Johnston Canyon, Banff and on to Calgary

Something in my head had been telling me that Banff was in the mountains and Calgary was on the plains, and so logically it should be pretty much downhill all the way from Johnston Canyon, through Banff to Calgary.

I left the Johnston Canyon Campground at about 0730 for what, I had determined, would be a long but hopefully not too taxing day through to Calgary. The Campground is on Highway 1A, which was the old highway and has now been turned into a bit of a tourist drive. It was lovely.

I kept coming across the most delightful little landscapes. This little stream just emerged from the woods and was bubbling away happily. There was a deer near here that just watched casually as I cycled past, and there was that abiding sense that just around the next corner a small bear might be watching, or if the chat with the Ranger last night was any guide, a somewhat larger, browner bear with a distinctive hunch. 

Adrenaline is awesome for keeping you focused on the scenery at hand ... for some reason. Bell ... ring dat bell!

Something I neglected to mention earlier, on the ride into the village of Lake Louise, is the presence of some rather brutal 'cattle grids' that are used to deter the wildlife from straying into town. They comprise large diameter (100mm) pipes spaced about 150mm apart over a culvert in the road. If you are riding out this way it is a VERY good idea to be aware of these grids as you come flinging down the hill into town, because hitting them at speed on a loaded touring bike would be a VERY BAD idea. 

No. I didn't. But I could have if I hadn't been aware of them. The road into Banff had a similar grid.

Banff was good for a bit of a break and some brunch before the push down the road to Calgary. I had already ridden around 30km for the morning and Calgary was still some 130km away ... but all downhill, right?

Yummy brunch and coffee made by the Australian barista.

Now, about that 'downhill' thing. I later discovered that there is a section of Highway 1 between Calgary and Banff that is one of the highest points on the whole Trans-Canada highway, possibly the second highest point. So that means it is definitely NOT downhill all the way from Banff to Calgary and that means that riding 160km in a single day with a loaded touring bike is - shall we say - 'ambitious'.

Still, it was strange to be out on the plains and watch the mountains receding in the background.

The day was pretty warm and I managed to stop in at a gas station to grab some supplies

So then it was just a push into the city. My destination was South West Calgary, so I turned off the main Highway and entrusted myself to Google Maps to take me to Richard and Judy's house in Evergreen. I now know why they call it 'artificial intelligence' - not terribly intelligent at all.

Calgary has a very developed system of bicycle paths, as it turns out, that network all over the city and can get you to just about anywhere you need to go. Problem is that those bike paths assume people are riding ultra-light street machines or mountain bikes that are not loaded to the gunwales with 'stuff'. They roll up and down over gentle and steep hills, and I have no doubt provide much enjoyment to recreational cyclists whipping along from one place to another. However steep hills are not terribly suitable for the Salsa juggernaut that I am wrestling with, after some 150km in the saddle for the day.

It's hot, I'm tired, I'm lost, I'm thirsty, and Google Maps just keeps chanting nonsense at me. Find a supermarket ... buy lots of orange juice, and an icecream, and an orange soda ... quaff the lot ... chat with a couple of guys about my flash looking touring rig ... wrestle with my new bike lock (cos I had to destroy the old one, remember?) ... more Google nonsense ... onto the bike path ... down another ridiculously steep hill whilst trying to avoid recreational cyclists ... another flat tyre ...

ENOUGH!

Helen and Richard eventually found me parked under a tree, bike leaning up against a pole, panniers neatly arranged nearby, empty orange juice bottle.

Banff to Calgary was over. 160km for the day and many useful lessons learned about what was achievable on a bike tour across Canada. Time for a good meal and some sleep.

I was almost a week ahead of schedule, so I could relax for a few days, catch up with Helen's family and the Hands at Work crew in Calgary, and just have some down time.