I Thought I Was in Great Shape!

I was wrong.

Both myself and Isobel had 5000km+ In our legs, but the first few days on the divide showed us we had a long way to go.

After running errands in Banff we left town at 4:30pm. The great weather all day ended as well, but the worst was still to come. I was expecting the trail right out of town to be easy going, but short sharp undulations only a few metres vertical but at high percentage made for extremely tough riding, not to mention the rough surface.

Very early in the ride we met a northbound cyclist. Turned out to be a fortuitous meeting as he reassured us that the coming days were going to be some of the toughest of the entire route.

26km after leaving we called it a day, and not too soon either. We picked a spot in dense trees at the bottom of a dam, which turned out to be a great choice. A storm rolled through and whilst we could here the wind we were completely sheltered.

Todays riding was easy, in comparison anyway. A car less trail along the lake was a great start to the day, the easy riding ended once we got onto an old forestry road which included a nice steep, muddy climb. Walking a few sections was a smart thing to do.

The views of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park made it all worth it. After an early dinner I had my first Grizzly sighting, before camping 2km down the road.

Before a big climb its worth having a warmup, having camped at the Elk Pass trailhead our warmup was a double digit grade. Halfway up I was spent and walked the rest. We'd known about that climb. The maps had neglected to mention the steep descent and equally steep climb back up the other side of a creek. That included much more walking.

Rough roads turned very nice, allowing us open it up on the descents, although a couple of loose sections had me snaking.

Later in the day we met another northbounder. More info of the coming trail was great, I wish there were more of them.

With a message from a warmshowers host in Elkford we pushed on into town. Turns out we were her first guests. Alison had raced northbound previously.

Having only met Alison briefly the night before, the morning turned to afternoon before we finally got rolling.

The first of several detours off route started in Sparwood, after Isobel dragged me to see the big truck :p.

We had our first meeting of one of the 2 B's, either Brad or Bruce. They were doing the divide by the book, generally short days, dragging bob trailers. The one we talked to had 35lbs of dehydrated food his wife had prepared!

Wanting to see Glacier national park, and disliking backtracking we headed over Crowsnest pass. The pass was just sooo difficult that we decided to camp just before the top.

The morning had an amazing start. Stumbling out of the woods to a rest area we met some travelers. The conversation went like this: "Hi, did you camp in there? do you want breakfast?". Being cyclists we of course said yes, and it was amazing! That was only the first of an amazing streak of hospitality.

This detour brought Isobel onto her planned route. Thankfully I had already turned her into a mountain goat and the prairies held no interest. 

A cruisy lunch in Pincher Creek allowed the weather to catch up. It was fine to begin with. The rain started. Torrential rain had us scrambling to the shelter of a outdoor dining area at a closed cafe.

One couple checked on us twice, and whilst cooking the owner came by and said we could just camp there. The rain eased, but never stopped so we were very thankful and didn't think twice.

Awaking to a dry, albeit gray day we started climbing. Skirting Waterton national park we got to see the contrast between the prairies and the mountains. Mountains win. 

Today was my last day in Canada. The climb up to the border crossing included some of the best road surface I'd been on. After another painless border crossing I was in Montana! The US pavement was shocking, in comparison anyway.

I fell asleep at lunch, Isobel then had an amusing fall after riding through a cow patty. The sleep hadn't done me any good either as I felt terrible until much later. 

All day we'd been hearing about a storm that was coming, but it seemed like the mountains were holding it back nicely. Just before the entry to the park we met some cross America cyclists, they suggested doing the ride at sunrise.

As we entered the park it started to rain, but only enough to make the views amazing. In Rising Sun we met a Northern Tier cyclist traveling with Sag support.

Whilst cooking dinner we got chatting to 2 couples staying at the lodge. As we were finishing we looked over and saw black clouds approaching. 

The 2nd act of timely hospitality occered when the couples decided to squish into one room and offered us the 2nd one. We couldn't believe it, but with the wind blowing things away we were inside very quick. A warm shower and a comfy bed was amazing!

Having everything pre packed also made it easy to be up early, so we set an alarm for 5. The real bed made it hard, but we got up and where on the road at 6am, before sunrise. 

The sun on the mountain faces was definitely worth the early start, not to mention the lack of cars. The climb up the pass was extremely slow, as we kept stopping for photos. 

Up the top a cloud had just come over the top, reducing visibility to almost nothing. Half an hour later cleared. We met another cyclists Dave from Melbourne. 

The descent was great fun, when there weren't cars blocking the way. I'm sure others stop on the descent, but the sensation of cruising down the narrow road, passing cars when able to was more than enough. 

