life is good.

Mystaya FallsKerie at Mystaya FallsCrossing the Saskatchewan River

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