Bike Travel – Cycling the Spectacular Rockies

The sign cautioned, “it is unlawful to feed the animals.” I smiled to myself and wondered if I was committing a crime. I may not have been feeding the animals, but I was certainly baiting them. I was clearly the straggler in the herd, the easy kill, the wildebeest who crossed one river too many.

It was day three of a three-day ride and it had been snowing for a couple of hours, which was a nice change from the rain. My shoes were literally full of water, there was snow on my gloves and I was having the time of my life.

I cycled the Ice Fields Parkway in Alberta from Jasper to Lake Louise. The trip was a quick one, two travel days and three days in the saddle. I called Ken Campbell at The HI-Banff Alpine Centre. Ken is the general manager and was putting the finishing touches on a supported bike program that would involve riding from hostel to hostel along the Icefields Parkway. Hostelling International has properties all around the world, and four of them in Alberta.

Day One – Jasper to Beauty Creek and past Athabasca Falls, 70 km.

I landed in Calgary and made my way to Banff. I rebuilt my bike, and met with Ken Campbell and Ken Wood, manager of Rampart Creek Hostel, one of the places we visited during the trip. In our first meeting it was pretty obvious that the three of us were going to get along and I looked forward to our three-day adventure together.

The next morning we loaded up our bikes and gear and made our way to Jasper. Along the way, we dropped off our supplies at each of the three hostels that we were going to be staying at on our journey back to Lake Louise. All I had to carry on the bike rides was water, snacks, some insulating layers that came in handy and a couple of tubes and tires, which I didn’t end up needing.

We climbed 2,035 m (6,667 feet) in two days, and it was incredible. The first day was a steady and gradual climb. It was nothing major but it was a good day for acclimating to the high mountains in Alberta.

We had lunch at Athabasca Falls and then peddled to the Beauty Creek Hostel for our first night. After a fantastic meal we settled in around a campfire under a starry night.  We enjoyed the company of our new acquaintances from France, who offered us wine and cheese.

Day Two – The Sunwapta Pass

I woke up early and was filled with nervous anticipation about riding over the Sunwapta Pass. Our plan was to cycle from Beauty Creek to Rampart Creek Hostel, a short day at just over 50 km. The climb was approximately 500 m (1,500 feet) from bottom to top.  Just after breakfast I was ready to roll out on what was expected to be the toughest day of climbing.

Along the way I witnessed glaciers, lakes and tourists who shouted words of encouragement.

It took me about 90 minutes to reach the summit and I was ecstatic. This was the biggest climb of my life, and at one point I thought the muscles in my thighs were going to shred. I was moving so fast on the descent that I couldn’t help but think about the fact that my head was protected by a helmet similar to a Styrofoam cup.  I reached Rampart Creek Hostel in three hours and 29 minutes. The epic ride was my own personal victory.

Mackenzie, one of the Rampart Creek employees, was the perfect ambassador and greeted me with a cold beer, the perfect refreshment after a difficult day on the bike.  The hostel had a sauna, but if you want to soothe sore muscles I suggest you plunge into the ice cold creek.

We sat down to eat a well-deserved meal together, and have some fun conversation by the campfire. The flames were spectacular, and a tourist that we met made the evening more enjoyable by playing a song on his classical guitar.

Day Three – Rampart Creek to Lake Louise, 89 km.

The final day was the most epic of them all because it was cold and raining. I advised my guides that I was pretty wrecked from the two previous days of climbing, but I didn’t want to let my sore legs stop me from completing our journey to Lake Louise. We set out after a delicious breakfast and I was pleased that after about 10 km my legs were warmed up and ready to tackle the last mountain pass.

The climb over Bow Summit was actually longer than the Sunwapta Pass, but it was gradual and the scenery was out of this world. This views from this mountain were what really made the trip.

We agreed that the two Kens would ride further ahead, reach Lake Louise first and then drive the van back to pick me up along the route. I peddled 60 km to Mosquito Creek Hostel and knew that I was nearing my end. Thankfully about 10 km later the van arrived.

That night we celebrated at HI-Lake Louise Hostel, which was a nice way to end our adventure. We took full advantage of the restaurant and bar. All in all it was an amazing trip and a great cycling program that I highly recommend to anyone wanting to venture out on a bicycle in the mountains for a weekend.

I flew home from Calgary the next day, already looking forward to visiting the Icefields Parkway again soon.

Getting There: You can fly into Calgary International Airport from anywhere, Air Canada and Westjet fly in there many times each day. Rental cars are cheap and plentiful. Banff is about two hours west, and you’ll want to do it in the daylight so you don’t miss anything.

Where to stay: I recommend The HI-Banff Mountain Centre if you are looking for an affordable and fantastic supported ride. Ken told me that four nights accommodations, the shuttling and dropping off of supplies was less than $400/person. So $100/night for a hotel and shuttle service is pretty difficult to beat.Dennis Moseley-Williams: dennismw@gmail.com