The ride was relatively short today in comparison to the
last few days of cycling. However, I decided to take the side trip which made
it a 117km day.
Right when we got out of camp we were met with an 18km
section of climbing to reach the Kicking Horse River Valley. The climbs were
relatively steep but the view was by far worth the climb. I cannot stress
enough how spectacular the views have been within the mountains. At one moment I was
so high that I saw a cloud caught along the mountain side right at my level.
Climbing was great in the morning as well because the sun was shining but it wasn't too hot yet.
Myself and a few other cyclists stopped in the town of Field
for lunch. Field was a great little village with lots of character. To get to
the village we cycled alongside the Kicking Horse River, which was amazing.
A few kilometers after Field was the Kicking Horse Pass.
However, before I embarked on that climb I decided to go on a side trip to
Takakkaw Falls with Mike, Erik, Rob, Gee and Larry. Bud warned us that the
cycle to Takakkaw Falls contained steep sections; however, the view was worth
the climb. He was not lying about steep sections. The 14 kilometers to get to
Takakkaw Falls was a constant climb up, up and up. In addition, one section
contained a switch back. Prior to the tour I had never come across a switch
back. But I tell ya, they are not the most enjoyable to cycle up. On the last
section I gave up because my legs were toast. However, as I mentioned before,
it is difficult to unclip your feet from the pedals when your legs are tired.
There was a rail along the switch back and so I decided to lean into the rail
so that I could hold on and thus unclip my feet. It worked and so I walked the
last bit of the switch back after which I hopped back on the bicycle to
finish the ride to the falls. Getting to the falls by bike was an
accomplishment in of itself. And the view was spectacular. Takakkaw Falls means
“It is magnificent” in Cree. The falls are fed by Daly Glacier which in turn is
fed by Waputik Icefield. The snow which falls onto the icefield becomes moving
ice in the glacier which melts to create Takakkaw Falls. During the summer
Takakkaw Falls is a plunging waterfall whereas during the autumn the stream of
water billowing down from the mountain becomes increasingly less until winter
in which it becomes all but a ribbon of ice. Myself and Mike walked up to the
falls and the closer you got, the cooler the temperature became. The mist that
touched my skin sent a chill through my body, it was awesome because it was so
cold :)
The ride back to Route 1 was easy because of all the
downhills. However, right when we reached Route 1 we had to go up the Kicking
Horse Pass, which was a 7km steady climb. The sun had gotten warmer as the day
progressed and so it was warm getting up that pass but I did it! :)
I climbed the pass with Erik and Rob. Mike, Gee, and Larry
went ahead and so we lost sight of them after the climb. Following the climb we
had the option of taking the old Highway 1A which would lead us to the old
continental divide marker. At this spot you can see two streams heading in
different directions, one flowing into the Pacific Ocean, the other into the
Atlantic Ocean. The old highway would also take you to the famous Lake Louise. Rob,
Erik and I headed to the old highway to see the continental divide and work our
way to Lake Louise; however, the road was closed off due to Grizzly Bears. So
we went back onto the new highway which was a bit of a bummer because I really
wanted to see the continental divide and Lake Louise. I did however notice the
change in directions of the streams while cycling along the new highway which
was super neat.
We finally made it to Lake Louise Campground at around 6pm.
Then it hit me, I am in Alberta, which means I just cycled across British
Columbia! Holy jumpin’ junies! I cycled across a province! Only 9 more to go! :D
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