No Bears Allowed

My first night in my new tent went about as well as one would expect. Despite having the same sized footprint as my old tent, the interior of my new home is noticeably smaller. I also much prefer having two doors on each side rather than one door at the end. Again, I’m sure I’ll get used to it and these are nothing more than First World problems.

One thing I’m sad to report is that it would seem I’m not always the quickest study in the world. Despite my three night experience in Medicine Hat, it still didn’t occur to me to look for automatic sprinkler heads on the premises. Needless to say, I should have. In my defence, I was camped on a narrow patch of grass located between a wall and a sidewalk. Hardly prime sprinkler territory. Or so I thought. Clearly, I thought wrong and my once dry tent was suddenly wet. Sigh. Regardless of the sprinklers, I would later discover that my tent was actually pretty wet from condensation so either way I was going to be packing up a wet tent.

With my wet tent and all my other gear loaded up I was ready to set forth for Banff – a mere 20 km away. And I could get there without getting on the highway thanks to the Rocky Mountain Legacy Trail which is a long, beautifully paved trail which connects Banff to Canmore. I’m not sure how far the trail actually extends but I know it ends shortly after Banff. As an added bonus, access to the Legacy Trail is directly across the road from the Lake Louise Visitor Information Centre.

Another added bonus is that the trail is also home to at least one roadside bike shop. Okay, it’s not really a shop. It’s more of a do-it-yourself tool set for minor adjustments or tire inflation. I didn’t need to use it but it’s a nice addition to the trail.

Another nice addition to the trail is the presence of red chairs – just like the chairs I encountered at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland last year. Side note: In Ontario they’re Muskoka chairs. In Alberta, they’re Adirondack chairs. Whatever the name, they’re comfortable … and photo worthy. Multiple times.

After that, the ride to Banff was easy and uneventful, well … with the exception of the wildlife electric barriers that are located along the Legacy Trail. The barriers consist of electrified pads that “discourage” wildlife from accessing the trail. Fortunately, the pad has no effect on bicycles and pedestrians have a separate gate to use.

Despite the ride being chilly, cloudy, and occasionally rainy, the weather took a turn for the better as I arrived in Banff. Even though this was my first time here, it was pretty much what I expected it to be. Very busy. Very touristy. And as the sun came out, the people came with it.

I was tempted to stick around for a while and explore the town and surrounding areas but I decided I’d rather get back on the road towards Lake Louise and, eventually, Jasper. However, before hitting the road I was able to locate an isolated power outlet to charge my phone. Not that I really needed it. The route for the next few days is pretty straightforward and with free WiFi being a bit rare these days, my phone will pretty much be dead weight soon. Although, having a backup camera is probably a good idea.

Of course, before leaving Banff I figured I should have some lunch (or late breakfast) as well as get some food for the road. Not surprisingly, Banff is home to a Subway location. Two actually. But one of them was inside a mall so I opted for the store which would allow me to keep an eye on my bike.

With my stomach and panniers full with Subway sandwiches, it was time to move on. Next stop, Lake Louise. Well, the Village actually. And the village is about 60 km from Banff.

As I made my way along the highway, the sun that had welcomed me to Banff had decided to go away upon my departure. The clouds rolled in and it wasn’t long before it was obvious that I was in for a wet ride. On the upside, as the rain started to fall I was approaching a tunnel along the highway. Actually, they’re wildlife overpasses. Either way, it was going to provide shelter if the rain would hold out for a few more minutes. It did.

Under the shelter of the overpass I was able to leisurely put on my rain gear rather than the frantic approach that would have otherwise been necessary. The roads were dry when I arrived at the overpass but by the time I was suited up the rain was coming down rather steadily.

The rain stayed with me sporadically the rest of the way. It was kind enough to ease up from time to time to allow for some more photos of mountains. Because, you know, I haven’t taken enough of those yet.

Remarkably, much like my arrival in Banff, my arrival at Lake Louise Village saw the rain dissipate and the sun return. I would get to dry out my tent today after all.

For the first time in a while, I opted to stay at a real campsite. I don’t know why. It was probably just laziness. Either way, after a quick stop at the Information Centre (there really wasn’t a place to set up a tent there) I had directions to the campground as well as a detailed map for the ride along the Icefields Parkway to Jasper.

I don’t know if it made me happy or sad that the tenting area of the campground was completely surrounded by an electrified fence to keep bears out. I was glad that such a strong deterrent was in place. But a little concerned that such a deterrent was needed. Either way, it made me feel that staying in a real campground tonight was the right decision. It ended up being a doubly good decision shortly after I had set up my tent.

I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with the rest of the day and part of me was considering riding up to Lake Louise. That idea was quickly sent to the back burner when I met Audrey and Darryl at the campsite across from me. We chatted for a while and the next thing I knew I was sitting around their campfire eating dinner with them. What followed was a very enjoyable evening over a great dinner. Thanks to Audrey and Darryl for a great evening.

Tomorrow I’ll cycle up to Lake Louise and from there it will be onwards to the Icefields Parkway. Incidentally, the Icefields Parkway is considered one of the most beautiful rides in the country … and even the world. At least the expectations haven’t been set too high.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 81.74 km
Ride time: 4:03:41
Average speed: 20.12 km/h
Maximum speed: 44.50 km/h