There is a cyclists curfew on some sections of the roaf, so we waited till we were off before stopping for lunch. After lunch we were just cruising along when a park ranger pulled us over. He was adamant that we were not supposed to be riding this section and said he knew the rules. After radioing through our details for a warning he was presumably told that we were already passed the section. No apology, but he did get very awkward.

We'd organised a warmshowers host in Whitefish, but that had fallen through the night before. We tried organising another place, but no good so we paid for camping for the first time since Meziadin Junction.

One rest day turned to two when we awoke to 12 hours of rain. During this time we met plenty of other cyclists, including Jerry and Alan who we'd keep running into over the next week. 

I Think We May Be In The Mountains

Mountains are fun. They're great to look at, and I just like climbing. This made the ride over to Banff along the Icefields Parkway something to look forward to.

After an epic 100m climb to the top of Mcdonalds Summit we finally had a really big descent to pay us back for all the climbing. 10 minutes at around 60km/h had our mouths stuck in silly grins and our arms hurting. The road designers must have little faith in driver's brakes though, as they had half a dozen runaway lanes, including one only a km from the top.

The hot weather continued, but not for long. At lunch a day later it got cloudy, then started to rain. A well timed coffee stop allowed the worst of the storm to pass, leaving great cycling conditions.

As we approached the Rockies the number of cyclists picked up dramatically. Dozens of cyclists, all on an Audax style ride based on setups passed by. Before this most of the other cyclists had been fellow tourers, unless we were close to major towns.

When leaving Vancouver, we'd also left RV country, but all good things must come to an end. Unfortunately this corresponded to some awful road design, with rumble strips placed in the middle of already far too narrow shoulders, forcing us out into the traffic in sections. No issues with drivers though.

Right at the end of the day we reached Mt Terry Fox rest area. You could be forgiven for not even noticing the areas namesake though with a perfect view of Mt Robson. Whilst the first view was amazing, seeing the mountain at sunrise was even better.

Approaching Jasper we had the rude shock of a toll booth. I'd known about the toll, but I was expecting to reach it on the other side of town. When asked how long we would be in the park, we looked dumbly at the attendant. We had know idea how far the park reached, let alone an estimate of the time required. 3 days we said, which was always going to be a stretch, $60 later and we were in.

Our timing couldn't have been worse. A long weekend was about to start which brought with it a massive influx of people. With these new people were the welcome faces, and soon to be welcome RV of Isobel's cousins.

After a quick catch up and plans for a rendezvous in the evening myself and Isobel were off. Upon leaving Jasper we were pleasantly surprised with how quiet it was, it was only the next day that we realised the weekend had not begun. Isobel had been pushing through some mild pain the last few days, at lunch it became clear that it was not going to stop on its own, so we aborted our ride and went scurrying back to Jasper.

After a surprisingly quick stop at the doctors and a promise that the drugs being prescribed would sort her out in a day or so we took advantage of the vehicle support to jump us back to where we turned around. This was only the start of the luxuries of a Sag wagon.

The next day it started out fine, then it got grim, and then it got worse. The epic views of the mountains were replaced by no less spectacular, but much more ominously stunning views. With two hours of riding to reach the top of the first pass at the Columbia Icefields the heavens opened and we got properly soaked. The temperature was dropping dramatically so we made the decision to push through lunch and just rely on snacks. When a familiar vehicle stopped we even refused the offer of a lift, as we were actually not too cold, and with only climbing to go and an epic tailwind pushing us there was little risk of hypothermia. We didn't refuse the offer of lightening our loads though.

With much lighter bikes we powered up the hill. Waiting for us up the top was a nice big RV, heaters running. Without the RV the day would have been very unpleasant, likely ending with us huddling together in the visitor center. The RV style is basically opposite to our sort of touring, but I have to say having a solid shelter for the night was a most pleasant experience.

Ending the day with a climb generally means starting the day with a descent, and today we had a beauty. One corner had a recommended speed of 50km/h, I looked down and entered it at 65km/h, when I saw the corner open up I got back in a tuck and exited it at 75km/h. Soon after we arrived at a massive hairpin corner. Admiring the view were three cyclist just out for a few days riding the parkway. Soon after a cyclist coming the other way stopped as well. He was heading to Fairbanks. Hopefully I managed to convince him that his skinny tyres would be able to handle it no problem, it seems as though plenty of people are unaware that the road is completely sealed now.

Throughout the day there had been very ominous clouds around, and at lunch some of them caught us up. With handy shelter we remained dry. We met an NZ cyclist, out on a few week credit card tour. After the rain cleared we continued on.

The next pass was so pedestrian we continued climbing up to Peyto Lake where there was a constant stream of tour bus's unloading and reloading tourists. The rain closed in again, so we took shelter again. We had a reasonably dry descent, but decided to stop at a campground when it started to rain again. During dinner we chatted to Al, a Canadian cyclist out for a few months discovering the country. When it stopped raining we pushed on and found a spot just down the road to camp.

