2017 - Day 15

The plan for today was to only ride to Edmonton, so we were able to take our time getting there. It was just after 11 by the time we left Jasper, and by the time we left the National Park it was 2pm. We took the road up to Miette Hot Springs again, and had a little snack there. I talked one of the cleaning ladies into letting me see one of the bungalows, and it brought back memories of staying there as a kid. One of these years we will have to rent a bungalow there and spend a little time in the pool.

Leaving the mountains in the rear view was kind of sad again, after spending so much time in mountainous terrain the last few weeks. The ride from Hinton to Edmonton was pretty boring after all the good roads we've been on during our trip. We stopped for lunch in Edson, a very late lunch, and pulled up to our room in Edmonton right at 6pm.

Our meeting with the regional rep of CMA (Christian Motorcyclists Association) was a go for tonight after a quick phone call, and after a little time to relax in the room, we made our way to the east side of the city. It wasn't too long after 7:30 when the couple arrived, and the four of us chatted until 10:30. The chat was great, and it was really nice to meet with them and get a feel for the organization. I guess we will see what happens from here, and if the Lord wants us to be a part of that ministry.

Now it's time to get some rest and make the final leg of the trip home. It will be nice to be home, go to work and earn some money again, but I could easily keep traveling if time and money allowed.

2017 - Day 14

The room at the Crystal Springs was good, and both of us had a good night of rest. We had another continental breakfast, which are good, but I prefer more of a real breakfast. Packing up takes literally minutes, we have a system down by now that is pretty efficient.

It was a lot cooler today than it has been since we left Vancouver Island, with rain in the forecast. The weather was pretty nice though as we left Radium. As we continued down highway 93 towards Alberta the clouds started moving in. Not to far from the provincial border we pulled over to don the rain gear, as did the group of bikes following us.

I've never been on the Bow Valley Parkway before, so once we got to the intersection we opted for that instead of the Trans Canada. That was a mistake in my opinion, I found the road pretty boring as it was mostly a tunnel of trees that blocked most of the scenery. Next time I'd just take the TCH for the section, as it's more open and gives one a little more views.

The Lake Louise area was crazy busy, and since we've both been there before, we decided to forego that today. We had a snack and filled the gas tank on the bike, and then off we were. There were people everywhere in the National Parks today, but I have a feeling it's going to explode to another level once July rolls around.

At Saskatchewan Crossing we had another little break, just in time to miss a rain shower coming through. Once we got back on the bike, the temperature kept dropping as we neared the Columbia Icefield. The gauge on my bike was between 40 and 45F at the summit there. The last 40km or so into Jasper we got pretty wet as the rain got quite a bit heavier. It felt really good to get to our room, and have a hot shower. This was the coldest day of the trip so far, and certainly the wettest. We've had really good fortune with the weather, and it looks like tomorrow should be good again. A lot of the views today were obstructed by the clouds, but it was still nice to see the area.

Now we will relax in our room a little, sleep in tomorrow, and head to Edmonton. Only a couple days left now before we get home, where a lot of work will be waiting I'm sure. 

Bonus points to anyone who can spot the interesting feature in this photo

Our second floor room...

...with the bedroom in the loft

2017 - Day 13

We had a great room in Revelstoke, even though it was tiny, but for some reason I wasn't able to sleep very well last night. I woke up feeling tired but that feeling kind of passed after a little while. Leona and I had a typical light continental breakfast and then packed the bike and headed up to Revelstoke Mountain Resort. A co-worker had told Leona about the pipe coaster and we decided we wanted to do that this morning. Let me just say, if anyone of you is in the area and you have time, it's well worth the price of admission to do this ride. There are videos on YouTube of the pipe coaster, check them out if you want to know what it's like, it was a blast! The little carts go down the pipe just like a roller coaster, and the rider can control the speed. Such a fun way to start the day:)

After our (not so cheap) thrills, we hit the highway again at around 11:30. Not too far from Revelstoke we walked the Giant Cedar Boardwalk, which was pretty cool. Some of the trees are just massive and the vegetation is so lush.

There was quite a bit of construction going on up at the Rogers Pass, which was actually good, because we ended up riding slow and having more time to take in the scenery. I say this every time, but I think the mountains are more beautiful every time I ride through them. I was thinking about it today, and there's can't be a whole lot of the Trans Canada highway left that I haven't ridden in the last five years. I've been so lucky to finally live this dream, and now I get to share it with someone I love.

