Bob on BAC Canadian Rockies 2007

Athabaska Falls

I awoke a little after 6:00 to misty skies. While I was watching the mist come down the mountain, it turned to rain. Then it began to rain harder. This was the kind of weather that I expected in the Rockies. We were warned that the weather could change dramatically in a short period of time and to expect anything from hot and dry to cold and snow. I came prepared for all types of weather. Even so, we ran over to the restaurant for the continental buffet and waited there until the rain let up. We saw Chip and Kathy Sterling leave at the height of the storm. The buffet was good. I had fresh fruit cocktail, muffins, cereal, orange juice and coffee.

Back at the room, I put plastic bags over my socks and dressed in rain pants, a rain jacket over my light jacket and long-fingered gloves. I started peddling at 9:00. My first stop was at Sumwapta Falls, right next to the hotel. I got onto the main route at 9:15. The rain had let up quite a bit by then so I was not getting wet. After about 10 miles, I had to shed my plastic bags because one of them was rubbing on my chain and was shredding. Strangely, as I rode on, my socks did not get wet even though I was wearing my cycling sandals.

I turned on 93A, the road that went to Athabaska Falls, and stopped there to take some pictures. This secondary road was on our route sheet and was a good, traffic free alternative to the main road. It was pretty bumpy for about four miles, but then it got much smoother. It had rollers and one climb. It was woodsy and went alongside the Athabaska River. Somewhere along the way I took off my rain gear. I saw a cycling family all peddling together on the way to Jasper.

Elk Posing for Us

Just after I turned onto the main road, I stopped along with many cars to take pictures of an elk in the tall grass very close to the road.

I was pretty hungry when I arrived in Banff, so I stopped at a Subway and had a tuna sandwich. It was about 12:30 when I found our hotel, The Amethyst Lodge, and our room wasn't ready. I checked my email on the hotel's free terminal and cruised town to get oriented. Jasper has grown since I was there many years ago. The main street has lots of shops and restaurants. A secondary street running parallel to the main street is also loaded with shops and restaurants. This definitely is a tourist destination.

After I got into our room and got cleaned up, I decided to walk along the main street and find the brew pub that I read about. I met Dick on the way and we walked into the Jasper Brewing Co. The IPA was very good. Dick and I had dinner here, too. I ordered chicken with bourbon and beer sauce. It wasn't that good - too salty.

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