The skies are clear and the wind is calm as we set out early on day three. We can barely contain our excitement and feel no particular need to, as we eagerly load the bikes in anticipation of all the scenic country we are about to ride. This day is to include a gorgeous route out of Waterton Lakes National Park, into Pincher Creek, then north through Alberta’s Rocky Mountains Forest Res. towards Kananaskis Country and eventually into Kananaskis Country. If you ever have the opportunity to enjoy a motorcycle tour on Highway 541 and 40 from Longview (just south of Calgary on Highway 22) to Kananaskis and Canmore, DO IT!! This will be the first time I have used this route to get to Banff. (It will not be the last, sometimes a ride is so great you just don’t want it to end, this was such a road)
We exit the TransCanada Highway at the first Banff off ramp in order to check into the Tunnel Mountain Campground. This is one of the nicest and most scenic R/V park and campgrounds I have seen, Parks Canada has never let me down. With our tents and camp set up early in the afternoon, we set out with our bikes free from the usual load of camp, clothing and gear. From the Tunnel Mountain Campground it’s a short and direct route downhill and straight into downtown Banff, only two or three minutes ride from our campground on the hill above town…cool! The first things we want to do are visit the historic Banff Springs Hotel, and ride the Sulpher Mountain Gondola. This hotel and its grounds are world famous and oh so beautiful, as for the gondola…. WOW! From the top of Sulpher Mountain above Banff you can take in a 360 degree view of the spectacular Bow Valley and its surrounding intense and dramatic Canadian Rocky Mountains. It’s hard not to feel a bit spiritual and philosophical when your eyes are feasting on such a view. I am again reminded that to see this kind of thing in person is an experience no photograph or description can begin to convey.
After a short ride back into town we park our bikes and soak in some of the local shops, restaurants, hotels etc. on foot. This is a resort style ski town that sort of feels like a Park City, Utah kind of atmosphere. Banff is super-cool and a fun placed to visit, but bring some extra cash because nothing is cheap. Sometime I would like to stay here for several days and explore more of the local offerings and surrounding natural wonders. We stop in on Safeway for a few needed dinner supplies and ride back to camp to cook up our grub on my little backpackers stove. As is customary anytime we sleep under the stars, we warm our souls around a fire for a couple of hours before zipping ourselves in our respective lodgings for the night.
From dawn until after dusk day four proves to be no less remarkable than any. Out of sheer excitement about the following days’ itinerary we always arise at dawn to get a jump on all the adventure. This morning as I walk to the campground showers I am treated to a beautiful sunrise. We pack up, load up and head for Lake Louise via the Bow Valley Parkway. As with any adventure motorcycle tour, the varying roads and scenery coupled with the open air traveling are what provides most of the thrill. What we see throughout the course of this day probably takes the cake. If I had to choose one day as the best it would be difficult, but I would have to go with this one. I could write for hours on what we see as we ride to Lake Louise, Morraine Lake, The Valley of the Ten Peaks, Peyto Lake and over the Icefields Parkway to the Athabasca Glacier and Glacier Center, then finally past Athabasca Falls and into Jasper. We only cover about 180 miles and it takes all day. If you’re interested in a fantastic guided motorcycle adventure, it would be hard to beat this one! Research this route, these roads, these fantastic places, there is a wealth of info and pics to wet your whistle. If you like what you see, you would just love it in person!
We check into Parks Canada Whistlers’ Campground and R/V Park in Jasper, Alberta and quickly set up camp. A short ride into town allows us to park and walk the main drag in Jasper. This far north it stays light much later into the evening than I’m used to. It’s great to once again walk the streets of Jasper knowing I have just ridden here from home on an iron steed. This place is just plain cool, it’s a hub for outdoor people of every sport or interest and you just might meet a bear crossing the road in town! Another camp dinner around the fire finishes day four of this epic 6 day motorcycle adventure tour. We now have two days to get home, follow along on a great ride back in our next blog post and thanks for reading this one. Ride warm!