The next few days included lots of breaks, and not much riding whilst Isobel sorted out coming down the Divide with me. The first long break was in Lake Louise, where we did the very un-touristy thing and skipped the lake!

After the constant traffic on the Parkway it was extremely pleasant to continue to Banff on the Bow Valley Parkway. Our camp for the night was hard to beat as well. The next morning we continued onto Banff, where a few more errands were done, including switching to my knobby tyres, in preparation for The Divide!

Getting back on track

My detour down to Vancouver Island took me way off my planned route, but the few days getting back on track have been amazing. This time it was my time to drag Isobel around, over through Whistler and the much more daunting Duffy Lake.

After a rendezvous with Isobel we braved the city traffic. Not really such a big deal though as we were on bike paths.

We were headed for the Sea to Sky hwy, 4 lanes of divided traffic. Another road offered a quiet, albeit undulating alternative. Upon reaching the hwy entrance we found it closed, with a steep hiking trail a suggested alternative. It was a bit of an adventure, taking the long way around would have been quicker though.

The actual riding on the hwy was unpleasant, spectacular views have a habit of making things bare able.

Riding to Whistler was great. With an Iron man coming up there were plenty of cyclists around, and the town was dominated by mountain bikers. Its always amusing seeing people on aero bars whilst climbing.

A few great descents and we were in the flatlands again. In Vancouver I'd been warned about a really narrow windy section, even being advised to ride facing the traffic, but with low traffic, and in comparison to what I'm used to it was nothing.

We thought it prudent to leave ourselves with enough distance to be warmed up before tackling Duffy Lake the next morning so when a track leading down to the river came up we checked it out. Turned out to be a great campsite.

I've mentioned Duffy Lake a few times now, and locals probably know what I'm talking about. For everyone else this is a climb that averages 8% for 13km, exceeding 1000m elevation gain, a record for me in touring. It also has a rough opening of 3km at 10%.

The smell of burning brakes was the fragrance for this first section. One car that was forced to stop for roadworks had smoke billowing from the front brakes.

A sunny day could have made the climb unpleasant, but the shade from the mountain kept the temperature very reasonable. The opening was a slog, but not so bad as some NZ passes, or maybe it was just my lower gearing making it easier.

Whilst the work wasn't all done, the grade become much more manageable. The sight of some ghost bikes was a bit sobering though.

Nearing the top I met Rick, a Dutch cyclist, who was about to enjoy a very rapid descent. At the top I dropped most of my gear and had a very brief but fun descent down to Isobel. Being stubborn (and very close to the top) she turned down my offer of lightening the load and soldiered on.

After so much elevation gain we were due a good descent, but we had to keep working for it. The ride was spectacular, plunging through gorges before climbing back up the other side.

The final descent into Lillooet was spectacular, but massive gouges in the road made for some sketchy moments.

After a small resupply we headed a few km out of town, finding a camp spot below some power lines. 

Taking a bit of a tangent I would like to mention something that made itself felt going over the pass, the lack of rubbish bins. All throughout the Yukon and northern BC there were rubbish bins placed regularly along the highways. When we entered lower BC though these were replaced with signs warning of fines for littering. The worst section just happened to be over Duffy Lake, with none until just before Lillooet. I blame that for not getting the Strava KOM...

Checking bolts should be done regularly, alas I had left it too long and found a rack bolt missing, at least that's what I thought. With spare bolts it was an easy fix, until I noticed that the bolt had sheared off rather than just coming loose, leaving the end still in the frame.

With my rack secured with cable ties we headed to Cache creek. It was hot so we had a swim stop at Pavilion Lake, to scare off the tourists with our tan lines.

In town a truck mechanic helped me remove the old bolt, free of charge!

A late ride brought us to our latest wildcamp, just behind a line of bushes off the hwy.

After the heat of the previous days some clouds made for much nicer riding conditions.

After a decent amount of climbing we had the novelty of flat roads, the first in a long time. After another swim we had the company of some rec cyclists, it was amusing though as we were gaining time at every cattle grate as they were walking each one.

After a few hours on quiet, good quality roads the main highway was a very draining experience, with bad cracks causing jolts every second or so.

Thankfully that night we had a warmshowers place sorted, and we were met by some very friendly dogs. The humans arrived a bit later as well.

Lydia, Glenn and Brett were so great we had to stay another night (we were actually just really lazy). Great company and amazing food made for a nice rest day, even though it was only a few days since the last one. It would be the last for two weeks though.

Welcome to the Jungle

I've been told to stop slacking, so here's a start. I need to become antisocial. 

