Bob on BAC Canadian Rockies 2007

Crow's Nest Pass

We got up around 6:30. We have been timing our wake up time so that we would have ½ hour before the closest restaurant would open for breakfast. We ate at the motel. I had poached eggs, toast, potatoes, bacon, orange juice and coffee. Our breakfast coffee was usually the second cup of the day. Dick was an expert in brewing coffee in our in-room coffee makers. This was his job each morning.

I got on the road at about 9:00. The weather was clear but a little cool. I wore arm warmers and a light jacket. I rode into Coleman where there is a good museum. Unfortunately, it was closed. I then stopped at the Alberta visitors' center to see what was there and to use the wash room. (That's what it is called in Canada). From there it was on to the top of Crow's Nest Pass. This summit was anticlimactic - no sign and no indication of the altitude. This continued later in the ride as we went over several other passes. The Canadians don't seem to be interested in milestones.

As I descended the other side of the pass, I saw Dave Struthers in a rest area chatting with some other cyclists. I stopped and joined the conversation. They were in a group of mountain bikers that were off-road traveling from northern BC. This is an entirely different type of bicycle touring.

Largest Truck in the World

I rode on and got to Sparwood at 11:00. I bought a grocery store sandwich and chips and ate in the shadow of "The Largest Truck in the World". The truck was used to haul coal. Nancy Hurtado, Dusty Hamrick and Maryann Graulich shared a picnic table with me. Mike McMahon took my picture beneath the truck.

It was warming up and clouds were building up as I left Sparwood. It was this stretch of the route that I became alarmed at the road conditions. We were on a very busy Hwy 3. It is a narrow, two-lane road. There are very deep rumble strips that span about 18 inches on the right of the white line. To the right of them is about 24 inches of shoulder that we were supposed to ride on. The pavement on the shoulder was very bad and sometimes missing. This forced us out into the traffic. When buses, RV's and trucks came up behind us, we had to cross the rumble strips and risk being jarred and losing control of our bicycles. It was a tense few miles into Fernie.

Once I reached Fernie, I was very happy. Our hotel, The Park Place Lodge, was one of the best on the tour. Of course, I was there way too early to check in, but once I did I found our room to be very nice. It was large. One side faced the inside atrium. The other side opened to a terrace with a view of the mountains.

While I was waiting for our room, I made a tour of the town. I found 3 bike shops, many coffee shops and an internet café which I used later in the day.

I had a good dinner at the hotel - a green salad with beets, linguini puttanesca and crème bruille.

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