We stopped for a late lunch in Golden, and then made the final run down to Radium Hot Springs where we have a room booked. I got so sleepy on the ride that we pulled over and rested on a picnic table at a rest stop. It was there that we realized that we were back in the mountain time zone, which made our lunch in Golden even later. 

After arriving in Radium and checking into the motel, we lounged around the room a little, and chatted with four female riders from Colorado. We've talked to, and see so many, bikers in the last week or so. That's always a fun part of the trips for me, the people and their stories. Eventually we showered and then walked to the Horsethief Creek Pub for a small dinner. Walking in the evening is so nice after being on the bike, a chance to stretch out a little. Now it's time to get some rest, hopefully sleep well tonight.

Starting the gondola up to the start of the pipe coaster

Almost at the top of the gondola, what a view!

This little cart is supposed to carry me down that small pipe?

A view from the top, with the pipe going into a tunnel

Those leaves are quite large!

Got me some new pants, the ones I'm wearing were getting see-through

The 150mm howitzers they used to shoot down avalanches

Our home for the night, it's been totally redone since I stayed here 4 years ago

Walking to dinner, and the sheep are already enjoying theirs

Down the street to the motel

2017 - Day 12

As I said yesterday, there were curves on the agenda today, and the highways did not disappoint. By the time we were packed up and ready to go, including breakfast at Tim Hortons, it was 10am. The weather was beautiful once again, a tad cooler than yesterday, with some clouds forming south and west of Creston.

The first road today was highway 3A from Creston to Kootenay Bay. I've been on this stretch before, and it's as good a road as you'll find in Canada. The curves never really stop, and one probably spends more time leaning that riding straight. We stopped at a lookout about halfway, and while I took a couple of pictures, Leona started chatting with a lady from Australia. We ended up having a good chat with the couple, who are believers as well. Almost 5 years ago I went to a golf camp at Kokanee Springs for a week, and we quickly pulled in to refresh my memory.

From the golf course it's only a few minutes until you get to the ferry, which took us over to Balfour. While waiting for the ferry we chatted with two other couples from Alberta, who also stayed at the same hotel as us last night. The ferry ride was fun, a great little diversion from riding, and took about half an hour or so.

Once off the ferry we turned right onto highway 31, which we took up to Kaslo. Moments after making the turn we caught about a 10 minute shower. The rain was actually comfortable, and helped to cool us off a little. In Kaslo we stopped for lunch, before taking 31A over to New Denver. 31A was an awesome road, hardly any traffic at all, and more curves than 3A. This short 50km stretch is one of BC's best kept secrets.

In New Denver we pulled over so I could have a smoke, and the clouds forming in our path looked a little ominous. A quick check of the weather told me that any rain would be moving quickly, so we decided to forego rain gear. We caught another little shower, and some intense wind, but soon we were back in the sun. Highway 6 from New Denver, through Nakusp, and to Galena Bay was another scenic route, less curves but still plenty. There was another ferry at Galena Bay, that we took across to Shelter Bay, about a 20 minute crossing. The road from there to Revelstoke was kind of boring after the scenery and curves all day.

After checking into our room in Revy, we walked a few blocks to Emo's for dinner. I had a pizza, and it was the best pizza I've had in years. Leona had a salmon dinner, and we would both recommend this place for a nice dinner in Revelstoke.

We don't have a big mile day planned tomorrow, so we might go ride the pipe coaster at Revelstoke Mountain Resort before hitting the road to Radium. Sadly we have only two more really scenic days left on this trip, though the morning we leave for Edmonton from Jasper will still be beautiful. There's rain in the forecast for the day we do the Icefield Parkway, so hopefully that changes yet. Now it's time for a shower and some sleep. It was an absolutely amazing day today!!

About halfway from Creston to Kootenay Bay

Same lookout, just looking north

For memories sake

Waiting for the ferry, along with a few other bikes

Waiting for the ferry

We weren't the only ones crossing, though that ferry looked smaller than ours

You could smell the rain, it was beautiful

Our view eating lunch in Kaslo, sitting on the patio

Summit Lake rest stop

Galena Bay

Our ride coming to get us

Windy and lots of small waves on the crossing, the cool air was a welcome relief

Arriving in Shelter Bay