25.9.12

Banff - Lake Louise - Banff



It is remarkable how much I get out. Usually I am not the initiator for outings. My friends are great for inviting me to go out and enjoy things. This past weekend was terrific for that. One of my adventures was sparked by Shane who invited me to cycle in the mountains. I hadn't ridden my bike since early June, so I was a little reluctant, but I'm not in terrible shape.



We cycled the return trip Banff-Lake Louise which is 100 km total. We took it easy and took plenty of breaks - there are majestic views around every corner so it was nice to take it slow.

We rode the Bow Valley Parkway heading west which was great because most of the road is smooth blacktop and the traffic is sparse and slow (60 km/h). The last 20 km to Lake Louise Village is mostly uphill, so we were pretty beat at our halfway point and we though we had perhaps bitten off more than we could chew.

But we took the advice of another cyclist took HWY 1 back to the Castle Mountain exit (to get back to the Parkway) and it was amazing - all downhill averaging 30-35 km/h.

As we crossed the bridge to the Parkway, a falcon was perched on a huge nest above the bridge. As it flew away, we noticed it had a big fish clutched in its talon.

We completed our journey under bright blue skies and with warm (not hot) temperatures and cheerfully. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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