Bob on BAC Canadian Rockies 2007

Frank Rock Slide


River Outside our Motel

We awoke at 6:30 to cloudy skies and cool temperatures. Breakfast this morning was French toast, bacon, orange juice and coffee. I left the motel around 9:00 wearing arm warmers, leg warmers and a light jacket. I carried my rain gear just in case. The ride out of town was very pleasant. There were rollers through farm lands with lots of hay. We saw wind turbines in the distance. Whenever bicyclists see wind turbines, they worry about lots of wind. We were warned about possible winds today, but it was relatively calm. In fact, I had to shed my jacket and leg warmers after about 10 miles.

The route took us through a coal mining area. I stopped at Leitch Collieries which was an historic exhibit of the local mines. Some of the other people in our group were there, also.

I got my first and only flat tire on the outskirts of Bellevue. It was caused by a bad patch on my tube. The roads were amazingly clean throughout the tour. I know of only one other flat during the ride. I stopped in Bellevue at a store for lunch and had a sandwich, chips and ginger ale. Mike McMahon sat with me and chatted while I ate. He didn't seem to need as much fuel as I did.

We rode on to Frank where an enormous rock slide wiped out part of the town in 1903. I could see much of the slide area from the road. There were stacks of boulders beside the road that stretched for many meters. I cycled up a steep hill to the interpretive center to get a better view of the area. It was huge! I could see where part of the mountain collapsed.

I rode on to Blairmore and got to the Best Canadian Motor Inn motel at about 1:30 and got into our room before the luggage got there. I used the meantime to fix my bad tube, use the free internet terminal and watch the Tour de France.

This motel was very typical - small room with 2 beds and an adequate bathroom. Out our window, we could see a small, raging river with canoes shooting downstream. There was a walking path beside the river which Dick and I explored.

Tonight's dinner was at the Tin Roof - a new restaurant in town. It was within walking distance although a few people rode there. Most of us ate there. I had very good jambalaya and pasta salad.

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