Our route

Our Route

Calgary skyline We have been enjoying the city of Calgary this past week while also trying to plan a return ride home or at least down to Montana where we could catch a train back to Portland. However, finding a route that had places to stay, good roads with wide shoulders and/or low traffic volume, while being mindful of weather conditions (especially headwinds), has proven to be impossible at this time of year. And so, we are realizing that, for now, this phase of our Can

This entry is a bit delayed due to our arrival in the city of Calgary, where we've taken the time to explore before the weather turns cold. We set off on Wednesday morning for what would be a 72-mile ride from Canmore to Calgary. Unexpectedly, it became one of the best rides of the entire tour. With the wind at our backs and a consistent downhill profile, we made record time getting to the city. However, it was the ride itself, along with the transitions and the stunning scen

Alberta is Wild Rose Country. Here is a final bloom of the faded summer. We are a few days behind on this blog, but that's only because we've made it to our destination for this trip: Calgary, Alberta! We've been busy exploring and enjoying this vibrant city and haven’t had a chance to sit down and write. This morning is the first cloudy day we've had, so a cozy coffee shop and a hot cup of coffee provide the perfect opportunity to finally catch up. Downtown Canmore, Alberta

The excellent cycleway out of Banff. We thoroughly enjoyed our day off in Banff. This morning, we woke up to light rain and cooler temperatures. However, since we only had a 15-mile ride ahead to Canmore, we decided to wait for the rain to stop before setting off. The ride to Canmore was a fast and easy glide, all downhill, on an excellent cycleway. It took us through the remaining part of Banff National Park, and despite the overcast weather, it was a beautiful journey. Thr

We took a day off yesterday to fully enjoy the town and surroundings of Banff, taking a nice walk along the Bow River and up to the Banff Springs Hotel. We both have a deep love for this place and cherish our fond memories. Today, we took a short jaunt east—only 17 miles—to the town of Canmore, which sits at the eastern edge of the Rockies. The trip took a mere hour and 20 minutes. Heading east out of Banff. It was rainy in the morning, so we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at

Looking down main street in Banff. Yesterday, we arrived in Banff just in time to watch the 49ers game, so we postponed writing yesterday’s entry until today. We're taking a day off to enjoy this awesome town of Banff. We had been riding Highway 1 for three straight days. The road features stunning scenery and ample space for bikes, but by the time we reached Lake Louise, we were ready to escape the road noise from passing trucks and cars.  Fortunately, the ride from Lake Lou

The Canadian Rockies are timeless. They remain unchanged and as awe-inspiring as they were when humans first laid eyes on them. I first saw them as a teenager during a family summer vacation in the late 1970s. I remember thinking I had never encountered a place so beautiful. I still recall the hikes around Lake Louise and up to the Tea House, canoeing on Vermillion Lake in Banff, and visiting the two stunning historical hotels: Chateau Lake Louise and the Banff Springs Hotel.

We knew today would be a grueling climb to Lake Louise along the Trans-Canada Highway, with forecasts predicting cool and possibly wet weather. However, as with most rides, we were pleasantly surprised. Never a fun thought... The ascent out of Golden was quite a challenge. We started climbing immediately after leaving the town, but fortunately, we had enjoyed a hearty mountain pancake breakfast an hour earlier, giving us plenty of energy. After a brief leveling off, we spotte

Being ever mindful of the finicky weather patterns of Western Canada in the fall, we have been watching closely as a big low pressure system bringing rain and much cooler temperatures has been building off the coast. It is expected to hit later this week, with a preview today (we even saw some snow dusting the mountain peaks around Golden this morning!). We had originally planned to stay in Golden for a couple more days for a proper rest, but we realized we should move earlie

We arrived too late to post yesterday, so we decided to wait until today to write. Starting off in Revelstoke in the early morning. Yesterday's ride was a bit of a gamble, considering the 92-mile distance, nearly 6,000 feet of climbing, and the decreasing daylight hours. It was one of those rides where conditions had to be just right if we were going to make it before sunset. We started fairly early, around 8:00 AM, which is early for us:). It was a perfect morning for riding

Yes, Day 10 of our ride was one for the books: 94 miles, 8.5 hours of seat time, over 6,000 feet of climbing, two national parks (Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier), and two significant passes: Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse Pass. We accomplished something I didn't know I could do! (My previous longest ride was 90 miles, which was much flatter and had a tailwind.) We began early at 8:00 AM in the morning chill and immediately started climbing. In fact, we climbed steadily for the ne

Heading towards the foothills of the Rockies. This morning began with an amazing mountain breakfast featuring a ham and egg scramble and a huge pancake. Fresh food has been a recurring theme on this ride, and we truly appreciate it. Riding during harvest season is definitely a bonus! The breakfast was perfect for our nearly 50-mile journey to Revelstoke. Clicking off the distances... We knew that most of today’s ride would be along the busy Trans-Canada Highway 1, but we were

I love this shade of blue in the roadside cornflowers! Now , before anyone gets any wrong ideas here, or has their mind in the gutter, I can totally explain this title. But first a bit about our ride today. We left Sicamous around 10:30 this morning, trying to avoid the chill of the early morning; but it was jacket weather, nonetheless. We could see the larger foothills of the Canadian Rockies looming in front of us as we left Sicamous and the hills around us were tall eno

Last night was special. We connected with our good friends from Guatemala, Loa and Russ, for dinner in downtown Vernon. Although it had been six years since we last met, it felt like no time had passed. It was one of those evenings you never want to end. We left committed to meeting again, which is easy for us since Portland isn't too far away, and we've fallen in love with the Okanagan Valley, making a return visit imminent . This morning started off slowly due to our late n

Hooking up with Loa and Russ in Vernon, BC was such a blast! Well, I must admit that getting started this morning was no easy feat. This may or may not have something to do with our absolutely wonderful four hours of bliss catching up with our good friends, Loa and Russ. It’s amazing how six years can pass, and it feels like we saw them just six days ago! Such is the magic of good friendships. The hawthorne berries alongside the road The day and road beckoned, nonetheless, an

A view of Kelowna, BC We loved our day off in Kelowna. The weather was perfect, the 49ers won their game in a thrilling finish with a last-second field goal, and we enjoyed the fresh food and wonderful beer that the Okanagan Valley offers. Today's ride took us along the Okanagan Trail, which is well-maintained and does not permit motorized vehicles. It was a stunning journey, mostly alongside beautiful lakes. Kalamalka Lake, known for its changing colors, was particularly imp

Map of our rail-to-trail ride along the lakes today. After a fantastic day of rest on Sunday in the wonderful small city of Kelowna, BC—great food, excellent beers, and beautiful surroundings—we continued our journey north through Lake Country to Vernon, BC. Our route followed a rail-to-trail path that was in excellent condition, winding along the shores of two long finger lakes just east of Okanagan Lake. These smaller lakes, Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake, are still quite lar

During our ride across the United States, one of our favorite activities was staying in small towns. The interactions with the locals were always welcoming and friendly, and the conversations were rich, often filled with heartfelt kindness and generosity. This has also been true in all the small towns we have visited in British Columbia, especially in Hope, Princeton, and, yesterday, Summerland.  Molly riding along the lake. Last night, we relaxed at the Giant’s Head Brewery,