Food makes the touring world go around. Today I had the double effect of use of a kitchen, through Warmshowers and a companion in Isobel. This made shopping time much more interesting, but first we had to get to town.

Our wildcamp was discovered when a resident passed in the morning, with nothing more than a bemused look. After breakfast with a view we were off on a very scenic ride.

Thankfully it was scenic as the wind slowed us down, but with only 60km it was still a short day.

After my first shower in a week we got stuck into cooking. The entrée of pizza barely touched the sides, the main of roast veggies however filled us up nicely.

For most people being full would be the point where the story ends, however we had bought a tub of ice cream. 1L each later and we'd consumed ~2500 calories for dinner.

Long days had become normal over the last week, so it was strange to realise that the upcoming day was the first time we had actually planned a day above 135km. We had a ferry to catch though so planned to reach Prince Rupert that night, 150km away.

It still sounds strange saying it, but it should have been an easy day, and it sort of was but we didn't feel it. Flat roads and tailwind should have made for a really pleasant day, but accumulated fatigue  made it tough.

Riding along the river was stunning, I don't think I've had a flat ride be so spectacular.

We met two couples along the way, the first was an elderly couple with travel bags jury rigged to the frame. The second was much more of a surprise, Matthew and Florence, about two weeks since we parted ways in Whitehorse. Turns out we were doing a switch of hosts.

Hills to end the day drained what little energy was left, but another great meal later at a very chill couch surfing host we were ready for our early start to catch a ferry.

Early starts mean alarms, something I enjoy not needing in general, but with a deadline there was no helping it.

I'd  heard good things about the inside passage, and the ferry ride was spectacular. I was extremely glad to have company though as it was 16 hours. The best views came late in the day, once the clouds cleared and the light dropped. Earlier we'd seen some humpback whales.

When we loaded our bikes we saw another loaded bike, with a rider but he walked away before we could have a chat. We did end up meeting Douglas, who was on a credit card tour from Vancouver.

It was 11.30pm when we arrived in Port Hardy, and gloriously dark. Actually seeing  stars for the first time was really cool. We'd picked out a beach 45 mins ride away that I'd seen and made our way out.

Night riding can be a lot of fun, and this was definitely a great night to be out. My first deer sighting was the typical deer in headlights, which amused us both.

Arriving at the beach it looked like it had been designed for camping, with only a nearby streetlight to ruin it. Ended up being a very late night.

With a normal wakeup time we didn't end up with much sleep. During the ride Isobel started mentioning she was feeling ill, eventually mentioning she was losing peripheral vision. We got to Port Mcneil, and during a low speed maneuver Isobel crashed. Mostly unhurt we had a long rest, before another long rest over lunch and only rolled out at 3.30pm.

To make matters worse I got a puncture, the first actual puncture in ~10,000km. We still managed 100km's, arriving with just enough light to get settled. Along the way we saw two black bears, but for a change they were really jumpy, one even climbed a tree. In camp Isobel had a great time once she noticed the giant slugs.

Some good climbing to warmup in the morning  was great and the descents seemed to go on for ages. After lunch we met a couple of Canadian guys. Something was very odd though, as they had just started their tour, and wanted to catch the next days ferry, 160km away. Did I mention this was after lunch? We suggested trying to hitch. We aren't exactly slackers and we wouldn't even consider riding that distance so late.

I'd been warned about the crazy traffic and heavily developed land from Campbell River all the way south, but it still came as a shock, especially after the solitude of the Cassiar. We were definitely out of the wilderness.

Late in the day, whilst stopped for water I had my legs admired. Strange but nice to see others appreciate it.

My introduction to lower BC was continued with a lengthy jaunt on a divided highway. This offered really quick, but unpleasant travel. When a bike path showed itself we jumped at the opportunity, 15% grade had us looking for the next exit to the hwy. A side road offered a much better ride, although we still had a few sections of 15%.

To add some excitement to my day my big ring decided to bend, no idea how but I could still manage 30kmph, at extreme cadence.

Myself and Isobel parted ways, with a rendezvous in a few days, including a small hill called Duffy Lake.

Having gone the last 2 weeks having only payed for camping once I was determined to wildcamp. Usually this means not being seen. I failed miserably, and got a beer and a chat from a local couple.

The high cadence training continued with a ride to the Swartz bay ferry, including catching a rec cyclist uphill. The ferry ride went extremely quickly thanks to the company of Andrew, a Kiwi cyclist just finishing his trip.

A nervous bus ride with my bike hanging on the front and a surprisingly pleasant ride through the suburbs of Vancouver brought me to an old workmate Casey's place.

A surprisingly productive rest day was much appreciated, and a relatively straight chainring got my trip back on track. A few hills were in my future.