August 27, 2007, Monday

Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta

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It would be hard to top the ride from the previous day on Going to the Sun Road. Today's ride would take us from Glacier National Park in the U.S. to Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada, and while there was some excellent scenery, we were spoiled from the day before. We started the day with a relatively quick buffet breakfast with Julie and Mike from Michigan. They are world travelers, having visited over 50 countries.

Brandon gave us the route talk outside the hotel under beautiful, clear skies, a rarity lately due to the smoke from the forest fires and rainy weather.
Brandon's route rap
I was one of the last to leave, too soon as it turned out since I still had the key to our room in my pocket. About 2 miles up the road I realized my mistake and rode back to the start to deposit the key. I didn't catch Kerie until after the 12 mile tailwind-assisted descent into Babb. As we headed north to Waterton Lakes Park it turned cooler and the skies darkened.

We rode the rolling hills and final climb to Chief Mountain Viewpoint to refill the water bottles and to gather for the ride to the border. The guides wanted us to stay together to reduce problems at the crossing. We crossed in two phases, the van and Bicycle Adventures bicycles with their riders, and those of us who brought our own bikes. As our passports were being checked I snapped a photo of two of the border guards and was scolded about not taking photos of border staff and was told to delete the photo. Who knows what would have happened had I been using film. At the border a wide swath of forest was cleared, to allow easier patrols.

Break at Chief Mountain overlookEntering Waterton Lakes ParkThose who brought their own bikes
Bear CountryCanadian/U.S. border. Notice the faint cleared line along the borderGathering at the border

After we took advantage of the 5-star bathroom on the Canada side it was a short ride to another good lunch at Belly River Campground. At this point the temperature had lowered and we were all freezing, some huddled in the vans, others next to the pot of water being heated. Kathy checked her onboard computer and announced that the temperature was 58 deg.

Newsstand chipmunk
After lunch there was another 5 mile climb to Waterton Lakes overlook where we could just make out the Prince of Wales Hotel, our destination for the day. The downhill after the overlook was fast and relatively straight. There were a few cracks in the road that made for some rough sections but we hit 40 mph even though it wasn't very steep. The ride to the hotel was along the edge of the plains, with rolling terrain until we turned uphill toward the village of Waterton Lakes.

The Prince of Wales is another classic old national park lodge, with a large, high-ceilinged lobby and lots of character. We dropped the bikes off out front to be put onto the vans for the shuttle ride tomorrow to Banff National Park. After a soak in the tub we took a walk into the village. Our corner room has a great view of the lake and village below.

Lunch at Belly River CampgroundTerry and others on the long straight stretch to WatertonPrince of Wales Hotel on Waterton Lake

Reindeer out for an evening
walk around town
After two not so good meals, Kerie was pleased to finally eat well at the Lampost Restaurant. We chatted with Tom and Nell about their cross country ride and their life in California. I enjoyed the huckleberry pie and ice cream, resisting the urge to lick the plate afterwards, despite the encouragement of my dinner mates. Breakfast is in 9 hours.

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