As an avid bicycle rider, I’m always looking for new bicycle rides to “conquer”. There are after all only so many times you can ride the same 20 mile route through Andover – by the way, I’m always looking for fellow (male or female) riders to join me. I typically ride an average 17 – 18 mph pace for rides up to 50 miles. I would love some company.
Alas I digress.
So in my search for a new ride, I found what has been described as the “most spectacular journey in the World”. While this may be a bit of hyperbole, The Ice fields Parkways from Jasper through Banff to Calgary in Alberta Canada was truly breathtaking. The trip down (actually more up) this roadway is a 3.5 day, nearly 200 mile ride through the Canadian Rockies. During the ride, I climbed 12,133 feet at speeds ranging from 5 mph (it was 9 continuous miles of climbing, I was tired) to 50.1 mph (got to love those downhills).
The snowcapped mountain views, glaciers, and wildlife came in rapid (or not so rapid, it is a bicycle after all) succession. Had I stopped to take a picture of every view, I would still be there. I resorted to pulling out my little 35 mm camera from my back shirt pocket and snapping on the fly (try that at 50 mph on those skinny wheels).
The weather was beautiful much of the time (no riding in the rain, a BIG bonus) although COLD. We woke up to 21 degree Fahrenheit temps on the second morning and two of the days started our ride with temps in the very low 40’s. No shorts for this boy, although a few of my riding buddies toughed it out.
All in all it was a fantastic trip. I’m already back on the bike and planning the next one. Thinking Seattle to San Francisco. Or maybe the Blue Ridge Parkway in West VA. Hmmmm…….
